Great Britain: \”Stand up, something is happening and your fate is being decided!”

Concerned about the current situation, Bosnians and Herzegovinians living in the UK have gathered at rallies in support of Bosnia and Herzegovina to raise their voices against legal violence and division in their homeland.

The BiH support rallies were held at the Bosnian House in Birmingham (organized by the BH UK Network ), in London in front of Parliament (organized by the newly formed organization of friends from the UK for peace and prosperity in BiH called London for Bosnia-Herzegovina 2022, #LondonForBH2022), in Manchester (organized by the Bosnian School and Society in Manchester ) and in Coventry (organized by the Bosnia and Herzegovina Community Association Coventry ), and support was also provided by other BiH associations and Bosnian and Herzegovina supplementary schools in the United Kingdom.

Members and representatives of various ethnic communities from Birmingham attended the support rally at the Bosnian House to show their support and solidarity with the citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina. All those present wanted to support Bosnia and Herzegovina, democracy, a free society, equality and the rule of law, but also to raise their voices against legal violence and war, division, discrimination, majoritarianism, corruption and anarchy.

The gathering was also attended by Alicia Kearns , a member of the British Parliament and chair of the parliamentary group for Bosnia and Herzegovina, who stated in a recent speech in the British Parliament that BiH is “on the brink of collapse” and that the United Kingdom can help it.

In her emotional address, she thanked for the award presented by BH UK Network, for all her work and contribution to Bosnia and Herzegovina. Mrs. Kearns addressed the audience with the following words; “Good afternoon. I am privileged to be here. I accept the award not because I deserve it, but as a promise that I will continue to fight. The conflict in Bosnia and Herzegovina is not inevitable, but for all of us here it does not seem so. I do not apologize for being emotional, but this is also a sign of my determination and my privilege to be here. Because you in this room are the heroes of peace, Waqar, Vanja and all of you who fight for the campaign. This morning I woke up to images of Novi Pazar and places like it, torches and fire, nationalism and songs celebrating genocide and ethnic cleansing. They have only one goal, which is to threaten and intimidate Bosniaks, and we must not support that. We are making some progress, and I am glad that the British Government has led this, but it is still not enough. We now have Stuart Peach as an ambassador. We have Christian Schmidt coming to the UK after my call, to show that we stand behind him, that we stand behind the Dayton Agreement. Parliament spoke out in December and unanimously agreed that there was genocide in Srebrenica and stated that we stand by our obligations under the Dayton Agreement. I want you to know that I will make sure that we do that, and I trust that all parliamentarians will do that.

This week, a NATO meeting will be held in Brussels to discuss Russia. This is also an opportunity for NATO allies to come together and talk about Bosnia and Herzegovina. We must impose sanctions on Dodik, as the USA did last week. We must see an increased deployment of NATO, especially in Brčko District. We must put pressure on Russia and Serbia and we must prevent Republika Srpska from raising money on the London Stock Exchange. We have to stick to the Dayton Accords and I believe we can do that. I was a child when the genocide happened, but I know that it is not history, because when I visited Bosnia for the first time in 2016, I met Majke. I attended funerals and went to places where bones are still collected. I know this is real. And today you spoke up and showed how real this is. This is not history and the losses are real. But what always moves me deeply is the strength of the survivors. The strength of all of you and the Bosnian community is that we refuse to be silenced, we refuse to be intimidated and we refuse not to stand up for decency, goodness and peace. My position is very simple that the UK has a duty and we must stand behind that duty. Never need to mean anything again. This award is a great honor, but it is a promise and determination, we will be with you and I want you to know that Parliament is behind you. You have great representatives, Waqar, Vanja, and everyone here at Bosanska House. But there is work to be done, and we can stop the conflict only if we stand together. Thank you to everyone who came to the unity rallies, we must stand together and please know that Parliament is with you all the way. Thank you very much”.

HE Vanja Filipović, Ambassador of Bosnia and Herzegovina to the United Kingdom, also addressed the audience with the words: “Bosnians and Herzegovinians gather today around the world to call for the preservation of peace, multiethnicity, democracy and the rule of law in our country. This is the moment. to be together and protest, to draw attention to the current situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Current events are a painful reminder of what happened in the 1990s, of war and aggression, ethnic cleansing and genocide. BiH has always been a multiethnic state. There is no Bosnia and Herzegovina if the division is permanent, if there is no rule of law and if war criminals are glorified and genocide is denied. BiH citizens around the world have never sought revenge, they have always relied on the courts, they have always relied on reconciliation, but they have always sought justice and respect for the dead and the missing. People ask where is justice? Believe it or not, the majority of citizens in BiH want multiethnicity, but their voices cannot be heard, because of the noise made by people for segregation and division. As we call on people for peace and tolerance, we ask our friends and international communities to stand with us, to protect the state, the territory and the common life that we have had for centuries. Thank you all for coming today, to show your support, to show that you truly care, Please share the message with your friends, family and colleagues that Bosnia and Herzegovina will not go away quietly, BiH is more than Bosnians and Herzegovinans, BiH is Europe, BiH is the world“.

