Why the searing accounts of suffering in Srebrenica cannot – must not – be forgotten

Shahin Ashraf, Head of Global Advocacy.

As the world commemorates the atrocities that happened at Srebrenica 25 years ago, Islamic Relief’s head of global advocacy, Shahin Ashraf, reflects on the horrifying accounts of suffering that are seared on her memory.

As the world commemorates the atrocities that happened at Srebrenica 25 years ago, Islamic Relief’s head of global advocacy, Shahin Ashraf, reflects on the horrifying accounts of suffering that are seared on her memory.

I remember clearly the shocking images of emaciated men which the ITN News projected into our living rooms in 1992. One picture, of Fikret Alic stood out. Photographed behind barbed wire in a prison camp in Bosnia, Fikret was gaunt, all protruding ribs and a face hollowed by all he had endured, too traumatised to speak.

The same image then appeared on the front cover of Time magazine.

Back then I’d never heard of Bosnia. Never known of the horror unfolding on European soil. My father had told us about what happened to Chams, Cambodia’s Muslim minority, and I’d seen the distressing images from Ethiopia and at school in the UK had raised funds for BandAid.

But this was new.

Soon I was supporting Islamic Relief’s humanitarian efforts to help those suffering. A student loading trucks with food, clothes and blankets, I was at the frontline of fundraising and community initiatives to ease the suffering.

The Islamic Relief response to the Bosnian War, which began in 1992 and continued throughout the grim years that followed, was a watershed moment for the charity, setting us on a different trajectory. We were one of the first international organisations to deliver humanitarian aid and emergency relief in the country. Through our offices and warehouses, we distributed food, clothes, water and firewood.

Then there was the first wave of Bosniaks arriving to the UK. In those very early days, one of those families became our neighbours.

They began to tell us of the atrocities that were being inflicted. From that point, it all became so real for me. Among the stories they reported were tales the horror of the tragedy of violence against women and girls.

I met many of the survivors, heard their stories first-hand; women and children who had not eaten for days, who had witnessed the brutal murder of their loved ones. I didn’t need to go to the country: the stories that my neighbour shared were the reality of what they had escaped.

She told me of her teenaged cousins who were kidnapped and raped, confined for five months in a school that was once their sanctuary. By the time they were found they were pregnant. A hadji, Muslim who has been to Mecca, was forced to watch as his daughter was raped. The horror of it all was that neighbour turned against neighbour.

In 1993, I left for USA, as one of five founders to establish Islamic Relief USA. The Bosnian War was one of our key campaigns from 1993-1995, and I travelled the US with various Bosniak guests to highlight and advocate for their plight and fundraise for the humanitarian aid.

On 16th April 1993 the United Nations Security Council adopted Resolution 819 (1993), demanding that Srebrenica and the surrounding areas, be treated as a safe area. It became a UN ‘safe zone’ which must not be exposed to hostility and armed attack. In 1994 the Dutch battalion of UN peacekeepers arrived in Srebrenica. On June 3rd the peacekeepers were attacked in Zeleni Jadar, a town in the easternmost part of Srebrenica.

The horror of all horrors came on July 11th -22nd July 1995 in Srebrenica, a small village near the eastern border with Serbia swollen with some 60,000 Muslim refugees. A day that will never be erased from my memory.

“You are now under UN protection of the United Nations…. I will never abandon you.” Despite the UN flag flying over the enclave, the Bosnian Serb assault in July 1995, led by General Ratko Mladić, met no UN resistance.

Tens of thousands of Muslim refugees streamed into the Muslim-controlled city of Tuzla. Missing from the stream of refugees were more than 8,372 men and boys of all ages, who had been systematically executed in cold blood – mass murder on a scale not witnessed in Europe since the end of World War II.

These individuals are more than just a statistic; they were the fathers, husbands, sons and loved ones of those that were left behind.

I was told about a woman called Sabriya, a 24-year old mother of two girls, four-year old Samira and Amira, aged two. I listened to her story (the award-winning journalist Maggie O’Kane wrote about her too). The Serbs had come to her village and killed all the men. They took the women and young children away to ‘rape houses’. Sabriya was dragged into a room and raped by seven soldiers. She then saw Samira in the next room lying naked and unconscious with blood on her legs.

Forgetting her own ordeal, she picked up her two girls and fled the building. On their way to Tuzla, Samira cried when she tried to urinate. The doctors confirmed the four-year old had been gang-raped.

Hearing this sickened me. I cannot forget it, and many other similar stories of wickedness and brutality.

I remember Dr Hany El Banna had told me about poem that he wrote called Suada, the young woman who hanged herself from a tree after being repeatedly raped by Serb soldiers.

Many of us wrote and spoke out eloquently and passionately to explain what was happening in the Bosnian War, and the failure to stop the ethnic cleansing, the concentration camps, and the massacres of hundreds of thousands of civilians. In the summer of 1995, the United States finally took on a leadership role to end the war.

