Luton Council will honour the victims of the Srebrenica genocide

Luton Council will be raising the Srebrenica flag over the Town Hall on Friday, July 10.

The council wants the act to honour the victims of the Srebrenica genocide, whilst challenging hatred and helping strengthen our communities.

Just 25 years ago, in the small town of Srebrenica in North-Eastern Bosnia-Herzegovina, the single greatest atrocity in Europe since the Second World War took place. It remains a brutal reminder of man's inhumanity to man. In July 1995, more than 8,000 Muslim Bosnian men were systematically murdered because simply because of who they were.

Described by the UN as "the worst crime on European soil since the Second World War", Srebrenica was classed as genocide by both the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former-Yugoslavia.

Lessons learned from Srebrenica demonstrate how hatred and intolerance can flourish if left unchecked - even in a country such as Bosnia-Herzegovina where people of different faiths had lived peacefully together for many years.

Leader of Luton Council, Hazel Simmons MBE, said: “The tragic lesson we must learn from Srebrenica is that hatred is a weakness that we must overcome in whatever form it takes.

"The mindless barbarity of what occurred shocked the world then and continues to appal us today.

“That one country containing so many different ethnic groups could rip itself apart so quickly and brutally is a solemn reminder to us all of the need to be vigilant.

"In Luton we are proud of our diversity and know the harmony we enjoy is precious, valued and we are committed to doing all we can to strengthen what we must never take for granted.”