WORLD LEADERS COMMEMORATE 15TH ANNIVERSARY OF SREBRENICA GENOCIDE
Institute for the Research of Genocide Canada
Published: July 13, 2010
The statement from President Obama marking the 15th anniversary of the Srebrenica genocide, the largest mass murder in Europe after World War II:
On the occasion of the 15th anniversary of the genocide at Srebrenica, and on behalf of the United States, I join my voice with those who are gathered to mourn a great loss and to reflect on an unimaginable tragedy.
Fifteen years ago today, despite decades of pledges of “never again,” 8,000 men and boys were murdered in these fields and hills. They were brothers, sons, husbands, and fathers, and they all became victims of genocide.
I have said, and I believe, that the horror of Srebrenica was a stain on our collective conscience. We honor their memories and grieve with their families, as many of them are laid to rest here today. They were people who sought to live in peace and had relied on the promise of international protection, but in their hour of greatest need, they were left to fend for themselves. Only those of you who suffered through those days, who lost loved ones, can comprehend the unspeakable horror. You have carried this burden and live with pain and loss every moment of your lives.
This atrocity galvanized the international community to act to end the slaughter of civilians, and the name Srebrenica has since served as a stark reminder of the need for the world to respond resolutely in the face of evil.
For fifteen years, the United States has joined with you to foster peace and reconciliation in this troubled land. We recognize that there can be no lasting peace without justice, and we know that we will all be judged by the efforts we make in pursuit of justice for Srebrenica’s victims and those who mourn them.
Justice must include a full accounting of the crimes that occurred, full identification and return of all those who were lost, and prosecution and punishment of those who carried out the genocide. This includes Ratko Mladic, who presided over the killings and remains at large. The United States calls on all governments to redouble their efforts to find those responsible, to arrest them, and to bring them to justice. In so doing, we will honor Srebrenica’s victims and fulfill our moral and legal commitments to end impunity for crimes of such awful magnitude.
We have a sacred duty to remember the cruelty that occurred here, and to prevent such atrocities from happening again. We have an obligation to victims and to their surviving family members. And we have a responsibility to future generations all over the globe to agree that we must refuse to be bystanders to evil; whenever and wherever it occurs, we must be prepared to stand up for human dignity.
May God bless you all, and may God bless the memory of all those who rest here.
U.S. Department of State has issued a press release honoring victims of the Srebrenica Genocide – 15th Anniversary of Srebrenica Genocide – Hillary Rodham Clinton
Today we remember the tragic events in Srebrenica 15 years ago. I join President Obama and the people of the United States in offering our deepest condolences on this most solemn occasion. We honor the memories of the victims and mourn with their families.
The United States stands with Bosnia and Herzegovina, and all countries in the region who wish to foster peace and reconciliation. We remain committed to ensuring that those responsible for these crimes face justice. We recognize that there can be no lasting peace without justice. It is only by bringing all responsible parties to account for their crimes that we will truly honor Srebrenica’s victims.
We are duty-bound – to the victims, to their surviving family members, and to future generations – to prevent such atrocities from happening again. Our common faith in the value of freedom and peace unifies us and drives us to act. That is why we are committed to working with all the communities that make up Bosnia and Herzegovina to move forward and build a pluralistic, democratic state that can take its rightful place in the Euro-Atlantic community. A prosperous, free, and unified Bosnia and Herzegovina is the most worthy monument to those who lost their lives at Srebrenica and the best guarantee against such a tragedy ever repeating itself.
David Cameron - Prome Minister of the United Kongdom
Prime Minister David Cameron offers ‘deepest sympathy’ on 15th anniversary of Srebrenica massacre as Baroness Warsi attends ceremony.
Speaking on the occasion of the 15th anniversary of the genocide, in which over 8000 people were killed the Prime Minister said:”Today marks the 15th anniversary of the massacre at Srebrenica, in which over 8000 Bosnian men and boys were killed as they fled for their lives through the forests. Even today, the remains of many of the victims are undiscovered and unidentified, their families still searching for closure.
To all those who lost loved ones, I offer my deepest sympathy on this anniversary. We must never forget the act of genocide that happened at Srebrenica. It was a crime that shamed Europe. We owe it to the victims to learn the lesson of Srebrenica: that evil must be confronted if humanity is to be protected.
We owe it to the victims to ensure that those indicted for this appalling crime are pursued relentlessly until they are brought to justice. The British Government I lead will not rest in its efforts to make sure that Ratko Mladic is brought to the International Criminal Tribunal at the Hague, alongside other fugitives like Goran Hadzic. At the same time, we must continue to build a brighter future for Bosnia and Herzegovina and the region. We welcome recent steps towards reconciliation, such as the motion by the Serbian Parliament condemning the crimes committed at Srebrenica and apologising to the victims. Britain’s new Government will take a close interest in the region.
We will work hard to enable Bosnia and Herzegovina and the whole Balkan region to move forward, and in due course to join the European Union and NATO. But as we look to the future, we pledge never to forget the past, and to do all in our power to ensure that such an atrocity can never be repeated.”The anniversary will be marked with a ceremony in Srebrenica on 11 July. Baroness Sayeeda Warsi will represent the British government at the ceremony.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon – Remarks at ceremony marking the 15th Srebrenica Commemoration
Your Excellency Ivan Barbaliæ, [Permanent Representative of Bosnia and Herzegovina],
Your Excellency, Dr. Ali Abdussalam Treki, [President of the General Assembly],
Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Today we honour the victims of the largest atrocity on European soil since the founding of the United Nations.
We pay homage to the thousands of men and boys who were slaughtered – brutally… deliberately and systematically.
We recognize the burden of families and loved ones who carry the memories and pain with each step.
And, we vow, together, never again to allow such an atrocity to happen at any time…in any place.
This we owe to the souls of Srebrenica.
This we owe to our common humanity.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
This is a day to remember the horror of Srebrenica. But it is also a time to re-assert the power of tolerance and understanding.
All Bosnians, and indeed, all of the people of that part of the Balkans, must re-engage with one other on the basis of mutual respect and trust.
Fifteen years have passed. The region has made progress.
I am particularly heartened by recent efforts to further smooth the path towards reconciliation. But there is a still a long way to go.