In 2014 I visited Srebrenica. A powerful trip that reminded me of why I do what I do.

I met the mothers of Srebrenica who spoke openly and powerfully of the 10 days in which their whole life came crashing down. Hatidza Mehmedovic’s husband, two sons, and brother were among those killed. “I go to bed with sadness and I wake up with sadness because it’s hard. You know that a child is the biggest joy in the world and the biggest sadness and sorrow in the world.”.

“And my children are no more and our children are no more. Thousands and thousands of … children are no more just because they had certain names. But it wasn’t their fault that they had those names. Children don’t choose their names, or their parents, or the place where they’re born.”

I also met another mother who said that through DNA she found the hand of her son. She said she will never stop searching for the rest of his body.

I met Fadila Efendić who described the trauma that comes from losing your husband and son. She has remained strong for her daughter, and works in a shop opposite the cemetery to support her family.

“It was terrible,” she said, recalling the scene at the building used by the UN forces that failed to stop the slaughter and violence. “Everybody was lying on the ground in the battery factory: old people, children, women. It was complete chaos. I stood up and I was just watching.”All of this occurred in what supposed to be a safe haven.

Twenty-five years since the horror of Srebrenica, we honour the memory of those who lost their lives, and the courage of those left behind. We try to use the lessons from these terrible events to create a better world, one in which our differences become our strengths, and the only thing that is intolerable is injustice.

 

new director

Director of Network and Resource Development

Adnan joined Islamic Relief in 2004 as a regional fundraiser in the UK. He worked in multiple roles over 10 years at Islamic Relief UK, including setting up the first digital team and leading the growth of digital fundraising and engagement. Adnan also led numerous fundraising and marketing campaigns, which played a significant part in the growth of Islamic Relief UK.

Having moved to Islamic Relief Worldwide in 2014, Adnan has held different roles that have helped grow Islamic Relief’s global digital footprint into new geographic territories, supporting Islamic Relief members with their digital and marketing growth as well as developing new products and initiatives for the Islamic Relief family.

Adnan graduated in Industrial Design and Technology from Loughborough University. He has since completed an Advanced Diploma in Business Administration from Durham University and a Diploma in Digital Marketing from the Institute of Data and Marketing.

Nadeem Azhar

General Counsel

Nadeem joined Islamic Relief Worldwide in September 2022. He has worked in the charitable sector for over a decade.

He studied Modern History and Politics at Manchester University, and at the University of Law in London before qualifying as a solicitor in 2011.

Nadeem is an experienced corporate, commercial and governance lawyer, having worked with various faith-based and grant making charities as well those in health and education settings. He was a partner at a law firm in London before moving in-house where he focused on setting up and restructuring charities and social enterprises.

Most recently, Nadeem was Lead Counsel at Mind, a leading mental health charity, where he co-authored a new federation agreement, revamped legal processes, and played a major role in developing its strategic and fundraising partnerships.

Nadeem has been a charity trustee for the Seafarers Charity, as well as many grant-making bodies and theatre companies.

Adnan Hafiz

Director of Network and Resource Development

Adnan joined Islamic Relief in 2004 as a regional fundraiser in the UK. He worked in multiple roles over 10 years at Islamic Relief UK, including setting up the first digital team and leading the growth of digital fundraising and engagement. Adnan also led numerous fundraising and marketing campaigns, which played a significant part in the growth of Islamic Relief UK.

Having moved to Islamic Relief Worldwide in 2014, Adnan has held different roles that have helped grow Islamic Relief’s global digital footprint into new geographic territories, supporting Islamic Relief members with their digital and marketing growth as well as developing new products and initiatives for the Islamic Relief family.

Adnan graduated in Industrial Design and Technology from Loughborough University. He has since completed an Advanced Diploma in Business Administration from Durham University and a Diploma in Digital Marketing from the Institute of Data and Marketing.

Board of Directors
Javed Akhtar

Director of Finance

Javed Akhtar has more than a decade of experience at Islamic Relief, having worked in a similar role between 2003-2014. In that role he strove to implement wide-ranging financial and accounting processes which aided in the transparent nature in which Islamic Relief now operates.

Javed also has diverse experience across the private sector, having worked at American chemicals and pharmaceutical giant DuPont, shipping firm FedEX and technology consultancy company Accenture. In all his roles, he prioritises using the latest technologies to improve monitoring and reporting at every level. Javed’s commitment to embracing digital end-to-end technology, enhancing accountability to our stakeholders and promoting financial transparency is ensuring that we remain at the forefront of financial developments in the sector.

By training, Javed is a chartered accountant with a Master’s degree in NGO Management with Charity Accounting and Financial Management from Cass Business School.
Board of Directors
Affan Cheema  

Director of International Programmes

Affan Cheema is an experienced leader who has spent 25 years working in the international aid sector on poverty eradication in Asia, Africa and the Middle East. He has worked in fast onset emergencies, protracted crisis and development environments whilst working for Islamic Relief Worldwide and Care International. He is also a trustee of South West International Development Network (SWIDN).

