The Islamic Human Rights Commission (IHRC) has found itself at the centre of significant controversy following its call for a boycott of Holocaust Memorial Day (HMD), drawing criticism from various quarters.
At its core, IHRC argues that its call to action is about ensuring that genocide remembrance is inclusive, fair and reflective of the lessons of history. It maintains that the selective recognition of certain atrocities while excluding others undermines the universal principle of “never again”. This is a long standing critique and is the reason it inaugurated Genocide Memorial Day in 2010, an annual event that has both been attended by Jewish communities and also organised by them in Jerusalem.
To gain clarity on the organisation’s position, MEMO interviewed IHRC Chair, Massoud Shadjareh.
There is a lot of controversy around the IHRC position on HMD. How did we get here?
The Islamic Human Rights Commission (IHRC) wrote to the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust (HMDT) urging them to include Gaza in their genocide recognition. This request was based on substantial evidence from reputable organisations, including the UN, Amnesty International and the Lemkin Institute, which have classified Israeli actions in Gaza since October 2023 as genocide under international law.
The HMDT refused to address our concerns, opting to focus narrowly on a few historical genocides, particularly the Holocaust, while excluding contemporary atrocities. HMDT speaks about “never again” and the importance of learning from the past, yet ignores a genocide being livestreamed before our very eyes.
This refusal to engage led us to call for a boycott of HMD events. Our call to boycott is done to honour those killed in the Jewish Holocaust and all genocides, not diminish the memory of any group that has been the victim of genocide. It is about challenging the selective remembrance of genocide, which undermines the principle of “never again.”
Read: Why context is important in Palestine
What is the purpose of the boycott project?
The boycott aims to challenge the exclusion of ongoing genocides, such as those in Gaza, from official recognition. By refusing to acknowledge these atrocities, HMD perpetuates a hierarchy of suffering, where certain victims are prioritised while others are ignored. This approach undermines the universal commitment to justice and the prevention of genocide.
Our objective is to advocate for an inclusive approach that honours the suffering of all victims, whether past or present, and ensures that genocide remembrance serves as a meaningful tool for preventing future atrocities.
Why focus on Gaza?
The situation in Gaza has been described as genocide by multiple human rights organisations and legal experts. Since October 2023, over 45,000 Palestinians have been killed, with some estimates at around 186,000 by June 2024, going as high as 500,000 by the end 2024. The overwhelming majority of those killed have been civilians, mostly women and children (thought to be 60% of those killed), bearing the brunt of the violence. The systematic destruction of infrastructure, denial of basic necessities, deliberate acts causing famine and mass casualties meet the criteria for genocide under the Genocide Convention.
Excluding Gaza from genocide recognition sends a clear message: certain victims are less deserving of remembrance. This perpetuates the very injustices that HMD was supposedly created to combat.
Are you denying or minimising the Holocaust?
Absolutely not. The Holocaust was a horrific atrocity, and its victims deserve to be remembered with dignity and respect. The IHRC marks the Jewish Holocaust as part of its Genocide Memorial Day commemoration every year, alongside many other genocides, including the Transatlantic Slave Trade, the Bosnian genocide and many more.
The call for a boycott is a call for inclusivity in commemorating all genocides. Honouring the memory of one atrocity should not come at the expense of ignoring others.
Critics say this boycott disrespects Holocaust victims. How do you respond?
We deeply respect the memory of Holocaust victims and the lessons their suffering teaches us. Respecting their memory means applying the lessons learned from this horror universally. Failing to recognise contemporary genocides, such as Gaza, undermines the moral and educational purpose of Holocaust remembrance and risks making “never again” a hollow slogan.
Even participants at an event organised by pro-Israel group, the Holocaust Educational Trust, have acknowledged and commented on the Israeli genocides against Palestinians, during a commemoration at Auschwitz no less. It is profoundly cynical for pro-Israel organisations and advocates to now act as shields for Israeli actions while invoking the Holocaust. This behaviour is deeply disrespectful to victims of genocide, especially the victims of the Nazi genocide against Jews, Roma and others.
Many of the Zionist organisations who have criticised us are failing in their mandate as charities by undermining the public’s confidence in them by their refusal to acknowledge the genocide in Gaza, and their highly politicised interventions in support of Israel and its most recent genocidal acts.
![As the world awaits the ICJ's verdict, Israel's genocide continues - [Cartoon / Mohammad Sabaaneh]](https://i0.wp.com/www.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/IMG_8172.jpeg?resize=500%2C310&ssl=1)
As the world awaits the ICJ’s verdict, Israel’s genocide continues – [Cartoon / Mohammad Sabaaneh]
Quite the opposite, genocide remembrance that excludes and is exclusive, like HMD, is inherently political because it reflects societal choices about whose suffering is acknowledged. By excluding Gaza, HMD has already made a political decision to prioritise some genocides over others.
On the other hand, IHRC and its own annual remembrance (which many organisations around the world follow, including Jewish Israeli groups), has worked hard to ensure that this is not the case. Our video statement and minute’s silence every year reflects this in a dynamic and consistent way. Our resources on genocide reflect both the need for inclusive and fair remembrance, as well as looking at the causes of and ways to stop genocide.
Critics of the IHRC should reflect on the message they are sending: that Palestinian suffering does not matter, that their lives are expendable and that only those they deem worthy are marked for mourning and commemoration. This hierarchy of suffering silences victims and perpetuates injustice.
Watch: Holocaust survivor speaks up against atrocities in Gaza
What about claims that IHRC is aligned with extremist or anti-Semitic positions?
Such claims are baseless and defamatory. The IHRC firmly opposes all forms of racism, including anti-Semitism. Our projects challenge structural injustices and advocate for equity in genocide remembrance, an end to all forms of discrimination and the need for structural change to address the societal ills of all forms of racism.
The inhumanity shown by our critics in diminishing Palestinian suffering is clear. Lacking any moral arguments, they resort to ad hominem attacks to distract from our core message: there is a genocide happening before our eyes, and it must be recognised and ended. On platforms like LBC, presenters and guests explicitly deny that Gaza constitutes a genocide, despite overwhelming evidence. These denials further underscore the need for our call to action.
How does this connect to the idea of a hierarchy of suffering?
One of our core criticisms of HMD is that it perpetuates a hierarchy of suffering, where certain genocides are deemed more significant than others. This issue has been raised in the past and remains a problem.
By excluding Gaza, HMD implies that the suffering of Palestinians is less worthy of recognition, relegating their plight to the margins of history. This hierarchy dishonours the memory of those excluded and undermines the moral foundation of genocide remembrance.
What does IHRC propose as a solution?
We propose a more inclusive approach to genocide remembrance. This should involve expanding HMD to acknowledge contemporary atrocities or establishing a broader Genocide Memorial Day. Recognising all genocides, whether past or present, strengthens the fight against injustice and reinforces the universal commitment to preventing future atrocities. The Genocide Memorial Day project we initiated in 2010 sets out how to do this. It is time that this template and others like it are taken forward. The current refusal of the HMD organisers to take stock of their position is surely an indication that it needs root and branch revision and change.
The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Monitor.