Responsible leaders and citizens must join forces to continue pursuing this essential goal. The emergence of respect and trust after conflict also depends heavily on bringing perpetrators to account. Truth must be told. Justice must be done. The International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia have found that the horror of Srebrenica constituted a crime of genocide. These institutions are contributing significantly to the ongoing fight against impunity. Until all those accused of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes face those charges and are judged, our quest for justice, and the path towards healing, will remain incomplete.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
We cannot undo the past. But we must face it and learn from it to build a just and prosperous future. That means all of us – including the United Nations. The United Nations made serious errors of judgment in Srebrenica which weigh heavy on our collective memory and conscience. As Secretary-General Annan said in 1999, “the tragedy of Srebrenica will haunt our history forever.” We must remain steadfast in ensuring that humankind never forgets those lessons. The work of the International Criminal Court, our efforts to protect civilians, our increased vigilance for early signs of genocide or other grave crimes, are all meant to reduce the risk of another such assault on innocents – and to fully prepare us if it does come. The age of impunity has passed, and the age of accountability is now taking over. Bosnia and Herzegovina is also teaching the world many lessons. You are applying your experience from this unspeakable tragedy to promote global peace as a member of the United Nations Security Council.
On this day, let us pledge together to protect and uphold human dignity, wherever and whenever it is threatened.
Thank you very much.
Canada Commemorates 15th Anniversary of Srebrenica Genocide
The Honourable Lawrence Cannon, Minister of Foreign Affairs, today issued the following statement commemorating the 15th anniversary of the Srebrenica massacre: “Fifteen years ago, in Srebrenica in Bosnia and Herzegovina, more than 7,000 Bosniak men and boys were executed and over 25,000 Bosniaks were forced from their homes by Bosnian Serb forces. This tragic event was the worst crime of its kind to be committed in Europe since the Second World War.
Both the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia determined it to be genocide.“On this solemn occasion, I wish to extend my condolences on behalf of the Government of Canada to the survivors of this atrocity, as well as to all of those whose loved ones lost their lives or remain missing.“Canada condemns all forms of war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide, and is a vigorous defender of freedom, democracy, human rights and the rule of law.
Canada fully supports the work of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia and the judicial bodies in the region in prosecuting all those who committed such crimes. We continue to work in cooperation with other states and international institutions to ensure that perpetrators are held accountable for their crimes. We hope to see offenders brought to justice, in particular fugitive Ratko Mladic, the former Bosnian Serb leader who oversaw the Srebrenica massacre.
“Today, 15 years later, there are encouraging signs of reconciliation within the former Yugoslavia and within Bosnia and Herzegovina. Canada encourages all leaders in Bosnia and Herzegovina to work toward further reconciliation, promoting the interests of all Bosnian citizens and ensuring the country remains on its path to integrate into Euro-Atlantic institutions.”
Wrzesnewskyj commemorates Srebrenica Remembrance Day at Bosnian Islamic Centre
Wrzesnewskyj commemorates Srebrenica Remembrance Day at Bosnian Islamic Centre in Etobicoke Centre) joined members of the Bosniak community in commemorating Srebrenica Remembrance Day at the Bosnian Islamic Centre in Etobicoke, Ontario. In his address at this year’s commemoration marking the 15th anniversary of this terrible crime, when the UN declared safe haven of Srebrenica was overrun and over 8,000 innocent Muslim men were massacred as UN peacekeepers and the international community stood by, Wrzesnewskyj praised the efforts of the members of the Bosnian Islamic Centre who worked tirelessly to raise awareness about the Srebrenica genocide. “As I underscored during my remarks at the Srebrenica Remembrance Day ceremony held at the Bosnian Islamic Centre in my riding, when the world community witnessed emaciated Bosniak men behind barbed wire at places like Manjača concentration camp in 1992, they did not muster the moral courage to act.
Three years later, this failure to act against the evil of ethnic cleansing only emboldened the perpetrators to continue on their path of hatred resulting in massacre of over 8,000 Bosniak men and boys after the fall of Srebrenica. In Europe, humanity witnessed a series of the most horrific genocides: the Armenian genocide; the Holodomor, the famine genocide of Ukrainians; and the greatest evil amongst all evils, the Holocaust. In horror, sixty-five years ago, Europe pledged, the world pledged, ‘Never Again.’ Fifteen years ago, it happened again, in Europe, in Srebrenica. As we mark this fifteenth anniversary, we do so in shame. When will our pledge of ‘Never Again’ mean ‘Never Again,’” stated Wrzesnewskyj.
Federal Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle today (10 July) issued the following statement on the 15th anniversary of the Srebrenica massacre:
“Fifteen years after the atrocity that was the Srebrenica massacre, our thoughts are with the victims, their families and relations. Germany and its international partners are agreed: Srebrenica must never be allowed to be repeated. We have made progress with the judicial scrutiny of the war crimes committed. Radovan Karadzic is standing trial for genocide at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia. However, another one of the accused, Ratko Mladic, whose name is closely linked with the Srebrenica massacre, is still at large. Efforts to arrest him must be further intensified. I appeal to the politicians in the region to look beyond the painful recollections of the events of the war and to seize the opportunity to cooperate successfully for a common European perspective.” Some 8000 Muslim men and boys were killed in the Srebrenica massacre in July 1995. On Sunday (11 July) an international ceremony is being held in Srebrenica to remember the victims.
The complaint charges the Dutchbat commanders with complicity in war crimes, lawyer Liesbeth Zegveld explained to Radio Netherlands Worldwide.
“…There is sufficient evidence for war crimes and genocide in this case. The commanders of Dutchbat have evicted the victims from the Dutchbat compound in Srebrenica on the 13th of July 1995,” Zegveld said. “They have forced them to leave a safe environment. It is supported by statements made at the time by the Dutchbat military stating that they feared for the fate of the Muslim men. That they feared a mass execution. That they knew that the men who were evicted from the compound were not arriving in the safe area … whereas the women and children did arrive.”
Bosnia and Herzegovina Presidency Chairman Dr Haris Silajdžić’s address on occasion of the 15th anniversary of genocide against the Bosniaks of the „UN Protected Zone“ Srebrenica and the burial of identified victims from July 1995 at the Memorial Center Potočari, July 11, 2021
Dear families of the Srebrenica genocide victims,
Excellencies Presidents, Prime Ministers, Ministers, Ambassadors,
Participants of the Peace March and everyone present,
Dear friends,
I have talked with many family members of the Srebrenica genocide victims, wondering what their message to convey to you today would be. Everyone, without exception, emphasized truth and justice, and no one mentioned revenge. After terrible losses and suffering caused by their malefactors, such a position towards it astonishes us with its civility and human kindness. I remind you about the fact that in Bosnia and Herzegovina, even besides and after everything that has happened, not a single act of revenge has been registered. However, it does not mean that these people will allow to have their human dignity waded.
