Muslim and Christian Arab leaders join March of the Living

Originally published in The Jerusalem Post

Muslim and Christian Arab leaders and professionals from across the Middle East participated in this year’s March of the Living in Poland. The delegation, organised by Sharaka, an NGO dedicated to realising the people-to-people peace envisioned by the Abraham Accords, included participants from Morocco, Bahrain, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Jordan, Syria, and other regional countries.

The five-day programme began in Berlin, representing a significant step in Holocaust education within the Arab and Muslim world. Participants first explored Germany’s commitment to “never again” and its approaches to Holocaust education and anti-racism efforts, 80 years after the liberation of Auschwitz.

The delegation then traveled to Poland to learn about Jewish life before the Holocaust and the historical progression toward the infamous Final Solution. A highlight of their journey was to join thousands of others from around the world in the March of the Living, followed by a visit to Auschwitz to witness firsthand the site of systematic mass murder of the Jewish people.

“Sharaka’s initiative to bring an Arab delegation to the March of the Living, as part of our year-long tolerance program, reflects our unwavering belief that the most effective way to prevent hatred and atrocities is by confronting the lessons of the past,” said Amit Deri, Founder and Chairman of Sharaka.

This initiative builds upon Sharaka’s previous successful delegations to Poland and Germany from the Arab world. The organisation’s involvement with the March of the Living began in 2022, inspiring them to develop a broader Holocaust education program for the Middle East and Muslim world, created in partnership with the Claims Conference.

The timing of this year’s delegation holds particular significance amid rising global antisemitism. Dan Feferman, Executive Director and Co-Chairman of Sharaka, emphasised this point: “With the resurgence of antisemitism this last year, from right, left and the Muslim world, we see that Holocaust Education is not just a thing of the past but something critical for the present and future. This program helps build new allies in and around the Middle East to take on radicalisation through Holocaust Education.”

What makes this program particularly noteworthy is that it represents the first comprehensive Holocaust education initiative specifically designed for participants from the Middle East and broader Muslim world. Through direct engagement with historical sites and educational programmes, participants gain insights that can help promote tolerance and coexistence in their home communities.

The programme receives substantial institutional support, operating with assistance from the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany, sponsorship from the Foundation “Remembrance, Responsibility and Future,” and support from the German Federal Ministry of Finance.

First ever encounter with the Holocaust

For many participants, this journey marked their first direct encounter with Holocaust history beyond textbooks or media. By walking the grounds where these atrocities occurred and hearing survivor testimonies, they developed a personal connection to this history that transcends political narratives or religious differences.

Saad Chroqi, a Muslim participant from Morocco, said: “As a Moroccan doctor raised in a Muslim country deeply connected to Jewish heritage, I was stunned to realise how little I had been taught about the Holocaust, a silence common to many countries. No medical training, no experience with death could have prepared me for the overwhelming tragedy I finally discovered. Today I am grateful to stand as a humbled educated witness.”

A participant from a country with which Israel doesn’t have diplomatic relations, and who preferred to stay anonymous for personal security reasons, added: “This delegation was an eye-opener for a person like me who lives in South Asia and has so little knowledge about what holocaust actually meant. I am really grateful to the organisers who introduced history from a close lens, giving us a view which was not in our sight. It will help us spreading the message of love and peace backed by the eyewitness accounts.”

Sharaka, which means “partnership” in Arabic, was founded in the wake of the Abraham Accords to build meaningful connections between people across previously divided societies. This Holocaust education initiative exemplifies their approach of addressing difficult historical and contemporary issues directly, believing that genuine understanding and reconciliation require honest engagement with even the most painful chapters of human history.

As the delegation continued its journey, they joined a global community of witnesses committed to ensuring that the Holocaust’s lessons remain relevant for future generations across all cultural and religious boundaries.

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