In a poignant memorial held on Tuesday at St Paul’s Cathedral, Londoners gathered alongside global dignitaries, survivors, and political leaders to mark 30 years since the Srebrenica genocide – Europe’s worst atrocity since World War II. The cathedral, an emblem of Christian faith, opened its doors for a solemn interfaith service honouring the memory of more than 8,000 Bosniak Muslim men and boys systematically murdered in July 1995 in the small town of Srebrenica in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Commemorations were held worldwide, but the London service stood out for its message of unity and peace. Attendees included members of the UK government, foreign diplomats, survivors and their families, and members of the public. The ceremony featured both Qur’anic and Biblical readings, a powerful symbol of cross-community solidarity.
“Today I attended the Srebrenica Remembrance Service at St Paul’s Cathedral. 30 years on, we remember the thousands of victims, honour the survivors, and reaffirm our commitment to challenging hatred and intolerance wherever it exists,” said Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner.
Mayor Sadiq Khan echoed the sentiment, calling on all communities to reject division: “We must remember we have more in common than that which divides us.”
In a moment of painful reflection, MP Zahra Sultana reminded the audience that global atrocities persist: “We say never again — yet a genocide is taking place in Gaza right now. The world must act.”
The service included the lighting of 30 candles, symbolising each year since the genocide, and a moving address by Baroness Arminka Helić, herself a refugee from Bosnia. She urged the world not to dismiss the victims as numbers, but to remember them as individuals lost to deliberate, targeted violence. The member of the House of Lords also called for a peaceful, just and fearless future in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Dr Scott Arthur, MP for Edinburgh South West, praised the interfaith nature of the event: “The service featured powerful survivor testimonies, alongside readings from the Bible and Qur’an, reminding us of the strength found in remembrance and shared humanity.”
As Julian Reilly, British Ambassador to Bosnia and Herzegovina, noted, prayers from both sacred texts were offered “for the repose of the souls,” a spiritual gesture that underscored the unity of purpose.
The Srebrenica genocide was the targeted killing of over 8,000 Bosniak Muslim men and boys by Bosnian Serb forces in July 1995. Despite the UN declaring Srebrenica a “safe area,” the massacre unfolded under the watch of international peacekeepers, with victims hunted, executed, and buried in mass graves. It was later recognised as genocide by both the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) and the International Court of Justice.
That such a memorial took place in a cathedral – where the Qur’an was recited in remembrance of Muslim victims sent a deeply powerful message. It reminded the world that faiths and communities can come together not just in grief, but in resolve.
This show of communal harmony, compassion, and shared remembrance reflects the true spirit of London. In a time where genocides still unfold in silence and impunity, the collective call for justice and unity offers a rare but necessary glimpse of hope.
