When people gather for the national commemoration of Holocaust Memorial Day (HMD) in Liverpool on Sunday, there will be added significance to the event. Alongside the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Chief Rabbi, and leaders from the Sikh Network and the Hindu Council, will be representatives of the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB).

This marks a shift in the MCB’s position. It had boycotted the event since its introduction in 2001, objecting to the term Holocaust Day, and saying it should be renamed Genocide Day. The boycott had been based on a misconception that it commemorated only Jewish victims. Yet the ethos of HMD has always been inclusive of various communities, while being careful to steer clear of political hot potatoes such as conflict in the Middle East.

Towards the end of last year, the MCB committee voted 18 to eight to end the boycott, even though some groups threatened to leave the umbrella group as a result. An MCB spokesman stated: “There was a growing recognition among our affiliates that non-attendance of HMD was inadvertently causing hurt to some in the Jewish community.” The MCB’s approach had angered not only Jewish groups, but also the Government and many Muslims, among others.

HMD was introduced by Tony Blair’s Government to commemorate those lost in the Holocaust and other genocides. It is observed on the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz (27 January 1945). The British Jewish community supported its inception, but it had many champions among politicians and educationists. Its focus is both to educate and to prompt action by exposing all forms of racism and bigotry.

The MCB’s boycott has caused friction, but is not typical of the response of faith groups to HMD. One of the effects of the commemoration has been to encourage collaboration between faiths. Sharing the lessons of the Holocaust has, on balance, been a source of social cohesion.

The national commemoration is attended by senior representatives from various communities (including some Muslim figures, in defiance of the MCB). Events take place all over the UK. In one London borough, for example, a synagogue invites members of all faiths and civic leaders to a commemorative service. In some parts of the country, churches act as hosts to such services.

HMD acts as a focal point for Holocaust education. In the run-up to the day, the Holocaust Educational Trust has organised for the Chief Rabbi, Dr Jonathan Sacks, and other religious leaders to visit schools that draw pupils from a number of faiths. Three years ago, for example, Dr Sacks was joined by the Archbishop of Canterbury, a Roman Catholic bishop, and the Free Church Moderator at an inner-London comprehensive school, where they talked about the horrors of the Holocaust.

Much of the Trust’s work, however, is much quieter. Its educators go into schools to provide workshops — often accompanied by a Holocaust survivor, who can provide testimony. Since its inception in 1988, the Trust has also taken more than 6000 pupils and teachers, as well as MPs and public figures, to Auschwitz-Birkenau. Its work has been boosted by a recent Treasury grant of £1.5 million, which enables two students from every school in the UK to visit Auschwitz.

Churches have played a significant part in HMD, among both their grassroots and leaders. The Council of Christians and Jews (CCJ) publishes a collection of sermons and readings for HMD, which is used by many churches. In 2004, church leaders involved with the CCJ issued a hard-hitting joint statement, which described the Holocaust as “a stain on the history of Europe”, and warned of the continuing dangers of anti-Semitism.

Sir Stephen Wall, a former Downing Street adviser on Europe, sees the benefit of HMD: “Anti-Semitism lies not far below the surface of our societies. We need to be reminded, year after year, that what starts with words of hatred by an extremist can become an accepted commonplace. Words can be mobilised and sent to commit murder. The message of Holocaust Memorial Day is the same as that of Remembrance Sunday: Lest we forget.”

For HMD, various groups have worked together to highlight recent instances of genocide, such as those in Rwanda, Cambodia, Bosnia, and Darfur. The Rwandan genocide, for example, featured at the national event in 2004, and the Director of the Rwandan Survivors Fund, Mary Kayitesi Blewitt, spoke at the HMD national event last year.

As Karen Pollock, the Chief Executive of the Holocaust Educational Trust, says, “Rwanda happened in many of our lifetimes. We may not be able to change the past, but we can educate people to make a better future together.” The bonds that have developed between the Jewish organisations and the Rwandan community are a shining example of the positive effects of HMD. More recently, there has also been a focus on Darfur.

Despite the MCB boycott, some of the younger sections of the Muslim community have continued to work on HMD. In 2006 and 2007, City Circle, a network of young Muslim professionals, hosted an event featuring testimony from a Holocaust survivor and a panel of experts speak-ing about the Holocaust.

Such developments suggest positive signs that HMD can be an even more powerful tool in the future, bringing people together across faith boundaries.

Zaki Cooper is a consultant to the Cambridge Inter-faith Programme.