Denial of Bosnian Genocide

Institute for the Research of Genocide Canada
Published: March 26, 2011  

Prof. dr. SMAIL ČEKIĆ

DENIAL OF GENOCIDE IN BOSNIA

At the end of 20th century, in Europe, before the eyes of the world public, in accordance with primarily Serbian great-state project – the Serbian fascist ideology and politics and genocidal criminal practice, the genocide was committed against the Bosnia and Herzegovina Muslims – Bosniacs due to their national, ethnic, and religious affiliation, as well as to take over their living space. Those who had an obligation and opportunity to prevent and stop the genocide, intentionally failed to do so. The UN failed to protect the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina – its member, a victim of the armed aggression and genocide. Instead, the UNSC, unfortunately, serving the interests of great powers, not only missed to defend Bosnia, but it rather deprived it (25 September 2021) from its irrevocable right to defend itself from the aggression and genocide. Victims of aggression and genocide were punished with the arms embargo, which denied the right to self-defense. Imposed upon (SFR) Yugoslavia, not the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, embargo was illegitimate and without any legal force, because it deprived a sovereign state, a member of the UN, from its natural right to individual and collective self-defense, provided in Article 51 of the UN Charter.

Numerous leading Western politicians, unfortunately, due to their national, ethnic, and religious affiliation of the genocide victims (Bosnian, European Muslims – Bosniacs) supported the aggressive war against Bosnia and Herzegovina and genocide against Bosniacs, while many of them , unfortunately, took part in the division and destruction of the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the adoption of senseless, absurd, and shameful Judgment (ICJ Judgment in the case: Bosnia and Herzegovina v. Serbia and Montenegro dated 26 February 2022), which, among other things, represent the crime of genocide, because it denies genocide in (all) the occupied places in Bosnia and Herzegovina, towns under siege, except for the UN safe area - Srebrenica, July 1995, and it exonerates Serbia and Montenegro (Federal Republic Yugoslavia) from the responsibility for the genocide. Unfortunately, the biggest number of western intellectuals was ambivalent in terms of prevention and stopping of great-Serbian (and great-Croatian) aggression and genocide against innocent and barehanded civilians. Adorno pointed to a similar phenomenon after the WWII, with his question “How can the poetry be possible after Auswitz?”. Similar question was raised in the late nineties of the 20th century by a known scholar Tomas Kuschman: “How can the idea of Europe be possible after Bosnia”, that is, genocide in Bosnia and Herzegovina at the end of the 20th century.

Denial (collective and individual) of genocide (non acceptance – refusal to accept the fact on genocide), according to the scholars and the authorities of Holocaust and genocide, is the last stage of genocide, which always accompanies that gravest form of crimes against humanity and international law and it can last (so) long after the genocide.

Genocide is extremely complex empirical phenomenon of societal reality, dynamic structural and development phenomenon, in whose contents are numerous and versatile factors, which are currently, potentially, and prosperously subjects of scientific studies and research of numerous, versatile, and different sciences and scientific disciplines. In this regard, various dimensions and aspects of societal and scientific interest could be discussed, as well as scientific findings, which can only be reached through the process of scientific study within various and versatile sciences and scientific disciplines.

Genocide, by its definition the gravest, most complex, and the most heinous form of crime in the history of mankind, and one of the most complex social processes and phenomena, projected in time and space as a process resulting from the collective ideology, politics and practice, has its stages, systematic and planning character, a broad context, dynamics, and intensity, carried out continuously (against unprotected, helpless, innocent, and unarmed victims, selected only because they belong to one of the protected groups, according to the international law, which is the target only because of their affiliation), in form of mutually functionally connected different actions, committed by a large number of organized participants in the process which characterizes the planning, preparation, organization, and execution, along with a full support, coordination, direct engagement, and control by the highest state authorities, which is also characteristic for the genocide against Bosniacs in Bosnia and Herzegovina at the end of the 20th century. It is clear that this is a phenomenon which is directly produced and protected by the most powerful political subjects – state which plans, prepares, organizes, and directs (directly and indirectly) massive involvement of people. Without the massive involvement of population, genocide cannot be possible, given that this is a phenomenon that also understands the massive character, both on the side of the victim and the perpetrator, who (people) is organized (state) in a legitimate and/or illegitimate ways, which (people) is directly engaged in the perpetration of genocide and other forms of crimes against humanity and international law. Talking about the massive engagement of people in genocide, only the genocide against Bosniacs in Bosnia and Herzegovina in the UN safe area Srebrenica in July 1995, according to the study of the Republika Srpska Government, engaged (on various bases and ways) over 25,000 Serbs.