Slobodan Milošević’s regime had made such a mistake, therefore it was beaten, morally, military and politically. These people did nothing to earn death and ethnic cleansing, just as they do not deserve today to see the genocide results used as a key weapon for blocking the construction of Bosnia and Herzegovina as a democratic country of equal peoples and nations and that is why the solutions leading towards ending this inhumane project will be discarded as so far.
We all know the truth. Slobodan Milošević’s regime planned in detail and executed all this evil, in aim of elimination or banishment of non-Serbs from the large part of the Bosnia and Herzegovina territory. The civilians were at the attack of an organized and powerful military force. The fact that the UN Security Council had kept the embargo on weapon import helped the aggressors, thus tying the hands and depriving those who had to fight of their right to fight. The question is how it is possible that international community has done such a thing.
The answer is simple: because the victims were Bosniaks, Muslims. „Embargo (on weapon import) was kept because it was to the detriment of Bosnia and Herzegovina, “says former US President Clinton in his book that was published after our last year’s gathering at this very spot. Explaining why his efforts to lift the embargo and allow the attacked people to defend their bare existence failed, President Clinton cites the arguments given to him by certain European leaders, making these horrible crimes acceptable. „That is a painful and realistic reconstruction of a Christian Europe“was one of the arguments privately offered to President Clinton.
It is clear that the Christianity, as a religion, has nothing to do with savagery against the inhabitants of Bosnia and Herzegovina. On the contrary. I remind you that today, we also send off our catholic fellow citizen with due piety, participating, as much as possible, in the pain of his closest ones. Therefore, one cannot be surprised that the US President Obama called the crimes in Bosnia and Herzegovina „stain on the humanity’s conscience“. Only truth and justice, arresting Mladiæ and others and not understating the genocide results could appease humanity’s conscience. Obstacles in that path can no longer be tolerated and considered relative. We have 775 reasons for it before us and for this year only. Thousands await a dignified send-off worthy of a man.
The international community admitted making a fatal mistake against the Srebrenica genocide victims trough recognition of the United Nations and trough declarations of certain democratic countries made individually: US Congress condemned the genocide, ethnic cleansing and aggression against Bosnia and Herzegovina, the European Parliament declared July 11 the Day of remembering the Srebrenica genocide, and the Serbian Assembly condemned this crime and offered their apology to the victims’ families. So, nowhere in the world, except in Bosnia and Herzegovina, is this genocide denied.
Law proposal on Holocaust and genocide denial prohibition was blocked in the Bosnia and Herzegovina Parliamentary Assembly by those who deny genocide at the first place. It is clear that the current deniers of genocide will end as waste of the history of the world and of the Serbian people, just like Slobodan Milošević and Radovan Karadžić end up. However, it is tragic and confusing that some in the international community treat the deniers of horrible crimes in Bosnia and Herzegovina just as they had treated the perpetrators of those crimes. That must be changed, because, otherwise, all statements involving Srebrenica would seem empty. We expect the European Union to send a clear demand to the Bosnia and Herzegovina Parliamentary Assembly, i.e. adopting the proposed Law on Holocaust and genocide denial prohibition.
Proving genocide in the entire territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina is not a completed process. Radovan Karadžić’s trial is currently underway, who, according to his charges, had the genocidal intention to destroy BiH Muslims since October 1991. Srebrenica is a symbol of genocide against the Bosniaks in Bosnia and Herzegovina, but we do not forget the crimes committed by the Serbian forces wide across Bosnia and Herzegovina. A commemoration will be held in Omarska for the victims of the Serbian concentration camps from 1992. That event, like so many others, will not have such media coverage. That is why we, on the day of the Srebrenica genocide commemoration, also remember the victims from Prijedor, Ključ, Zvornik, Brčko, Sarajevo, Manjača, Foča, Bileća, Bijeljina and all those known and unknown who had fallen as victims of this fascistic project, regardless who they were.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Albania Mr. Ilir Meta Attended the Ceremony in Memory of the 15th Anniversary of the Massacre in Srebrenica
“ I could not fail to attend this very important anniversary of the Srebrenica Tragedy, the most serious crime committed against humanity after the Second World War. I am here to express our solidarity with the entire people of Bosnia – Herzegovina and the families of the victims and, at the same time, to emphasize our commitment that while commemorating such tragic events, which have not occurred in a distant past, we should also learn how not to repeat them anymore; at the same time we should learn how to ensure a safer future for all citizens in Bosnia, in the region and for our own children” .
Tayyip Erdogan, Prime Minister of the Republic of Turkey
Tayyip Erdogan, Prime Minister of the Republic of Turkey, said that he saw a mother who lost two sons. “In the eyes of the mothers saw the sadness, and peace and pride. It was not hatred, not because it is my honor as a person and as a mother. It is precisely these mothers need all of us, worldwide. For a man who kills like that the whole world killed. And so I say just let the peace, only peace, only peace”.
Valentin Inzko, High Representative in BiH has expressed sincere condolences.
French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner reiterated that all criminals who committed genocide at Srebrenica must be apprehended and that justice must be served.
15th Srebrenica Genocide Commemoration on Capitol Hill
On July 13, 2021 BAACBH together with the Co-Chairs of the U.S. Congressional Caucus on Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) Rep. Christopher Smith and Rep. Russ Carnahan commemorated the 15th Anniversary of Srebrenica Genocide on Capitol Hill. The commemoration took place in 2255 Rayburn Office Building, were Congressmen Christopher Smith and Brian Baird, Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Roy Gutman, International Commission on Mission Persons (ICMP) Commissioner and Chairman James V. Kimsey, Holocaus Survivor Mrs. Margit Meissner, and Amb. Damir Dzanko addressed an audience of distinguished guests, U.S Department of State officials, Congressional staff members, local NGO representatives, the media and friends of BiH.
Ms. Elmina Kulasic, BAACBH Executive Director, delivered the opening remarks and was followed by a short speech about BiH’s recent history by Amb. Damir Dzanko, Deputy Chief of Mission at the Embassy of the Republic of Bosnia in Washington, D.C. The keynote speech was delivered by the Honorable Representative Christopher Smith who reminded the audience that “our duty to honor the victims of Srebrenica is a continuing one,” that the perpetrators must be brought to justice and that the Srebrenica Genocide cannot be denied or negated. The Honorable Representative Brian Baird shared his personal story about a Bosnian boy who was wounded by a Serbian mortar in Sarajevo and for whom he provided accommodation while he was in the U.S. for treatment. Rep. Baird extended his deepest condolences to the surviving family members and the people of BiH.
