Pupils join in remembering the Holocaust

A young human rights campaigner has led a joint service of remembrance in advance of Holocaust Memorial Day.

Amal Azzudin– one of the Glasgow Girls who campaigned against the dawn raids and the detention and deportation of asylum seekers in Glasgow– spoke at an event held in partnership by Renfrewshire and East Renfrewshire councils.

The national theme for this year’s Holocaust Memorial Day, which takes place on Friday, is‘How can life go on?’and it focuses on the aftermath of the Holocaust and of subsequent genocides.

A string quartet made up of pupils from four Renfrewshire schools welcomed guests to the event at St Ninian’s High School in Giffnock, and the aim of the day was to educate pupils on past atrocities and give an opportunity for remembrance.

The service also included a screening of the film Learning From The Past, which explains why we commemorate the Holocaust, Nazi persecution and the subsequent genocides in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia and Darfur.

The poem Birdsong, by Gillian Clarke, was read by pupils of Paisley Grammar while Barrhead High pupils read First They Came by Martin Niemoller.

There were also performances by the East Renfrewshire Schools Orchestra, which accompanied speeches by Provost Alastair Carmichael, Depute Provost John Caldwell and Ms Azzudin.

As part of the day of recognition, Ms Azzudin visited both Linwood High and Barrhead High during the day to speak to pupils about her work with refugees and campaigning for social justice in Scotland.

Renfrewshire’s depute Provost Caldwell said: “The service was poignant and educational.

“It is important that we remember the Holocaust, and all subsequent genocides, and try to learn from the mistakes that have been made to ensure that these events are not replicated in the future.”