Denial of genocide is a valid and reliable indicator, which suggests that the genocide is committed. Denial has different motives: ideological, strategic, socio-political and others, whereas the consequences for the victims are always tragic.

Denial of genocide is a crime (of genocide), which takes place in two stages: during the commission and after the commission. Denial aims to willfully and intentionally forges the facts, especially in relation to causes, objective and the character of war (insisting on a civil war instead of international armed conflict), and the nature of crime (insisting on “ethnic cleansing”, instead of genocide); - equalizing genocide perpetrators and victims; - intentionally misinform and deceive the domestic and international public; - suggest the existence of several (warring) parties and their equal guilt and responsibility; - evade responsibility for genocide; - show the perpetrators as heroes, who allegedly fight for a just cause, such as the case in the Serbian “culture” of hatred and violence the extermination of Muslims, including Bosniacs, a holy and heroic act, with which the genocide turned into a part of family tradition and heroic Serbia history, in which from one to another generation the criminals are considered heroes; - encourage genocide; - demonizes victims and show them as the perpetrators of crimes; - conceal, minimizes, relativize the genocide, especially the fact on the number and the status of victims, while minimizing the planned and systematic massive and individual murders; - maintain the genocidal ideology, politics, and practice.
The end of the 20th and the beginning of the 21st century are full of numerous and different historic forgeries, motivated by political and ideological grounds, which present untruthful facts on the events in the West Balkans, especially Bosnia and Herzegovina, which are interpreted, free of any documents or archives, and used to design political truths applicable to current circumstances. Unfortunately, this is the obvious abuse of science conducted by some scholars without any scruples and accountability, and the quasi scholars. This is particularly so with the great-Serbian intellectuals and politicians who build and establish their bases for ideology, politics and the practice of genocide.

The Serbian nationalists still insist on fulfillment of great-Serbian project, convinced that in the changed international conditions they could achieve their Nazi and genocidal plan – unification of all “Serbian” countries (“rounding up of all Serbian states”) and the Serbian people (“unification of Serbianhood”), that is, the establishment of a single Serbian state- Great Serbia. In this process of implementation of their activities, they use the political methods and tools applicable to newly emerging circumstances (conditions.). It is emphasized in this process that the science is misused under the umbrella of the great-Serbian ideology and politics. It could be named an official science, with the task to secure “arguments” to corroborate their theses on the need to build and establish a single great-Serbian state.

A significant part of the Serbian political and intellectual (societal and spiritual) elite, especially in Serbia and the entity Republika Srpska (in Bosnia and Herzegovina), in accordance with the great-Serbian genocidal ideology, politics and practice, and a number of their counterparts – quasi scholars from the West, have persistently tried for almost two decades to conceal, minimize, relativize, contest, deny genocide against Bosniacs in Bosnia and Herzegovina, including the one in the territory of the UN safe area – Srebrenica in July 1995; permanently and continuously equalize the genocide victims and perpetrators (criminals), and declare aggression and genocide victims the criminals to change the character and nature of crimes in Bosnia and Herzegovina, with the objective to turn international armed conflict (aggression) into civil war, and crime of genocide into “ethnic cleansing”; manipulate with the genocide victims, especially the number and the status of victims (instead of civilian and combatant, the notions civilian and soldier are used), while and use the quasi scholars for that purpose; keep quiet about the historic reality, and personal responsibility in planning, preparation, and execution of crime of genocide; deceive the domestic and international public with (false) epic-mythology theses: - on Bosnia and Herzegovina as a “Serbian state”, and Bosniacs as “Serbs of Islamic religion”; - that the fascist, collaborationist, traitor, and criminal movement of Draža Mihailović has antifascist character; - that the secessionist Republics (Slovenia and Croatia) are to be blamed for the fall of Socialist Federative Republic of Yugoslavia, as well as Vatican and German and American conspiracy against Serbs, and the Islamic fundamentalism; - that there was a civil war in the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the internal conflict between three sides, rather than the crime against peace or a classic aggression (international armed conflict) by Serbia and Montenegro / Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (as well as the Republic of Croatia) against the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, where they use “ethnic cleansing“ instead of genocide, in which all three sides equally share the responsibility, while some deny the idea of great-Serbian project, others the fascist and criminal character, etc. etc. this is a designed, planned, and systematic attack against the truth on the events in the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina at the end of the 20th century and a memory to the genocide victims. The genocide denial also hurts the human dignity, which was already hurt by the commission of these crimes and falsifying the historic facts, lies and propaganda, which is transformed now to a form of disgust. Any reasonable and civilized human being and antifascist is horrified with the denial of genocide committed against Bosniacs, and genocide in general. That is why our answer has to be based on facts and empiric data, and the public, domestic and international, has to be timely, fully, objectively, and clearly informed about it, the genocide denial and genocide in general.

