More than 8,000 white flowers will go on display in Wirral in a tragic memorial commemorating the worst atrocity on European soil since WW2.
In July 1995, against the backdrop of the Bosnian war, thousands of Muslim men and boys were killed in mass executions in the eastern town of Srebrenica. It came as Bosnia, once considered a melting pot of cultures where various religions lived peacefully side by side, came under attack from Serb forces who wanted to “ethnically cleanse” the country of Muslims.
And now Wirral Deen Centre, in Birkenhead, is launching an exhibition in which 8,372 white paper flowers will go on display at Birkenhead Central Library. Each flower will represent one Muslim man or youth who was killed in a bid to raise awareness of the tragedy and spread a message of unity and tolerance throughout the region.
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Neil Sledge, Education Director at Wirral Deen Centre, told the ECHO: “I’m on the North West board for Remembering Srebrenica. This year, one of my ideas to remember what happened, and to encourage people to take a stand against hate and prejudice of any kind, was to make 8,372 white paper flowers and hang them in the foyer of Birkenhead Central Library.
“It’s going to be a powerful image for anyone who walks in. There’ll be plenty of information available too but it will be a striking temporary memorial to encourage discussion and raise awareness.”
The team at the Deen Centre have created information packs which they have distributed to schools and organisations across the borough, alongside templates to help people make their own flowers. After receiving support from Wirral Council to help raise the profile of the exhibition, Neil is hopeful that as many people as possible will get involved before Monday, July 11, which is the official day to commemorate the genocide.
Neil travelled to Bosnia himself in 2017, and the profound impact of the visit compelled him to work to spread awareness of what happened in Srebrenica all over the North West.
He said: “I met survivors and mothers of those who died. Once you’ve met someone who has escaped from a mass execution site, or had family who didn’t make it, and you find that 8372 Muslims were killed within a few days, you come back and do something about it.
“To look people in the eye who have been through that, and to see that a lot of them have no hate in their hearts and just want peace, it’s unbelievable.”
The principles of peace and unity are fundamental to the work that the Deen Centre does. A mosque and community hub, the centre works to promote harmony in a multicultural Wirral and offers a whole range of non-religious services such as an eco club and writing courses.
Neil said: “Our motto is we stand together, and the idea is that we welcome anybody and encourage them just to come in and have a cup of tea and a chat. It’s really important that we’re right in the centre of Birkenhead, because it's a community that is mixed in terms of race, and culture and religion but we encourage all people to come and say hello.”
The exhibition is part of a programme of events to remember Srebrenica, which also includes a peace walk at Birkenhead Park on Sunday, July 3 and a memorial service at Liverpool Parish Church on Sunday, July 10.
To get involved with the exhibition, or to find out more, contact wirraldeeneducation@gmail.com.
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