Mr. James V. Kimsey, Commissioner and Chairman of International Commission on Missing Persons (ICMP), expressed his condolences and emphasized the importance of finding the missing persons and identifying them in order to start the process of reconciliation. Mr. Roy Gutman, Foreign Editor at McClatchy Newspapers and author of “A Witness to Genocide,” reflected on his days in BiH during the war and reminded us of the role the international community had in BiH and Srebrenica. Mr. Gutman also emphasized the necessity of a constitutional reform which will enable BiH to integrate into the European Union as a functional state able to meet its domestic and international obligations. Mrs. Bridget Conley-Zilkic, Director of Research and Projects at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum Committee on Conscience, provided a brief introduction about Mrs. Margit Meissner, Holocaust Survivor and a Volunteer at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, who shared her survival story and stressed the importance of advocacy and genocide prevention efforts.
In honor of the fallen victims, the speakers at the 15th Srebrenica Genocide Commemoration have expressed their deepest condolences, commitment to remember the Srebrenica genocide and to advocate for a stable and prosperous BiH. At the same time, we have asked the attendees to urge their Representatives to co-sponsor House Resolution 1423, which commemorates the 15th anniversary of the genocide committed in the Bosnian city of Srebrenica in July 1995 and expresses support of the U.S. Congress for the designation of a Srebrenica Remembrance Day in the United States.
Grand Mufti Mustafa Ceric’s statement on the occasion of 15th anniversary of genocide in Bosnia - Srebrenica
إنّ الحمد لله، نحمده ونستعينه ونستغفره، ونعوذ بالله من شرور أنفسنا، ومن سيّئات أعمالنا، من يهد الله فلا مضلّ له، ومن يضلل فلا هادي له، وأشهد أن لا إله إلاّ الله وحده لا شريك له، وأشهد أنّ محمّداً عبده ورسوله. قال الله تعالي في القران الحكيم: فَطَوَّعَتْ لَهُ نَفْسُهُ قَتْلَ أَخِيهِ فَقَتَلَهُ فَأَصْبَحَ مِنَ الْخَاسِرِينَ . فَبَعَثَ اللّهُ غُرَابًا يَبْحَثُ فِي الأَرْضِ لِيُرِيَهُ كَيْفَ يُوَارِي سَوْءةَ أَخِيهِ قَالَ يَا وَيْلَتَا أَعَجَزْتُ أَنْ أَكُونَ مِثْلَ هَـذَا الْغُرَابِ فَأُوَارِيَ سَوْءةَ أَخِي فَأَصْبَحَ مِنَ النَّادِمِينَ. مِنْ أَجْلِ ذَلِكَ كَتَبْنَا عَلَى بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ أَنَّهُ مَن قَتَلَ نَفْسًا بِغَيْرِ نَفْسٍ أَوْ فَسَادٍ فِي الأَرْضِ فَكَأَنَّمَا قَتَلَ النَّاسَ جَمِيعًا وَمَنْ أَحْيَاهَا فَكَأَنَّمَا أَحْيَا النَّاسَ جَمِيعًا وَلَقَدْ جَاء تْهُمْ رُسُلُنَا بِالبَيِّنَاتِ ثُمَّ إِنَّ كَثِيرًا مِّنْهُم بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ فِي الأَرْضِ لَمُسْرِفُونَ .
But the other’s passion drove him to slaying his brother; and he slew him: and thus he became one of the lost. Thereupon God sent forth a raven which scratched the earth, to show him how he might conceal the nakedness of his brother’s body. [And Cain] cried out: “Oh, woe is me! Am I then too weak to do what this raven did, and to conceal the nakedness of my brother’s body?” – and was thereupon smitten with remorse. Because of this did We ordain unto the children of Israel that if anyone slays a human being-unless it be [in punishment] for murder or for spreading corruption on earth-it shall be as though he had slain all mankind; whereas, if anyone saves a life, it shall be as though he had saved the lives of all mankind. And, indeed, there came unto them Our apostles with all evidence of the truth: yet, behold, notwithstanding all this, many of them go on committing all manner of excesses on earth. (Qur’an, 5:30-32)
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
It is metaphysical, but the question about evil is a relevant one because “evil is a fact of life”. We can see it, not only on the occasion of the 15th anniversary of genocide in Bosnia, but also in everyday large-scale brutality of homicide, rape, incest as well as of the millions of human lives lost by disease, poverty and starvation. We know that the Evil is morally wrong; it is causing harm; it is marked by misfortune; it is characterized by anger or spite; it is the quality of being morally wrong; it is a force or power that brings about wickedness or harm against humanity.
However, the definitions of Evil do not provide answers to the questions: Why Holocaust? Why Genocide? Why was an infant girl of Bosnia raped? Why was an innocent boy of Srebrenica killed? Why the Bosnian Muslims were betrayed by the United Nations Protection Force on 11th of July 1995 in Srebrenica where thousands of men and boys who had sought safety were massacred? Why Europe has allowed to be deceived by the evil of Serbian army? Where does evil begin? What makes evil so fascinating?
While the metaphysical reflections about the roots of and reasons for evil-doing may continue as an abstract debate, the legal action against evildoers must be concrete so that they may receive their rights as it was noticed that: ‘the war criminals have the right to punishment’ because their evil cannot survive human conscience.
Hence, the most important questions concerning the genocide in Bosnia are about: truth, justice, remembering and reconciliation. Truth and justice are inseparable not only because of their organic order, but also because of the fact that the human power may last with infidelity (kufr), but it cannot continue with injustice (zulm).” (الملك يبقي مع الكفر و لا يبقي مع الظلم). In other words, anything that was established by injustice or genocide in Bosnia cannot survive and must be abolished sooner or later. Unfortunately, the perpetrators of genocide in Bosnia are more obsessed with the denial of their crime than the victims of genocide are occupied with thoughts of revenge.
But the perpetrators of genocide in Bosnia should know that the denial of crime is a crime in itself, while the desire for justice is a sign of reconciliation in itself. Thus, it is not difficult to conclude that the sooner the war criminals cease their denial of their crime the sooner the road to reconciliation will be revealed.
The victims of genocide in Bosnia will remember and always remind the world of what happened on the 11th July, 1995. They appreciate the fact that the majority of 565 members the European Parliament has adopted the resolution of 15 January 2022 on Srebrenica whereby it commemorates and honors all the victims of Srebrenica genocide.
Also, it is good that the European Parliament calls on the Council and the Commission to commemorate appropriately the anniversary of the Srebrenica-Potočari act of genocide by supporting Parliament’s recognition of 11 July as the day of commemoration of the Srebrenica genocide all over the EU, and to call on all the countries of the western Balkans to do the same.
