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Islamic Human Rights Commission
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11 July 2007

Press Release: IHRC Statement on 12th Anniversary of Srebrenica
Genocide

On the 12th anniversary of the genocide of 8000 Bosnian Muslims by Serb
forces at Srebrenica, the Islamic Human Rights Commission is deeply
concerned that lessons have still not been learnt by European
governments.

The genocide of Muslims in Bosnia between 1992 and 1995 and the lack of
reaction from the international community have had a tremendous impact
on the psyche of European citizens. What is worrying is that these
events are now being used to single out for demonisation Muslim expression of sympathy and support for the victims of that genocide, when in fact revulsion of the event is universal.

For the international community to have allowed hundreds of thousands
of European Muslims to be systematically demonised, subsequently
imprisoned, raped and tortured in concentration camps and ultimately murdered without a word of condemnation, is evidence that Muslim grievances are not only real but thoroughly justified. To claim otherwise is to undermine the genocide and fosters further alienation of Muslims in Europe.

Furthermore, those individuals whose conscience compelled them to
travel to the Balkans to protect the local population have been demonised
and targeted as potential terror suspects. The similarity between their
actions and those of the tens of thousands of Europeans who travelled to
Spain to fight Franco have been lost on a world obsessed with the
suppression of Islam.

Unless and until such time as Europe addresses these issues and their
impact on European Muslims, discussions about shared values will not be
taken seriously by anyone.

For more information, please contact IHRC on (+44) 20 8904 4222 or
(+44) 7958 522 196 or email info@ihrc.org

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Islamic Human Rights Commission
PO Box 598
Wembley
HA9 7XH
United Kingdom

Telephone (+44) 20 8904 4222
Fax (+44) 20 8904 5183
Email: info@ihrc.org
Web: www.ihrc.org.uk