A lecture planned for Sunday in the Camp Westerbork Remembrance Center has been canceled due to threats. These were addressed to Wahhab Hassoo, one of the speakers. Hassoo announced this on X, the former Twitter.
“I have come to this decision because of the real threats to me as a person and to my family,” Hassoo writes. “The safety risks for those present at the lecture have also been taken into account in this consideration.”
Hassoo would speak at the Remembrance Center about Yazidis, a Kurdish minority that is oppressed. This would be combined with a performance by Emmy, who has a Jewish background. She would talk about anti-Semitism and the Holocaust. With the background of genocide survivors, the pair often gives lectures at schools and universities throughout the Netherlands, Hassoo says on X.
A spokesperson for the Remembrance Center confirms that ‘personal threats’ have been made towards the speaker in question. “That is why the lecture has been canceled and we find that very annoying. The choice was made in consultation.”
It remains unclear what type of threats are involved. “We can’t say anything about it because it concerns his safety.”
Hassoo reports in his statement that the cancellation of the performance is a ‘disappointment’. “But the safety and well-being of Emmy and the public is my top priority. Emmy and I hope there will be other opportunities to share our story in the future.”
He further adds: “I never, really never thought I would experience this in the Netherlands, a painful reality. But it has to be that way now.”