Members of churches and faith organisations, senior members of the government and Tynwald, school children, community groups and members of the public attended the Isle of Man National Holocaust Memorial Day service at St Geroge’s Church in Douglas.

The service is organised by members of the island’s Jewish community and is held alongside similar Holocaust Day commemorations throughout the British Isles, reflecting this year on the theme Stand Together.

It was a varied service comprising readings, remembrance, prayers, music and song.

This year marked the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz and it is 25 years since the genocide of Bosnian Muslims. Extracts from the moving personal stories of two young people who suffered persecution at the hands of the Nazis in 1944 and Bosnian Serb forces in 1992, were read out.

Chief Minister Howard Quayle spoke about the role of the state in defending freedom of speech while protecting citizens from hate speech, and urged families, educators and the broader community to show tolerance of other people’s religion, culture and lifestyles.

Secondary school students gave a reading describing the impact of persecution on ordinary people during the Nazi, Bosnia, Rwanda, Darfur and Cambodia genocides. The service concluded with prayers and blessings in English, Manx and Hebrew.