It is also the historic fact (based on numerous relevant documents of various provenience):

- firstly, the Serbian Nazism, unlike the Serbian antifascism, has again during the last decade of the 20th century generated the worst crimes, including genocide against Bosniacs, which was, just like the aggression against the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, planned, prepared, organized, ordered, pursued and committed by the state of Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (Serbia and Montenegro) and their collaborationists and the fifth column (aggression by the Republic of Croatia against the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina and other forms of crimes against humanity and international law committed against Bosniacs are not subject of this paper);

- secondly, the entity Republika Srpska is a genocidal creation of the great-Serbian Nazism, that is, the state of Federal Republic of Yugoslavia / Serbia and Montenegro (Republika Srpska is a legacy of genocide – it is a national-socialist/Nazi creation), emerged on grave violations of international humanitarian law, marked and soaked in, mainly, Bosniac blood, and covered and bordered with numerous mass graves and concentration camps, in which fascist organizations legally function. Political leadership and other structures of the Republika Srpska, in accordance with the great-Serbian genocidal ideology, politics, and practice, falsify historic facts and deny genocide against Bosniacs, and obstruct by all possible means the strengthening of Bosnia and Herzegovina and they continuously pursue the politics of secession and destruction of the state Bosnia and Herzegovina;

- thirdly, the Dayton Agreement legalized great-Serbian Nazi ideology, politics, and practice of genocidal character. It, among other things, changed the name of the internationally recognized state (Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina), eliminating fro its name the word Republic, while giving it to the criminals as a reward for genocide. The structures of the entity Republika Srpska did not eliminate the forces which took part in the aggression and genocide including the genocide against Bosniacs in and around the UN safe area – Srebrenica in July 1995, which was confirmed by the results of the Republika Srpska Government research, as it was the case with the denazification of Germany following the WWII, and thus they remained politically active and still today openly destroy the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

It has been the holy duty and responsibility of scholars, scientists, and intellectuals to speak the truth and detect the forgeries, lies, and deceptions related to genocide and other forms of crimes against humanity and international law, including the genocide denial. There cannot be silence or irrelevance on genocide. Thus, t is the duty of scholars, as Nobel prize winner Elie Wiesel writes, to speak on behalf of genocide victims, remind of their suffering and tears and suppress the fear of oblivion.

With the comprehensive research activity, efforts, endeavors, and results, through organized, targeted, systematic, and continuous work, the scholars gain new scientific findings and the truth, which they adequately and timely present to the domestic and international public, and therefore indicate numerous, versatile, in different area and areas, and different extents of Holocaust, genocide, and other forms of crimes against humanity and international law, which is one of potential adequate preventive and strategic forms of activities.

Analyzing, scientifically, theoretically, and empirically, the genocide and other forms of crimes against humanity and international law, the scientist – scholars at the same time raise their voice against genocide and send their message which will significantly influence and affect the world and morality of the powerful to save the modern mankind and civilization, maintain the highest human values, human freedoms, human rights and lives of all, especially the small and weak human groups, communities and nations. The current and future generations have to learn the historic lesson from all the known genocides, in the interest of future of the modern world and civilization, on the need to strengthen, develop and unify all the antifascist forces, irrespective of their national, ethnic, racial, religious, ideological or political affiliation, and their commitment in the strategy of prevention and punishment of crime of genocide.