A MEMORIAL stone has been unveiled in Bradford to remember those massacred in Srebrenica 21 years ago.

A total of 8,372 Muslim Bosniaks, mostly men and boys, were killed in and around the town during the Bosnian War in 1995.

A Srebrenica Stone – the first of its kind in the UK – was unveiled in Norfolk Gardens today, on the 21st anniversary of the atrocity.

The poignant ceremony was attended by dignitaries including the Lord Mayor of Bradford, Councillor Geoff Reid, and the Bishop of Bradford, the Right Reverend Dr Toby Howarth, and members of the public from different faiths.

The stone was funded by Bradford-based volunteers from the Remembering Srebrenica charity, with nearly £1,000 raised from a number of events including an Interfaith Iftar organised by the Muslim Women’s Council to mark the atrocity’s 20th anniversary last year.

Councillor Alex Ross-Shaw, a volunteer for Remembering Srebrenica, said: “Bradford is a diverse city that has a big Muslim population.

“Peace is something that we have to work on all of the time.

“These events are so important to celebrate our commonalities.

“We need to learn the lessons from Srebrenica and continue fighting against intolerance and hatred.

“This is the first Remembering Srebrenica stone of its kind in the UK.

“The 8,000 people were killed just for who they were.”

The Lord Mayor , who unveiled the stone, said: “Standing against hatred and intolerance is not simply about ritual speeches and declarations of solidarity.

“It’s actually about hard graft and taking the risks that go with challenging the peddlers of hatred.

“We honour the victims and survivors of Srebrenica partly because the survivors value our remembrance of the victims.”

Naweed Hussain, a Bradford champion of the Remembering Srebrenica charity, said: “Bradford has always been a leading emblem in this type of work; in working and supporting with communities.

“It is important to remember this massacre. It was also in Europe and not that long ago.”

An award-winning Bosnian film, The Fog of Srebrenica, will be shown at the National Media Museum on Saturday, from 4.30pm.