06/02/2025
Holocaust Memorial 2025 at Wembley Stadium
Recently, Holocaust memorial events were held across the UK, including a ceremony organised by Brent Council at Wembley Stadium. This event was open to the public via online booking.
Holocaust memorial events are held worldwide to remember genocides that have left deep marks on human history. The Wembley Stadium event also reflected on those painful chapters of history, remembering not only the Jewish community but also other affected groups. Speakers emphasised the importance of learning from these tragedies and discussed ways to prevent the repetition of the past.
The event was attended by individuals from various walks of life, including political and social figures, historians, students, and human rights activists. The speakers highlighted the atrocities committed during the Holocaust and referenced other historical tragedies where prejudice, hatred, and intolerance led to immense human suffering.
One of the notable speakers was Sahudin Sahan, an imam from the Bosnian community in the UK. He was only ten years old during the 1995 Srebrenica massacre. While he was among the few fortunate survivors, the horrors, pain, and injustice he and his family experienced left an indelible mark on his memory. Speaking at the Holocaust memorial event, he stressed that these horrific events cannot and should not be forgotten. He stated, "We must remember these tragedies and raise our voices against oppression. If we remain silent, history will repeat itself."
Sahudin Sahanโs message was clear: whether it is the Holocaust or the Srebrenica massacre, the world must recognize that whenever seeds of hatred, prejudice, and racism are sown, they lead to some of the darkest chapters in human history. He insisted that these events should not be viewed merely as historical lessons but as a moral and practical responsibility for present and future generations to stand against oppression and injustice.
Dr. Agnes Kaposi, a ninety-two-year-old Holocaust survivor and electrical engineer, was just eleven when tragedy struck. As she spoke at the Holocaust Memorial, her words reflected the harsh reality that the world has not learned the lesson of the "Shoah" (a translation of "Holocaust" into Hebrew). Dr. Kaposi's voice echoed her sorrow that, "The politics of war, genocide, and hate continues to this day". She reminded us that the oppression that swallowed millions of innocents should have resulted not only in many history books being written but in practical preventative measures as people are still following the same paths of prejudice and urge to inflict suffering upon others. If humanity had learned anything from history, then the fire of wars and racism would not be burning in the world today. Her message resonated with clarity and passion, for merely remembering is not enough. It is necessary to learn how to act ethically in this world.
Rabbi Dr. Frank Dabba Smith, who has been a leading member of the Brent Multi-Faith Forum for over twenty years, reflected on the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau in January 1945, which marked the end of the Nazi-led genocide. This dark period claimed six million Jewish lives and an additional eleven million victims from other marginalised communities. He stated that the Holocaust teaches us that such atrocities only fuel further violence and extremism, often exacerbated by far-right movements.
He warned that indifference and inaction allow prejudice and hatred to thrive in today's world. He called for practical efforts to eliminate discrimination, promote empathy, counter propaganda and misinformation, and encourage mutual respect and cooperation. He says hope and progress depend on self-awareness, open dialogue, and collective action against those who spread hatred.
Ms Farhat Zaheer cited Jo Coxโs belief that people prioritize shared values and unity over divisions. She also cited George Orwell, who warned about manipulating social and political differences to advance political agendas. She pointed out that the working class is often kept inactive under the guise of patriotism, preventing them from pursuing meaningful change in their lives.
History has repeatedly shown that when a single individual, intoxicated by power and resources, can cross the boundaries leading to tyranny. There are always followers who either submit out of fear or are enticed by personal gains. Such authoritarian figures, blinded by their own dominance, not only lose their sense of conscience but also lead their followers down the same destructive path, where justice, morality, and humanity hold no value.
One of historyโs bitter lessons is that when oppression is not confronted, it grows into a monstrous force that consumes everyone. Holocaust-like tragedies are not just the result of one personโs madness but also of countless silent or complicit individuals who, instead of resisting tyranny, become part of it.
Human history bears witness to the misuse of power, knowledge, and resources, leading to devastating consequences. Even today, scientific advancements and political strategies are exploited as tools for power struggles, pushing the world towards instability and destruction. Powerful nations take actions under the pretence of progress but drive the world towards more significant division and imbalance.
Nature always strives to maintain balance, and when this balance is severely disrupted, it intervenesโsometimes through natural disasters, sometimes through social or political revolutions, and sometimes through the downfall of civilisations. However, this process comes at a cost โsocieties collapse, civilisations vanish, millions of lives are lost, and the world enters a new era where life begins to rebuild itself.
This is the tragedy of human history: people keep making the same mistakes, following the same paths, and facing the same disastrous outcomes. Every time, there is a new beginning, but the same old errors, like greed and the lust for power, cause destruction to re-emerge. Will humanity break free from this cycle, or will it continue indefinitely? This remains an unanswered question.
English Translation Edited by Rabbi Dr Frank Dabba Smith.