The victims of Srebrenica genocide are aware that the past cannot be changed, but they appreciate the recognition of their pain by EU as a good sign that genocide will not be repeated in the future to anyone.
Yes, it is easy to identify with victims. But if we want to prevent future genocides, we must do more than occasional show of sympathy with the victims of genocide. We must understand the deep psychology of the perpetrators as well as bystanders. We must comprehend what it is that makes some people, who otherwise look “normal”, to hate other groups and to join in, or stand by and witness their planned and systematic elimination? We all must learn about the Holocaust and Genocide not only as a historical fact, but also as a way to teach our children about the danger of racism, anti-Semitism, Islamophobia and other instances of human intolerance. We must teach all high-school pupils to value democracy and human rights and encourage them to reject hatred, intolerance and ethnic conflict.
And we must be all united in Bosnia, in Europe and around the world – in all mosques, in all churches, in all synagogues and in all places of human decency so that we may say together the Srebrenica prayer on the 11th of July in the noontime in Potočari where only parts of hundreds of innocent men and boys will be buried.
This prayer is our hope that our future shall be better than our past and that our children shall not have fear of genocide.
O Man, whoever you are and wherever you might be, remember God who created us all in the same way and the same sway so that we all might say our honest prayer:
Oh God
Do not let success deceive us
Nor failure takes us to despair!
Always remind us that failure is a temptation
That precedes success!
Oh God
Teach us that tolerance
Is the highest degree of power
And the desire for revenge
The first sign of weakness!
Oh God
If you deprive us of our property,
Give us hope!
If you grant us with success,
Give us also the will to overcome defeat!
If you take from us the blessing of health,
Provide us with the blessing of faith!
Oh God
If we sin against people,
Give us the strength of apology!
And if people sin against us,
Give us the strength of forgiveness!
Oh God
If we forget Thee,
Do not forget us!
Oh God
May grief become hope!
May revenge become justice!
May mother’s tears become prayers!
That Srebrenica never happens again!
To anyone, anywhere!
أللهم اليك اشكو ضعف قوتي، و قلّة حيلتي، و هواني علي الناس، يا ارحم الرحمين.
انت رب المستضعفين، و انت ربي.
الي من تكلني؟ الي بعيد يتجهمني؟ ام الي عدو ملكته امري؟
إن لم يكن بك علي غضب فلا ابالي، بلا عافيتك هي اوسع لي.
أعوذ بنوروجهك الذي اشرقت له الظلمات،
صلح عليه امر الدنيا و الآخرة من ان تنزل بي غضبك، او يحلّ علي سخطك.
لك العتبي حتي ترضي, و لا حول و لا قوّة الا بك.
Address by the President of the Republic of Slovenia, Dr Danilo Türk, at the ceremony of mourning to commemorate the 15th Anniversary of the Srebrenica genocide
Potočari, 11 July 2021
Respected family members of the victims of the Srebrenica genocide,
Esteemed high representatives and citizens of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina,
Distinguished guests,
Today, we are all citizens of Srebrenica.
We have come from near and far to honour the memory of the victims of the genocide that happened here in Srebrenica fifteen years ago. All of us who are gathered today for this occasion are aware of the immense evil that was brought on the people of these places. We also know that we must remember this great tragedy with deep compassion and do everything required to prevent it from ever happening again, whether here in Srebrenica or elsewhere in the world. Today, we solemnly stress our commitment to do our utmost to prevent any risk, any act and any passivity that could threaten to cause or allow genocide.
All of us that carry with us the memory of the traumatic experience of war in this part of Europe at the end of the 20th century, as well as the inherited traumas left by World War II and the massacres at its end, have a particularly great responsibility. We must understand how important it is to foster a respectful memory of the victims, how important it is to stand by the commitment to prevent past tragedies from ever happening again and how imperative it is to build a Europe and a world in which human rights are respected, in which peace and safety are guaranteed, and in which mothers and wives will never again have reason to mourn or fear.
Our commitment to preventing genocide is sincere and strong. Let no one have doubts about it. Everybody present here today knows that genocide is the supreme crime. Over eight thousand men and boys were systematically killed in a few days in Srebrnica, merely because they were Bosnians. Those who planned, prepared and committed this crime must be punished. Some of them have already been justly punished. However, there are far too many of those who are still evading justice. One of them is their commander, General Ratko Mladić. They must all be apprehended and brought to justice.
Distinguished guests,
Today, the whole of Europe and the entire World understands that reverence for the victims of genocide is a universal moral imperative and that this imperative demands a multitude of action. The tragedy of Srebrenica must not sink into oblivion. The perpetrators of the crime of genocide must be brought to justice. The international community has a sacred obligation to build the strongest firewalls against all threats of genocide and to ensure that the responsibility to protect is universally adhered to. International peace is the best protection against genocide. Let us redouble our efforts to ensure peace and security globally and make them irreversible. This is not utopia. This is the call of our time and our common obligation to the victims of Srebrenica. It is both realistically achievable and morally necessary.
Respected mothers of Srebrenica,
Your suffering is our common debt. I bring a message from Slovenia that you are not alone in your grief. Our condolences are sincere and profound. Violence against people without protection and without the means of self-defence is a serious evil and great crime. All the perpetrators must answer for their crimes. This is the only way to ensure justice, human dignity and lasting peace. All of us who have survived, particularly the young generations, must understand that forgiveness does not mean forgetting. The genocide that happened in Srebrenica will not be forgotten and our help for the survivors will always be there. May all the victims rest in peace. I wish, too, all citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina every progress on their path towards a strengthening of justice, security, prosperity and dignity.
Speech, By Prof. Dr Faruk Čaklovica , Memorial Complex Potočari, Srebrenica, 26th of June 2010
Dear students, respected Rectors, Deans, Senators, colleagues, ladies and gentlemen, respected Srebrenica Municipality representatives, respected Mothers of Srebrenica!
Today, on the 15thCommemoration of the genocide against Srebrenica Bosniaks, along with representatives of the University of Sarajevo’s academic community, are present too, students, professors and Rectors of the University of Tuzla, University of Bihać and University of Zenica. We deem it crucial to be here all together in this moment of remembrance of the victims of the genocide committed against Srebrenica Bosniaks. Representatives of the academic community of Bosnia and Herzegovina even in this manner, express their persistence and determination in their fight against evil.
We want to remind on the continuum of the conquering and genocidal politics towards Bosnia and Herzegovina, unfortunately repeated even in the dusk of the 20 thCentury.
From this point in time, the testimony about 1479 days of siege of entire Bosnia and Herzegovina still seems to be barbaric with clear and recognizable supernational executions that make every normal human being abhorred.