Through his career Affan has held numerous roles including institutional fundraising, programme and grant management, and programme quality assurance.  Affan’s leadership has helped Islamic Relief Worldwide secure the highly coveted Core Humanitarian Standard (CHS), seen as the sector’s premier benchmark for operational excellence.

Affan completed his BA in Economics and Geography from University of London (School of Oriental and African Studies) and his MSc in Development Administration and Planning from the University of Bristol. He is PRINCE2 qualified, is a keen sportsman and recently co-edited a book entitled -Islam and International Development: Insights for working with Muslim Communities-.
Board of Directors
Dr Hossam Said

Managing Director, Humanitarian Academy for Development (HAD)

For nearly three decades Dr Hossam has provided the strategic vision to manage, lead and develop a range of international humanitarian interventions around the world.

At the start of his career, Dr Hossam served on the Board of Directors of the Egyptian Medical Syndicate, before moving to Islamic Relief Worldwide to manage the core global business activities as International Programmes Director.

During this time the organisation increased its global reach, gaining both domestic and international repute and credibility. Dr Hossam has also served on the Islamic Relief Worldwide Board of Management and Executive Committee for the past 15 years; sharing responsibility for strategic organisational development and the change management process, whilst forging strong relationships with many other charities.

Dr Hossam gained an MBA from Aston Business School in 2004 and graduated as a Medical Doctor from Cairo University in 1981.
Board of Directors
Martin Cottingham  

Director of External Relations and Advocacy

Martin Cottingham joined Islamic Relief in 2012 as IRUK Media Relations Manager, and was appointed Head of Communications in 2015 before taking up his current position as Director of External Relations and Advocacy for Islamic Relief Worldwide.

Martin has helped Islamic Relief to increase its mainstream media profile and expand its campaigning work, producing hard-hitting advocacy reports on floods in Pakistan (2011) famine in Somalia (2012) disaster risk reduction (2013) and aid to Afghanistan (2014). He has over 20 years’ experience working in media, communications and marketing roles for international development and environmental charities.

Martin graduated from the University of London with a degree in English and Drama (1982-85) then trained as a journalist with a postgraduate diploma at City University (1986-87). He has previously worked for Christian Aid as Editor of Christian Aid News and Media Relations Manager (1988-97) for Oxfam as Regional Campaigns Manager (1997-2000) and at the Soil Association as Marketing Director (2001-2006), as well as working for a wide range of organisations as a freelance writer, researcher and communications consultant.

Tufail Hussain

Director of Islamic Relief UK

Tufail Hussain has 17 years’ experience in the humanitarian and development sector, leading on marketing and fundraising campaigns for several organisations before joining Islamic Relief UK in 2016 as Deputy Director. Tufail was appointed Director of Islamic Relief UK in 2019 and in 2021 provided valuable leadership as interim CEO of Islamic Relief Worldwide.

Tufail is driven by a passion for empowering disadvantaged youth and mentors a number of young people. He also works to strengthen engagement between British Muslims and wider society. Under his leadership, Islamic Relief UK has significantly increased its income and developed successful partnerships with communities across the country. He has travelled around the world to raise awareness of major emergencies such as the Syria, Yemen and Afghanistan crises and the floods in Pakistan and Sudan.

A father to 5 daughters and a son, Tufail is also a sports enthusiast and passionate Liverpool FC supporter. Tufail has run the London Marathon twice, raising over £35,000 for humanitarian causes.

Before joining Islamic Relief he was CEO of Orphans in Need, where he oversaw a new strategy that increased income from £2 million to £9 million in 3 years and opened up new UK and international offices. Tufail is also a trustee of the Muslim Charities Forum and a Director of TIC International (Islamic Relief Worldwide’s clothes recycling and trading arm).
Waseem Ahmad

Chief Executive Officer

Waseem Ahmad joined the Islamic Relief family over 24 years ago, serving as Programme Officer in the Balochistan province of south-western Pakistan before becoming Head of Programmes in Pakistan. Waseem then moved to Oxfam and Tearfund before returning to Islamic Relief to establish our mission in Malawi. Later serving as Head of Programme Funding and Partnerships, Waseem led the response to major crises across the globe, including the East Africa drought, Pakistan earthquake and the Indian Ocean Tsunami.

Waseem then served for nearly 6 years as our Director of International Programmes, during which time the charity secured and retained the coveted Core Humanitarian Standard certification in recognition of the quality of our programming. He was appointed CEO of Islamic Relief in May 2021.

With a special interest in community mobilisation and infrastructure, Waseem received an MSc in Project Planning and Management from the University of Bradford, as well as an MSc in Economics from Arid Agriculture University in Rawalpindi, Pakistan.

Waseem has also worked for Lepra Health in Action and is a member of the International Civil Society Centre’s Board of Trustees. The father-of-3 enjoys walking and playing football, and is a keen birdwatcher.