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Home Primary Memorial day Messages of Support Bakir Izetbegović

Bakir Izetbegović

Former President of Bosnia and Herzegovina

Amongst the worst acts of aggression in Europe since WWII, the genocide in Srebrenica was particularly grotesque. Former President Bakir Izetbegović warns of lurking tensions that need urgent resolution.

“Speaking for myself, and on behalf of the Bosnian people, I offer my sincere thanks for pronouncing the truth and guarding the memory of the victims of the Srebrenica genocide. The clear and unequivocal position of the British Government and its Prime Minister, David Cameron, that the genocide should never be forgotten, and that the world needs to be vigilant in pre – venting similar tragedies in the future, is truly precious to us.

We have valued the support of the British people since 2000. Your government has made significant contribution to the construction of the Memorial Centre in Potočari, the work of the International Commission for Missing Persons, and by actively assisting the returnees to Srebrenica through reconstruction and building of infrastructure. We will remember all this.

From 11th to 16th July 1995, the death squads of Karadžić and Mladić massacred more than 8,000 Bosniaks – only because they were Muslims. Tens of thousands of women and children were forcibly deported. Prior to that they burnt down 269 Bosniak villages in the region.

In the inferno of Srebrenica, as in the Nazi camps of Hitler, the innocent faces clearly stood out against the ruthless hatred of the criminals. But so too stood out the shameful indifference of powerful world rulers for whose help the victims cried. Those who could have, but failed to prevent the Srebrenica tragedy, and the tragedy of the whole of Bosnia and Herzegovina, failed the test of history. This is why Srebrenica will forever remain the ugly spot on the face of the international community.

If there is a grain of comfort for the mothers, daughters and sisters of Srebrenica in this world, then it is that the criminals will face justice. But victims have been waiting for justice too long. The leader who inspired and commanded the crimes, Slobodan Milošević , died in the Hague. His accused henchmen Radovan Karadžić and Ratko Mladić are in Scheveningen, awaiting the inevitable. But hundreds of others with blood on their hands are still at large. In some parts of Bosnia and Herzegovina they are celebrated as heroes.

Most of the civilized world has, albeit late, called the Srebrenica genocide the biggest crime in Europe since World War II, but in the Republic of Srpska, that truth has not yet been faced. But voices of cynicism are more and more isolated. Even the President of Serbia, Tomislav Nikolić, known for his radical past, has recently publicly apologised for the terrible crimes in Srebrenica.

My message is clear: the acknowledgement of truth of the tragic events from the end of the 20th century is a pre-condition to all reconciliation processes and the progress of the Southeast Europe region. Only brave and sincere leaders can lead the process of exposing the truth. Our neighbours, and the whole world, must hear this message and understand it without ambivalence. Lies, self-deceit, and ignorance are potential sources of renewed violence and conflict. Everyone needs to take full responsibility for the wrongs done in the name of their people. Nobody wants to see conflict again.”

Nov 3, 2016Remembering Srebrenica
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November 3, 2016 Messages of Support
Chief Rabbi Ephraim MirvisThe Late Lord Ashdown
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MP Proposes Ban On Holocaust Denialism
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Board Chair, @julietadair took part in the UK National Board meeting with @SrebrenicaUK and colleagues from across the country today. Each board showed such resilience in their adapted anniversary activities in 2020 and have exciting plans ahead for 2021.

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Happy New Year from @SrebrenicaStor1!

In this episode of @SrebrenicaStor1 @CoachJasmine speaks with @robin_macp about his work with @RemSrebScot & @SrebrenicaUK

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9 Jan

Today and every day we are thinking of the survivors left behind to mourn the thousands of murdered in the Bosnian genocide. From Prijedor to Visegrad to Srebrenica, our thoughts are with all who continue to fight for justice in the face of horrid genocide glorification.

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RemSrebScotRem Srebrenica Scot@RemSrebScot·
7 Jan

Our friend ⁦@srebrenicahasan⁩ has a new book, Voices from Srebrenica: Survivor Narratives of the Bosnian Genocide, co-authored with Prof Ann Petrila. Register for his virtual book launch on 14/1/21 hosted by ⁦@SrebrenicaMC⁩ and ⁦@UofDenver https://t.co/QdH8VYDa73

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OsborneTweetsPeter Osborne@OsborneTweets·
20 Jan

Still time to register for this meaningful range of conversations for #HolocaustMemorialDay for the whole of next week, organised by @ANDborough

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conflictreportrConflict Reportage Archive@conflictreportr·
16h

Day 1: Conflict Memory & Education - a 10 day programme of conversations including @PaulJReilly @decenteredmedia @ksadique1 @pv11Panos @Combat_Films @VinceBevan @leicsparta @robtmcneil @srebrenicahasan #ConflictMemory https://t.co/BWFhHI32oF

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SrebrenicaUKRemembering Srebrenica@SrebrenicaUK·
13h

#OTD in 1993, Srdjan Aleksić intervened when he saw fellow Serbian soldiers beating his Bosniak Muslim neighbour, Alen Glavović. Sadly, because he intervened the soldiers then turned on him, leaving him so badly beaten that he fell into a coma. His heroic act saved Alen’s life.

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Rosie_MulhernxRosie@Rosie_Mulhernx·
20 Jan

Very excited to announce our fantastic panel event next Thursday 6-7:30pm to commemorate #HolocaustMemorialDay

Join us to hear these incredible and inspiring individuals Ruth Barnett, @AmilKhan and @MahmutRahima share their experiences and expertise!

https://t.co/kccrHAi410

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SrebrenicaUKRemembering Srebrenica@SrebrenicaUK·
20 Jan

These words by the young poet Amanda Gorman at the #InaugurationDay are a good reminder to us all. It takes bravery to be the light in the darkest of days.

“For there is always light, If only we're brave enough to see it. If only we're brave enough to be it.”

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 Latest news 
Hatidža Mehmedović – A mother’s legacy
November 26, 2020

Hatidža Mehmedović was born in the area surrounding Srebrenica in 1952. Before the genocide, she lived her entire life in Srebrenica, where she had married her childhood friend, Abdullah, and had two sons, Azmir and Almir. Hatidža and Abdullah built their home in Srebrenica and lived a simple life as a family before the war […]

“Untold Killing”: first serialised podcast about the genocide in Bosnia launched
October 22, 2020

London, United Kingdom — This past July marked 25 years since the genocide in Bosnia and Herzegovina, often referred to as the worst atrocity on Europe’s soil since the Holocaust. The story of Srebrenica, a small town in Bosnia, remains a dark stain on Europe’s history and yet the full details remain unknown to many.  […]

The Importance of Speaking out- Reflections on Hate Crime Awareness Week
October 18, 2020

This past week marked Hate Crime Awareness Week, in which organisations throughout the United Kingdom came together to speak about hate crime and offer ways of how to help the public get assistance should they be victims of it. Hate crime incidents are on the rise in the United Kingdom and have been for several […]

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