During the horrible “killing process”, for the four days intentionally and in accordance with precisely established pattern mostly, over 8 thousands of captured Bosniaks have been savagely murdered because of their ethnic and religious orientation.
The three generations of men were exterminated. That is the largest single act of genocide and total expulsion of people in the Europe, which has been committed since World War II.
The number of victims and a very brief period of execution, plainly speaks about a multitude of loyal and organized executors, viz, the entire political, governing, police and military potential of the Great Serbian forces which stood behind the preparations and committing of crimes.
The ideological and political pillar of the genocide was the Great Serbian regime of Slobodan Milošević, with the Serbian Democratic Party of Bosnia and Herzegovina as the performer, together with the Government, Military and Ministry of Internal Affairs of the “Republic of Srpska” – the unnatural fabrication created by genocide.
Unfortunately, we had such individuals even at our University. Some of them are still hiding, some of them committed a suicide, while some of them were tried and convicted by the International Criminal Tribunal in den Haag.
The genocide is an act committed by criminals, its victims are sad and permanent loss, and its traces are irremediable and eternal. Therefore, for victims there is and can be no form of satisfaction either legal or moral or material. A tragic act cannot be corrected, nor atoned for.
Reverence for victims is the moral imperative for the survivors in a continuous process of proving that the crime cannot be ad acta categorized and tucked into an archive, into oblivion. The tragedy of genocide relies, not just on the scope of crimes and number of victims, but on the defeating fact that every rational action is feeble in front of the flood of violence; that a human voice is not able to reach the oppressor’s consciousness; that crime negates the inalienable and natural right to live as well.
The violence against powerless and unprotected human being, as well as the aggressive escalation of evil in malevolent times, expresses vulnerability of human existence and upheaval of values on which human dignity bases.
Moral traumas are followed by psychological ache caused by the impossibility to fight back the violence, the unequal balance of power between the executioner and the victim – the victim like the Mothers of Srebrenica and all women of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Unfortunately, we still continue wandering what should have been done by the United Nations to prevent this huge tragedy in internationally recognized Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Therefore, the obligation for every citizen of Bosnia and Herzegovina, especially for education institutions, is to persist on remembering, by raising younger generations to forgive but not to forget, and to remind the International Community on its obligation to punish all war criminals in order to finally restore the peace and safety of living in this region. In this manner, the International Community will legitimize the principal mission of its existence.
May the peace be upon victims, and may all of us, who live the life of honest Bosnian man, be granted with courage and hope for righteous punishment for all criminals.
Srebrenica as both a warning and reconciliation by Hajrudin Somun
“I gave birth to children with a head, arms and legs, and what do I have left of them today? Only a handful of bones,” said a teary-eyed Bosniak (Bosnian Muslim) mother attending the funeral of what could be found of her two sons’ remains, killed, buried and reburied by Bosnian Serb nationalists in the 1995 genocidal onslaught in Srebrenica.
This was only one of hundreds of stories of mothers, sisters, wives and relatives who came to Potocari in northeast Bosnia last Sunday to bury 775 recently identified partial remains of victims of the Srebrenica massacre, which claimed the lives of more than 8,000 men and boys. The memorial ceremony was similar to that of last July 11, and next year’s will only differ in the number of green-draped coffins. This 15th anniversary and mass burial was, however, distinct and significant in more than one way.
First, Srebrenica became a common European symbol of human evil and suffering, if not a global one — because there were other similar cases, at least in Cambodia and Rwanda. July 11 became a Europe Day after resolutions were passed by almost all European parliaments. It, in one way or another, was for the first time marked across the entire continent. At the opening of the UN Security Council session last Monday, a minute of silence was dedicated to the victims of Srebrenica. There was even an initiative to start the World Cup football championship final with a minute of silence for Srebrenica, but the heads of FIFA decided otherwise. This year also saw the highest number of foreign dignitaries attending the memorial. There were, among others, the heads of state of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Slovenia and Montenegro, the prime ministers of Turkey and Belgium, the French foreign minister and the US president’s envoy.
Second, it is now beyond doubt that genocide was carried out in Srebrenica, if not in all of Bosnia. Although the massacre was deemed genocide by the UN War Crimes Tribunal and the International Court of Justice (ICJ), some individual countries were reluctant to raise it to that category. In a recent White House press release, that term was used without any hesitation. Samantha Power, an advisor to President Barack Obama and a Pulitzer Prize-winning author for a book she wrote on genocide and human rights abuses, confirmed the US’s firm stance, saying: “There is no controversy in that. It is a historical fact.” Srebrenica even started to be likened to the Holocaust, and not only by its survivors. Indeed, Srebrenica cannot be compared to Auschwitz and other major Nazi concentration camps in the number of prisoners, torture methods and means of extermination, but it can be thought of in this way if we consider that it was unimaginable for something similar to Auschwitz to ever happen on the soil of civilized Europe. After the Holocaust it used to be said, “Never again!” And these days, when speaking of Srebrenica, people also say, “It should never happen again!”
The broader meaning of Srebrenica
This is why the annual memorial ceremony in Srebrenica has a broader meaning. The Jewish author Antony Lerman wrote last November in The Guardian, “We can never close the book on the Holocaust and Srebrenica.” Samuel Harris, also Jewish and a Holocaust survivor, recently said, “One of the most important ways to remember the genocide in Srebrenica is to commemorate the atrocities every July 11.”
The commemoration in Potocari has a narrower, but for Bosnia and Herzegovina itself, more immediate and important meaning as well. As in almost all other matters, it is also sharply divided with regard to what was happening in Srebrenica not only in July 1995, but the previous three years when that small town was in fact a concentration camp for thousands of refugees from other places. Just one day before the Srebrenica memorial, the Serb Democratic Party (SDS), honored its founder Radovan Karadzic, who is facing charges of genocide at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) at The Hague, with an award. And a day later, in the nearby town of Bratunac, emptied of all non-Serbs during the war, on a graveyard built on land confiscated from a Bosnian Muslim family, leaders of Republika Srpska, the Bosnian Serb entity within Bosnia and Herzegovina, commemorated their own dead by presenting a misleading version of what happened in Srebrenica in 1992-1995. The apparent leader of Republika Srpska, Milorad Dodik, admitted that there were “a few thousand Muslim victims in Srebrenica,” but firmly denied that there was any genocide. Contrary to Potocari a day before, there were no foreign dignitaries in Bratunac, not even from Serbia or Russia.
