By Mersiha Gadzo for The Toronto Globalist
The Srebrenica massacre which occurred on July 11, 1995 is the largest mass murder in Europe since WWII; yet most people haven’t even heard of it and are unaware of the injustice surrounding the issue.
During the Yugoslavian war, Serbian forces in an attempt to ethnically cleanse Bosnia for a “greater Serbia”, systematically killed over 8,000 Bosniak civilians in the town of Srebrenica, and forced a further 30,000 refugees out of their homes. The Srebrenica case is a major catastrophe in war history, especially since the UN declared it a UN “safe area”, yet the UN refused to prevent the atrocity from happening.
The push for a Srebrenica Remembrance Day and Bosnia and Herzegovina Tribute Week motion M-416 was submitted this past fall into the House of Commons procedure by the Honourable Brian Masse, Member of Parliament for Windsor West, which he publicly announced at a news conference in Windsor on August 29, 2009. After five years of lobbying from the Bosnian community, the resolution has recently entered for discussion in Parliament.
The Srebrenica Resolution requests Canada to recognize that genocide took place in Srebrenica and Bosnia & Herzegovina. It would raise awareness of the tragic suffering that Bosnians have endured and to remember those killed as a result of genocide, ethnic cleansing, and war crimes from 1992-1995. It would stand as a reminder of our commitment to “NEVER AGAIN” after it failed in Srebrenica.
“The House of Commons needs to act. With this motion the opportunity presents itself for Canada to join other countries in doing something that should have been done long ago,” Masse stated.
The House and Senate of the U.S. Congress already passed resolutions on the Srebrenica genocide in 2005, including all the atrocities that occurred in Bosnia and Herzegovina as well. The European Parliament passed a resolution on January 15, 2009 making July 11th, Remembrance for the Srebrenica Genocide day. This past July, former Yugoslavian countries Croatia and Montenegro adopted declarations condemning the genocide.
“The institutionalization of Srebrenica Remembrance Day every July 11th will help to inform future generations and assist all of us to work towards a peaceful coexistence,” Masse stated.
Aldina Muslija, a fourth year Political Science and English student at the University of Toronto, is one of the key leaders who has been lobbying for this resolution.
“The genocide in Bosnia and Herzegovina is not really talked about or known of here in Canada and I believe that it is my duty as a Bosnian citizen to keep the memory of those who have lost their lives to Serb brutalities alive, especially since I live in a country where there is so much opportunity for citizens to speak up and make a change,” Muslija said.
It is Canada’s international responsibility, being a member of the UN Security Council’s Chapter VII Executive Governing Body of Bosnia and Herzegovina-the Steering Board of the pace Implementation Council to adopt this resolution.
“Having this day and tribute week will help ease every emotional and physical scar that every Bosnian is carrying to this day. The European Union and the United States have made July 11th Srebrenica Remembrance Day, as the original peacekeeping nation I think it is about time for Canada to step up to the plate,” Muslija concluded.
I’m really glad that the parliament has finally taken up this issue and that the Canadian government officially condemns the genocide that occurred in Bosnia-Herzegovina and declares July 11 to be a day in which the victims of that genocide are remembered. Hopefully by condemning the crime, remembering the victims, and education future generations (as we have done with the Holocaust) we will prevent such terrible tragedies from being repeated in our children’s and grandchildren’s lives. I truly hope that the Canadian government does the right thing and takes a stand against genocide and war crimes and for peaceful coexistence amongst all people.
“systematically killed over 8,000 Bosniak civilians in the town of Srebrenica, and forced a further 30,000 refugees out of their homes”
Canadian Major General Lewis Mackenzie has stated multiple times the numbers dont add up to 8000 during the one attack on Srebrenica. You also neglect to mention that the women and children, including elderly, were spared and sent to Bosniak controlled areas.
“The genocide in Bosnia and Herzegovina is not really talked about or known of here in Canada and I believe that it is my duty as a Bosnian citizen to keep the memory of those who have lost their lives to Serb brutalities alive, especially since I live in a country where there is so much opportunity for citizens to speak up and make a change,” Muslija said.”
Right, so the Serbs that lost their lives to Croats and Bosniaks in Bosnia deserve no mention? How about the atrocities committed between Croats and Bosniaks? or better yet the ones that were staged by Bosniaks on their own people to achieve international sympathy?
3 names need to be researched if anyone ones to know the truth about Bosnia; Alija Izetbegovic, Fikret Abdic, Naser Oric.
It could have been much worse considering a Bosniak wrote the article. Have a good day!
I found interesting the comment of Srdjan .
After reading on Fikret Abdic: was a bosniak traitor who fought with the serbs!
So the only war crimes he can be accused is crimes against the bosniak people, since he was helped by the serbs.
Alija Izetbegovic was the president of the republic of bosnia&h. who was never condemned for any crimes. He received a lot of Peaces Prizes, what serbian leaders never did!
As for Naser Oric he was liberated since there was no proof for war crimes against him.
I also checked the International Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia.
Most war criminals are serbs!
Example the serbian president Milosevic died before his sentence.
Why do serbia accuse today Ganic? He is a bosnian citizen!
It is strange that Serbia who is telling to the world that it didn’t participate in the genocide of bosnia is now asking to judge bosnians citizens for \war crimes\ on the Soldiers of the Republic of Serbia ? There is no logic!
Read about Karadzic! The whole world know’s that the serbs of bosnia were backed by serbia!
What about the Scorpions ?
They were under direct order of Belgrade the capital of Serbia during the GENOCIDE and not massacre of bosniaks!
Why are the serbian documents od \DEFENCE\ protected in the international tribunal ?
Serbia did not only attack Bosnia but Slovenia, Croatia and Everybody know’s about KOSOVO who is now a REPUBLIC !
Congratulations!
Listening to the serbian propaganda would be the same as telling that the nazis are not fascists ! NON SENSE!
Re: Srdjan’s comments:
Too bad that Srdjan still lives in 14th century. Why do I say this? He demonstrates no sense of compassion and understanding for universal human being. Does it really matter what is the ethnic background of victims in Srebrenica or anywhere else for that fact. Crime is a crime and it can only be called a crime. Instead of recognizing the fact that over 8,000 people were massacred in one day in the heart of “civilized Europe”, Srdjan is quoting so called UN peacekeeper Lewis Mckenzie, who is a well know biggot and distorter of truth of what happened in Bosnia during the war. Does it really matter if the numbers “do not add up”, would, for instance, 4,000 or 3,000 or even ,2000 people murdered in Srebrenica be in any way “smaller crime”, justifiable? Every life counts, especially lives of immediate family members. How would Srdjan feel if his father, brother, uncles and cousins were killed? Would he just add them to the total number of people killed? No! And for additional comments about Bosnians staging and killing themselves, Srdjan, you arer a pathetic, blind nationalist. The siege of Sarajevo, concentration camps in Western Bosnia, destruction of Zepa and Srebrenica, murder of 300,000 civilians in Bosnia was all staged by mad Bosnians? You are way out of touch with reality and that is why Bosnians, Croats, Slovenians, Montenegrins, Macedonians, Kosovars, ethnic minorities in Vojvodina, Romanians, Hungarians and Bulgarians all hate Serbs collectivelly. You should really ask yourself why. Because Serbs are heavenly people? Because Serbs are good people? No, because of your nationalism and ignorance. And, yes, crime is a crime, no matter who had done it and who the victim is. I simpatise with all catholic, muslim and orthodox victims who lost their lives as innocent citizens, and how about you, Srdjan? Are you still at Kosovo in 1389 (it was safer then for rhe Serbs to be there than now)?