Exhibitions pay tribute to those torn from home

Two exhibitions are coming to East Renfrewshire and Renfrewshire to mark Holocaust Memorial Day 2019 and remember those across the world left devastated by genocide.
The Yazidi Women ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria) Survivors exhibition will be displayed at Eastwood Park Theatre from Jan 28-Feb 11.The Yazidi Women ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria) Survivors exhibition will be displayed at Eastwood Park Theatre from Jan 28-Feb 11.
The Yazidi Women ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria) Survivors exhibition will be displayed at Eastwood Park Theatre from Jan 28-Feb 11.

Gathering the Voices features over forty moving stories from men, women and children who were forced to flee their native homes and seek sanctuary in Scotland to escape anti-Semitism in Nazi-dominated Europe.

The exhibition will be available to view in Giffnock’s Carmichael Hall on Monday, January 28 from 10.00am until 12.30pm after which it will be displayed in Paisley Abbey from January 29 until February 4.

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The Yazidi Women ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria) Survivors exhibition is a collection of prints by artist Hannah Rose Thomas who travelled to Northern Iraq for an art project with eight Yazidi women who had escaped ISIS captivity. The aim of the project was to use art as a powerful tool for advocacy; bringing their stories into places of influence in the West.

The artwork will be displayed in Eastwood Park Theatre from Friday, January 25 until Monday, February 11. Both exhibitions are free of charge.

Provost of East Renfrewshire, Councillor Jim Fletcher said: “It is vitally important that we remember the atrocities of the Holocaust and subsequent genocides and listen to the stories of the survivors to ensure their experiences aren’t forgotten.

“Exhibitions like these are a poignant reminder of the horrors that have taken place but also, in the case of the Yazidi women, highlight what is still happening throughout the world. I would encourage anyone who can, to visit the displays and pay tribute to these brave people.”

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Provost of Renfrewshire, Councillor Lorraine Cameron said: “Gathering the Voices is a moving exhibition full of inspirational stories. We are honoured to be hosting the exhibition in Renfrewshire and would encourage anyone who can to visit Paisley Abbey and read the incredible accounts of bravery and determination. We must do everything we can to ensure the voices and experiences of those survivors are remembered.”

Director of Interfaith Scotland, Dr Maureen Sier said:“Every year as we gather to remember the victims of the Holocaust and subsequent genocides, I feel honoured to meet brave survivors and hear their stories.

“I’m saddened as I reflect on just how much work is needed on a global scale to ensure that such tragedies no longer take place. ‘Torn from home’ is the theme of Holocaust Memorial Day this year and as Scotland remembers, I hope that we can act together to ensure that one day hatred and intolerance will be homeless here.”

East Renfrewshire and Renfrewshire Councils are jointly hosting the 2019 Holocaust Memorial Day national event, in partnership with Interfaith Scotland, the Scottish Government and Holocaust Memorial Day Trust. The theme for this year’s memorial is ‘Torn from Home’ to encourage audiences to reflect on how traumatic the enforced loss of a safe place to call home is for anyone experiencing persecution or genocide.