Many attendees at the memorial ceremony in Potocari preferred to have a silent and dignified burial, with only a simple religious ceremony and without speeches that usually have a political purpose. While local politicians do not hesitate to misuse even such occasions for their electoral campaigns, some European politicians, especially French and British ones, still feel it necessary to vindicate their governments’ shameful approach during the war in Bosnia.
The speeches in Potocari, lasting around two hours under the broiling July sun, however, might have had a collateral impact on the still prevailing attitude of Bosnian Serbs about the Srebrenica tragedy. It is easier for them to deny the truth than to face it — and indeed their actual leaders deliberately refute and falsify the historical record. The depressing behavior of Dodik, his party and the still strong and popular Bosnian Serb nationalist bloc — it seems the truth is finding it easier to enter minds in Serbia, where all evil that happened on Bosnian soil was initiated and came from during the era of Slobodan Milosevic.
Messages by Obama and Erdoğan
A particularly strong impression at this year’s Srebrenica memorial ceremony was made by US President Obama’s message and Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s speech. Apart from the general call for those responsible for the Srebrenica genocide to be brought to justice and an appeal to prevent such crimes from being repeated in the future, they expressed sensitivity towards the Srebrenica victims. President Obama mentioned Srebrenica in one of his most important speeches so far, in Cairo last year. Prime Minister Erdoğan was visibly touched by the scene before him — old women kneeling between white marble gravestones, reciting the Fatiha, the first chapter of the Quran, for their husbands and sons.
The two leaders’ speeches were identical. Obama said Srebrenica had left an indelible “stain on our collective conscience,” and Erdoğan stressed that Srebrenica had become a “dark stain not only of the Balkans, but of Europe and the entire world.”
We Bosnians, strained by a hesitant and indecisive European Union, understood that the US and Turkey, using the Srebrenica memorial, are also sending similar messages of commitment to help Bosnia overcome its present political crisis and warning those hampering that process. It becomes clearer if we add a statement by US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who emphasized that a “prosperous, free and unified Bosnia and Herzegovina is the most worthy monument to those who lost their lives at Srebrenica and the best guarantee against such a tragedy ever repeating itself.” The United States, she added, “stands with Bosnia and Herzegovina and all countries in the region who wish to foster pace and reconciliation.” It is worthy to recall as well Prime Minister Erdoğan’s words from last March in Sarajevo, that “Turkey will never abandon Bosnia and Herzegovina” and will “stand by this Balkan nation struggling with political and economic woes.” It seems there are joint efforts by the US and Turkey to push through Bosnian constitutional reforms after the October elections. It also reminds me of the late Turkish President Turgut Özal, who found it most important to work together with the US to prevent the Balkan wars. He personally showed me a message he sent in that regard to then-US President George H.W. Bush.
The situation in the Balkans is completely different today than at the beginning of the 1990s. Özal was not able to do anything with Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic, the architect of the aggression on Croatia and Bosnia that aimed to create a Greater Serbia by force. Today, Turkey has different partners in its efforts to contribute to peace and stability in the Balkans. The achievement of this peace and stability is impossible without the stability and unity of Bosnia ad Herzegovina. There are many more opportunities for reconciliation and cooperation among all countries in the region.
One of these partners, and perhaps the most important, was at the Potocari memorial on July 11: Boris Tadic, the president of Serbia. It was not easy for him to be there, as it was not easy for many attendees to see him there, still having reservations about Serbian policy towards Bosnia. He was silent, just as he was five years earlier, when he also attended the commemoration in Srebrenica. In the meantime, he played a leading role in convincing the Serbian Parliament to adopt a resolution last March that offered an official apology to the victims of Srebrenica. He also chose not to speak last Sunday as well, but he made a move that impressed many present at Potocari. A mother whose son’s remains were buried approached Serbia’s president to thank him for coming. He shook her hand with both his hands. Prime Minister Erdoğan was again touched by this scene. He said: “In the eyes of that mother I saw sadness, but not hatred. We need such mothers. Such mothers are needed by the entire world.”
The following day, another mother of a Srebrenica victim said: “One more July 11 has passed. Politicians came and went, but only our pain remains.”
Speech of Reisu – l – uleme dr. Mustafa Ceric at the funeral in Potocari – Srebrenica at the 15th university of the Srebrenica genocide
(Sunday, 29th Rajab 1431/11th July 2010)
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
قال الله تعلي في كتابه الكريم: قُلْ هُوَ اللَّهُ أَحَدٌ. اللَّهُ الصَّمَدُ. لَمْ يَلِدْ وَلَمْ يُولَدْ. وَلَمْ يَكُن لَّهُ كُفُوًا أَحَدٌ. صدق الله العظيم
1 God is One! He has begotten no one, nor is He begotten; and there is no one comparable to Him! (Qur’an: 112).
2 Two is a couple, a male and a female, who make up family of which comes tribes and nations that should know each other and cooperate for the sake of the common good of humanity!
3 There are three ethnic communities in our country, which have appreciated diversity of one another since ancient times and have complemented each other with similarities in the spirit of Bosnian coexistence and tolerance!
4 There are four religions and traditions in our homeland: Judaism, Catholicism, Orthodox Christianity and Islam, as gifts from Jerusalem and proof of God’s will to have several religions and traditions as a means to encourage people to compete against each other in making good deeds!
5 There are five rivers: the Drina in the east, the Una in the west, the Neretva in the south, the Sava in the north and the Bosna in the middle of our country, from which we all, irrespective of our faith and ethnic background, absorb the power of life!
6 There are six indefeasible human rights guaranteed to any person: right to life, right to faith, right to freedom, right to property, right to dignity and right to a family!
7 There are seven green wheat ears that should be preserved from drying out during the seven hungry years!
8 There are eight pillars of morality: sanctity, philanthropy, patriotism, nationalism, veracity, fairness, pacifism and tolerance!
9 There are nine reasons for you to live and to bear up: to be a witness of genocide; to be a fighter for truth and justice; to be in Potočari on July 11th; to preserve the memory of shahids (martyrs) - one’s own relatives and brothers; to disclose war crimes, wherever they happened; to fight for the rights of the vulnerable and disempowered, irrespective of who they are; to return to your home and your homeland; and to be a proud advocates of peace and reconciliation among the people, wherever you are!
10 There are the ten Commandments of God: worship only God, be kind, honorable and humble to your parents, look after your neighbors, love your homeland, care for orphaned children, do not kill, do not steal, do not lie, keep promises and stay on the path of righteousness.
11 Eleventh is the day contained in each of the twelve months, which reminds us all of the day of genocide that took place on July 11, 2021 in Srebrenica!