The rally in support of Bosnia and Herzegovina was also attended by Dr. Azmi Waqar , patron of the BH UK Network. He spoke with words of support and solidarity.” We must show solidarity with the people of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Now there are people who have managed to divide and create two sides. There is a side that believes in the multiethnic aspect of Bosnia and Herzegovina, diversity. If you look at the history of Bosnia and Herzegovina, where people of different faiths have worked together, a history where people have contributed immensely, a country that is a jewel in Europe with generous people who believe in humanity. There is another side, which is not part of Bosnian culture, tradition and beliefs. Fascism. Bosnia has always stood against fascism. Bosnia has always fought against fascism. What kind of people do you have to be to support that ideology, an ideology that promotes genocide and ethnic cleansing and rape? It is our duty to stand up against that ideology. It is our duty to show solidarity, to show that we will not be silent, we cannot allow such an ideology, especially when we said NEVER AGAIN after the Holocaust, when after the genocide in Bosnia we committed ourselves to we won’t let it happen again. That’s why we’re here tonight, that’s why I’m proud that so many different cities and people came together to say NO to such ideology, hatred and division. I am proud that our country stood against that ideology, that our politicians are coming together in parliament with Alicia Kearns, to say no to destruction. We must ensure that our voices are heard loud and clear in other countries as well. I am honored to be here and thank you for being here.”

Rabbi Margaret Jacobi , rabbi of the Progressive Synagogue in Birmingham, spoke briefly. “I was moved by these testimonies. I was especially touched by the speech of the second generation of survivors from Bosnia and Herzegovina, because I am also a second generation survivor of the Holocaust. My father came here as a refugee. My grandparents were killed in the Holocaust. I carry with me a legacy just like you. We said never again and the world allowed it to happen again. The Jewish community is with you, and we will do everything we can to support you.”

dr. Zdenka Besara , a long-time activist of the BiH community in Great Britain, decided to join the gathering and address a few words. “I am happy to be a part of this gathering. I am the person who came with my sick sister in a medical evacuation on August 15, 1993. Because of the war, my sister could not be given medical care. Until August 15, I worked as a pediatrician in the city. By coming here, I left everything, my career, my family, my old mother and everything. I don’t like to talk about those details at all, considering that the time spent in the war, without food and without water, electricity and heating is something that no one can understand who has not lived through it. You never know when you go to work, whether you will return home alive. In that medical evacuation group, 21 medical evacuees came, with whom this country provided refuge, and we thank them very much. They provided them with medical assistance, a roof over their heads and security of life. That’s why I’m asking on behalf of Bosnians and Herzegovinians, and on my own behalf, that this country helps as much as it can so that another war does not happen in Bosnia and Herzegovina, that peace remains because I grew up regardless of whether someone is Muslim, Catholic or Serbian. We all lived in harmony and in good time, and for me, this is all terrible, what is happening after the war, and especially in recent years. Thank you to everyone who came to support this gathering. “

Taiba Durmišević, active in the Bosnian community in Birmingham, expressed her desire to address the audience: “I come from Prijedor, Banja Luka, Sanski Most. I was only 29 years old and had four children. My husband was in the Manjača concentration camp, and he barely survived. It was hard, ethnic cleansing and she would never want it to happen again. I want to say that this will never happen again, because our people can live, but politics does its thing. Our country is so beautiful for all peoples and I want camps to never be established and women raped again. I experienced it and saw it with my own eyes. My husband is very sick and I thank this country for treating him. There would be more Bosnians and Herzegovinians at this gathering, but our people are hardworking, working, and the children are in school. I hereby appeal to the British government and other countries to try to prevent a new war in Bosnia and Herzegovina. “

Amina Mekić , originally from Bosnia and Herzegovina, was the youngest of the speakers. Amina was born in the UK as a second generation survivor from Bosnia and Herzegovina. “I’m incredibly worried and I know I’m not the only one. I, like many others my age, am terrified that I won’t be able to go home and see my family later this year. I won’t be able to bring the kitten I adored to the UK. I won’t be able to see all the wonderful people from the Bosnian diaspora I met last year and have been in contact with. I won’t be able to walk across the bridge in Baščaršija at night, or sit on the balcony with my favorite cousin and watch the unpolluted night sky. Instead, the hugs and kisses I left them with, may have been our last goodbyes until this political turmoil is over. The people who died sacrificing themselves for our future deserve respect. My mom, my sisters, and my family deserve that respect those who do not stand by us. As for our community, I spoke with Anes earlier and realized how fortunate we are that our government is making a conscious effort to support peace within Bosnia, as well as to raise awareness of our current political climate. With this, I am asking everyone, not only the UK, but other key nations such as the US, the European Union and others, to impose the necessary sanctions and support us before it is too late. We are stronger as a team.”

At the end of the program, Zaim Pašić , president of BH UK Network, spoke with words of thanks . “Dear and respected guests, today the BH diaspora is addressing the whole world with a message for peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is a great pleasure that we have friends in the Parliament of Great Britain to preserve our homeland after everything that happened in the war. In the war in in which I was seriously wounded with my wife, and my only brother was killed on the street by a shell from Serbian positions. After my arrival in the UK with about twenty other Bosnian citizens for treatment with colleagues, with the help of the British we founded our organizations. It is important that young people in Bosnia and Herzegovina are given the right to education, work and democracy and that Bosnia and Herzegovina be a civil state like everyone else in the world and once again, a big thank you from the bottom of my heart to the UK Parliamentarians and all the people for their support for Bosnia and Herzegovina.”

BH UK Network