I drove to London this evening to celebrate my schoolfriend’s 70th birthday at a delightful cafe in the company of her very many friends and family

We were 11 years old and have remained friends for 59 years. It was a special evening with heartfelt speeches from her husband, sister and her three adult children. She gave a warm and lovely speech in reply. Of course the food was excellent and the atmosphere happy. I was glad to make the journey.

On the way home I parked the car in Golders Green Road to pay tribute to a heartbreaking memorial. This was on the site where the victims of the Nova Festival (gunned down on October 7th 2023) were commemorated. Now the large Iranian North London population in exile have covered the site with hundreds of photographs of the beautiful men, women, teenagers and even children who were gunned down by their own government in Iran – all for daring to call for regime change and democracy using their voices and not weapons. It is simply heartbreaking to stand in fronts of their photographs.

My only issue is that the word Genocide is being used in so many conflicts that many have lost sight of the true definition.

In their pain these Iranians, safe for now in their adopted home, have co-opted the word to describe the killing of innocent civilians in their home country.

May their families and the families of all the bereaved in all wars everywhere in our war torn world be comforted as they grieve their terrible losses.