12 There were the twelve apostles of ‘Isa (Jesus), a.s., the followers whom shall we learn from all over again, trusting that their path is the only right path for all of us - the path of faith, love, peace and reconciliation! There is no other path to success and salvation of humanity!
13 There are thirteen ways to look after the victims of genocide: by showing them respect; by giving them hope; by not giving up on them; by offering them love and friendship; by fining them a shelter; by ensuring them the right to work and employment; by recognizing them the right to compensation for emotional pain and suffering; by saving them from offenses and humiliations; by offering them solidarity; by ensuring that in their homeland, Bosnia and Herzegovina, at any place and at any time they enjoy fundamental human rights; by ensuring that in Srebrenica they do not encounter those police officers who have killed their children; by having all states of the world to sign the resolution that condemns genocide!
Here we would like to express gratitude to those who came to share with us this day, but also to we want to say it now and here. If the politicians are honest in what they are saying today because we do not know what is in their hearts, they should free us of the guilt because of our faith, because of our culture, because of our desire to have homeland, and because of our desire to have a state that will protect us from genocide.
If they are honest in what they are saying, they should open the doors of ghetto and allow us to travel around Europe and the world as free citizens, without visas.
I want you all to know now and forever that it is not true that the civilization does not begin from the moment of the burial of a Bosnjak. The truth is that the civilization starts from the moment when a Bosniak is born without a fear from genocide in the future.
I also want to say that, as people who have memory of genocide in Europe, just like Jews, we are deeply offended and humiliated by the fact that our honorable men, who defended this much freedom and dignity that we have now, are nowadays being arrested at the European airports.
We want freedom for all, as we want it for ourselves. We want to live without fear in this Europe -without the fear for our children and grandchildren.
We pray to Allah to help us all in fighting for one another, for the rights of us and the others in Europe, so that we do not experience expulsion in this century as the Jews and Muslims have experienced it on two occasions.
This is for these who are lying before us here, who brought us all together to this place today.
14 Rijad Gabeljić, who shall we burry today, was only fourteen when he was killed in Srebrenica genocide on July 11, 1995!
15 For fifteen difficult, sad and painful years the families of genocide victims in Srebrenica have been searching for their beloved ones. For fifteen years perpetrators of the Srebrenica genocide have been denying their crime, outraging the victims and defying the International Court of Justice. We hope that on the 15th anniversary and day after this funeral in Potočari, on July 12, we will not look again at hordes of unknown people wearing well-known symbols of hatred and terror, mocking all of us who came here to pay respect to victims of the most hideous crime since holocaust! Victims of the Srebrenica genocide must be saved from the insults and humiliations, which had happened in the middle of town of Srebrenica right after this solemn gathering, because these people know how to bear their pain and distress in a dignified manner! This is a proud and honorable people who means no harm to anyone, but also the people determined not to be subject to any mocking and humiliation!
***
Thus, if we really want to prevent future genocides we must do much more than sympathize with the victims. We have to comprehend the psychological depth of the perpetrators of genocide and indifference of genocide observers.
We have to learn what makes some persons, who were once normal, to hate other persons and people to the extent that they want to systematically and methodically eliminate them all! But we also need to learn about those who support genocide against innocent people or observe it from the distance! We need to learn more about them too!
We also need to learn about the holocaust and genocide not only as of historical facts but also as a means to teach our children about the dangers of racism, anti-Semitism, islamophobia and other examples of human intolerance.
We must teach younger generations to appreciate democracy and human rights and encourage them to reject hatred, intolerance and ethnic conflicts.
Today, here in Potočari we all must be united, in our country, in Europe and world wide in condemning genocide.
This prayer is our hope that our future will be better than our past:
1 Merciful God, if we forget thee, do thou forget us;
2 If error befalls us, give us the strength of Adam’s repentance;
3 If disaster befalls us, teach us of Noah’s Ark;
4 If heresy darkens us, enlighten our path with Abraham’s orthodoxy;
5 If we area caught by the fear of tyrants, empower us with Moses’ justice;
6 If hatred offers itself to us, save us with the Isa’s love;
7 If we are expelled from our homes strengthen us with Mohammed’s desire to return.
8 God Almighty, unite our hearts in faith and love.
9 Strengthen our steps in truth and justice.
10 Strengthen our will in brotherhood and harmony.
11 Bring together out thoughts in home and homeland.
12 Just God, please take away the violent sword from tyrants and empower the weak with the faith in truth and justice..
13 God, please
14 Turn our sadness into hope;
15 Turn our vengeance into justice; turn tears of a mother into prayer so that Srebrenica never happens to anyone again!
Turn Back on the Deniers of Genocide
Statement by Principal Deputy High Representative Raffi Gregorian, Potocari, July 22
“I came to Bosnia and Herzegovina as a member of SFOR in 1998 assigned to provide support for Special Forces
working on following and arresting persons indicted for war crimes. Since then 159 of 161 persons indicted by the ICTY have been brought to justice. Since I came back to Bosnia and Herzegovina later that year as part of the
Train and Equip program for the FBiH, the arrest of those responsible for war crimes and genocide has been my toppriority - because these crimes are crimes against humanity as a whole, against all of us. These crimes are personally repugnant to me. I utterly reject those who deny what happened here in Srebrenica. I am pleased that yesterday the whole international community in Bosnia and Herzegovina joined together to condemn such statements.
The Irish political philosopher Edmund Burke is credited with the perceptive observation that “the only thing necessary to the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.”
Fifteen years ago the civilized world did nothing and people were killed and genocide was committed. The women who were bereaved have for 15 years lived in dignity and have sought justice; they want those responsible for this crime to be held accountable and they want those who perished to receive a decent burial. The second most culpable individual in this case, Ratko Mladic, is on the run like a common criminal, but he is within reach. The international community and our partners in local security agencies have the capacity to go
after the networks that allow war criminals to remain at large. We know who they are and what they do. Continuing to apply pressure will help Serbia to fulfill its requirements towards the ICTY.
To say “never again” is meaningless if we do nothing. Evil does walk and genocide could happen again elsewhere if we don’t prosecute those responsible for the genocide that happened here. I will continue to do everything in my power, as a human being, as a US citizen, and as a government official, to ensure that justice is done.
I want to take this opportunity to express my sincere condolences to the women, the survivors of Srebrenica.
I regret that we have not arrested Ratko Mladic during my mandate, but I am convinced that he will face justice, in this world and the next. All those who believe in justice – justice that is blind to ethnicity, justice that is completely impartial - must speak out against any denial of the genocide that took place here. This denial is beyond the pale of civilized society. Civilized society must turn its back on the deniers; they are a part of the past, part of the century of genocide that we have left behind”.
