Victims of Gaza remembered in Dutch church with recitation from Quran

By Selman Aksunger

AMSTERDAM (AA) - Amsterdam's Dominicus Church on Sunday hosted a memorial service for victims of the ongoing Israeli attacks in Gaza – set to reach the one-year mark tomorrow – featuring a recitation from the Holy Quran.

The event, attended by Amsterdam Mayor Femke Halsema and Palestinian Ambassador to the Netherlands Ammar Hijazi, aimed to provide a space for communal mourning and reflection.

Mentioning how over the last year they all have been witnessing a genocide, Janneke Stegmen, the church's pastor, said: "We felt it necessary to offer a place where people can express their emotions and grieve together."

The service included speakers from the Muslim, Jewish, and Christian faiths, highlighting the interfaith nature of concerns over the conflict.

Stegmen praised the diversity at the event and said the genocide in Gaza disturbed people of all different religions.

Stegmen stressed how hard it is to comprehend the ongoing situation in Gaza, saying: "There's not enough empathy for the victims in Gaza. It's extremely challenging to bear witness to this genocide."

- Israeli attacks enters 2nd year

Flouting a UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate cease-fire, Israel has continued its brutal offensive on the Gaza Strip following an attack by the Palestinian group Hamas last Oct. 7.

In a year of relentless Israeli attacks, more than 41,800 people have since been killed, most of them women and children, and over 96,900 others injured, according to local health authorities.

The Israeli onslaught has displaced almost the entire population of the territory amid an ongoing blockade that has led to severe shortages of food, clean water, and medicine.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its actions in Gaza.

*Writing by Yasin Gungor