A tree has been planted in Valentines Park to mark the 25th anniversary of Srebrenica, the 1995 massacre in which 8,000 Bosnian Muslims were killed.

Ilford Recorder: The memorial in Valentines Park which honours the victims of the Srebrenica massacre, the 25th anniversary of which is on Saturday, 11th July 2020. Picture: Cllr Yusuf Patel MBEThe memorial in Valentines Park which honours the victims of the Srebrenica massacre, the 25th anniversary of which is on Saturday, 11th July 2020. Picture: Cllr Yusuf Patel MBE (Image: Archant)

The tree — planted by Redbridge Council, Ilford Islamic Centre and Vision — will, in the words of Remembering Srebrenica’s Amra Mujkanovic, “serve as a reminder of when the world allowed hatred to win”.

Council leader Jas Athwal said it was vital to remember those “brutally murdered because of their faith, their culture, and the God they loved and served”:”It’s a travesty that this occurred within our lifetime and that the hatred, racism, islamophobia and bigotry that enabled the genocide at Srebrenica remains with us today. It is incumbent upon all of us to do all we can to call out racism, islamophobia and hatred.”

Ghazenfer Ali, chairman of Ilford Islamic Centre, added: “This tree is a reminder we must all do more. We must not let those who seek to divide us succeed.”