Central Khutbah: “And Once Again, Srebrenica…”

In the name of Allah, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful.

It is difficult to speak about Srebrenica. It is difficult to find words capable of expressing the pain of the mothers, children, and families whose loved ones were killed simply because they were Bosniaks.

It is even more difficult to understand that some still deny the genocide, minimize the number of victims, or glorify those who committed these crimes. Some have yet to understand that the future of one people can never be built upon the death or disappearance of another.

Srebrenica is not merely a page in our history. It is our wound, but also a profound warning.

It is deeply concerning that, even among us, some still hesitate or feel uncomfortable stating clearly that a genocide was committed in Srebrenica. Speaking the truth about Srebrenica does not mean spreading hatred. Truth is the foundation of every sincere reconciliation.

Reconciliation does not mean forgetting the victims, concealing the crimes, or placing the victim and the perpetrator on equal footing. Genuine reconciliation is only possible when the crime is acknowledged, when the victims are respected, and when the ideology that led to the genocide is unequivocally condemned.

We must never forget our victims. We must never be ashamed of our history or of those who defended the right of our people to live and remain on their own land. At the same time, we must not harbor hatred toward any people. Responsibility belongs to those who committed the crimes, their accomplices, and those who justify them—not to entire nations.

Islam teaches us to be just toward everyone. Allah, the Most High, says:

“Allah does not forbid you from showing kindness and acting justly toward those who have not fought you because of your religion nor driven you out of your homes. Indeed, Allah loves those who act justly.”
(Surah Al-Mumtahanah, 60:8)

The purpose of commemorating the Srebrenica genocide is not merely to remember the past. Its true purpose is to ensure that such a crime never happens again—anywhere and against anyone.

That is why the words “Never Again” must not apply only to our own people and our own victims. They must apply to every innocent human being, regardless of religion or nationality.

Remaining silent in the face of any new genocide is a betrayal of the memory of the victims of Srebrenica. We cannot stand before their graves, declare that such a crime must never happen again, and then remain silent while other innocent people are killed before the eyes of the world.

That is why we must not remain silent in the face of the genocide in Gaza. The killing of Palestinian civilians, children, and women, the destruction of entire families, homes, hospitals, and the essential conditions for life cannot leave us indifferent.

A child in Gaza is no less valuable than a child in Srebrenica. The tears of a Palestinian mother are no less painful than those of a mother from Srebrenica. Anyone who is sincere in preserving the memory of Srebrenica must also raise their voice for the innocent people of Gaza.

Condemning the crimes committed in Gaza is not an expression of hatred toward any people. It is a condemnation of killing, persecution, injustice, and the collective punishment inflicted upon innocent people. Our standard must always be justice, not hatred.

If we speak only when our own people suffer, but remain silent when others become victims, then we have not understood the message of Srebrenica.

Srebrenica teaches us that hatred must be stopped before it turns into crime. It teaches us that we must never remain silent in the face of injustice and that we must preserve the truth, our dignity, and the memory of the victims.

To remember Srebrenica means not only remembering the past but also recognizing injustice in the present. It means standing beside every innocent, persecuted, and oppressed human being.

Srebrenica is a warning. Gaza is a test of our conscience.

Therefore, let us never forget. Let us not remain silent. Let us not become indifferent. Only then will our faithfulness to the memory of the victims have its true meaning.

“Our Lord, do not make us a trial for those who disbelieve, and forgive us, our Lord. Indeed, You are the Almighty, the All-Wise.”
(Surah Al-Mumtahanah, 60:5)

(Central khutbah by the Religious Leader Hafiz Hilmija Redžić on July 10, 2026, at the “Association Islamique de Wiltz/Luxembourg” in Wiltz)