It is vital that we acknowledge the voices in Serbia who value their common humanity more than demagogic posturing and nationalist myth-making:
Radio Free Europe Story on Srebrenica Memorial in Belgrade
I suspect that there are many other Serbs who know, at some level, that such gestures are necessary, and it will take the courage and integrity of such groups to open up a greater public space for dialogue on the legacy of the wars of the 1990s. Especially given the intimidating presence of ultra-nationalist thugs in the immediate area.
Credit must also be given to civic authorities in Belgrade, who from the sound of it made sure there was a sizable police presence on the scene to protect the free speech rights of the Women in Black and sympathetic supporters from jackbooted intimidation.
6 comments:
Kirk, I would also like to draw attention to the "Pillar of Shame" campaign in Berlin, here is the video.
Thank you so much for this.
Amen to everything you wrote. The reaction of organizations like women in black, and even Boris Tadic, by paying his respects to the victim, is in direct contrast from the offical reaction by the r.s. government-which included unveiling a bust dedicated to an accused war criminal (Momir Talic)http://listserv.buffalo.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind1007&L=JUSTWATCH-L&T=0&O=D&P=95093
and holding a banquet of sorts to honor Karadzic on July 10th http://listserv.buffalo.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind1007&L=JUSTWATCH-L&T=0&O=D&P=81236
When I think of deliberately provocative actions by the r.s. government, or those in Visegrad who openly celebrate the return of a convicted war criminal; I also like to remember Milutin ‘Moler’ Vuksic. In May 1992, VRS and their allies in Bratunac committed one of the worst massacres of the entire war-the torture and murder of approximately 300+ men in the Vuk Karadzic school. One of the victims was the town Iman, Mustafa Mujkanovic, another victim was Milutin Vuksic, a Bosnian-Serb who was murdered for the 'crime' of helping his Bosniak neighbors.
Honour once again to Women in Black.
Laila Zulkaphil's post at her Advocay Project blog with a picture of the Bosfam quilts being displayed at Potocari:
http://advocacynet.org/wordpress-mu/lzulkaphil/2010/07/14/hope-for-lasting-memory/#comment-48
That's a really impressive event that Women in Black organised.
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