World Holocaust Memorial Day Reflections from the Interfaith Community in Aberdeen, Scotland

Aberdeen ( Scotland ): World Holocaust Memorial day was celebrated by a group of people from the Interfaith community in Aberdeen. They came together virtually on Sunday 24th January and recorded their tributes to the many who had their lives taken away from them during the time of the 2nd World War and other conflicts.

Rev. Shuna Dicks, Minister at Cults Parish Church (Church of Scotland) and representing the Holocaust Memorial Day Committee, began the reflections. She focused on the Christian message that ‘Darkness will not overcome the light.’

There were many  contributions from people of different faith backgrounds.

Nigel Dower presented the Quaker faith perspective and highlighted the work of Quaker groups after the war.

Desire spoke of the lived experience in Rwanda with civil war and genocide. He spoke of the power of forgiveness as a human rights campaigner.

Caroline Cormack from the Unitarian church spoke about the ‘bridge builders and hand holders’ picking up the threads of humanity in an inhumane world.

Jackie Ware from the Church of Jesus Christ and the Latter Day Saints related a heart-warming story from 1948 of a husband and wife reunited after the war.

Madhav Regmi brought a Hindu perspective, focusing on the truths that ‘hurting others is a sin and helping others is meritorious’.

BK Astrid Benomir from the Brahma Kumaris conducted meditation. She said that the Soul and Supreme soul are light, light that dispels darkness. To experience that light, I need to become light.  She shared the meditation shared by BK Sister Jayanti, European Director of Brahma Kumaris, on how to become light: I feel the light shining within, the inner being, soul. I shine in this awareness of who I am. My thoughts move to the Divine, the source of love. The power of God’s love heals, purifies, energizes, allows the soul to shine. The power of God’s love ignites hope in human’s heart. God’s love reaches out and touches, and Nature returns to a stage of harmony. God’s love reaches out and touches all types of life, so that all life is safe and secure. God’s love transforms the whole world, a world of truth, a world of love, a world of harmony. I stay connected with the source, the light of love and we become light in the awareness of God’s love and light, the darkness dispels and the ignited light spreads in the world, and the darkness turns into light.

Alessndra Cecolin from the Jewish community reflected on living in peace.

Mirela Delibegovic from the Hungarian Muslim community reflected on the Serb-Bosnian occupation.

Phra Dushyantha Wereke (Thitadhammo) spoke about the difference between living in hate and living in peace.

Mervyn Barr, a humanist, reflected on love and kindness to other humans and related the story of a friend who refused to shoot refugees disembarking from boats.

Suki Pooni spoke about the 6th Sikh Guru who was taken prisoner and declined his release unless the 52 other prisoners were released with him.

Nisa Maris, a Muslim from Malaysia, talked about finding meaning in suffering and the factors of resilience.

Carl Wilkens spoke about his work in Rwanda and the power of forgiveness.

Audrey Mellard urged the need to educate our children to have the capacity of spreading light and not darkness into the world.

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