Head of Clergy in Bosnia & Herzegovina:Western Countries Prevent Capturing War Criminals
Summary:
Ten and odd years have passed since the peace treaty was signed in Dayton, Ohio, ending the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina, leaving behind 200,000 martyrs, 3000,000 injuries and almost one million displaced persons. The items of the treaty stipulated ceasefire and the return of the displaced people to their homes as well as bringing those who perpetrated massacres to justice. However, after these years passed, none of these items were implemented but the ceasefire and the return of a few of the displaced people to their homes. On the other hand, trying war criminals is yet to take place, especially prominent figures like Radwan Crajic, leader of the Bosnian Serbs in the past, with his general Ratko Mladic, the Bosnian Serb wartime general responsible for the massacre of Srebrenica that took the lives of more than 10 thousand Moslems. How do Moslems in Bosnia and Herzegovina see the treaty at present and what are its future scopes? Cleric or Sheikh Mustafa Tseric, Head of the clergy in Bosnia & Herzegovina gives answers to these questions in a special interview for Al-Intiqad:
By Hassan Diab, SARAJEVO
Ten years have passed since the peace treaty was signed in Dayton. As Moslems in Bosnia and Herzegovina, are you pleased with the execution and implementation of this agreement?
Since the beginning, we considered that the Dayton agreement was unjust, particularly for us as Moslems. However, we were forced to sign this treaty in order to stop the slaughtering of our people, the saving of our females alive, the expulsion and displacement of our citizens and the destruction of our mosques and holy sites, because the international community at that time would look with a blind eye to what was happening to Moslems in Bosnia and Herzegovina. We were also dedicated to stay on our land, the land of our ancestors, because we were unable to continue the fight and struggle against the enemy that was excelling us militarily, so we sealed this deal.
In addition, we thought that Dayton agreement was the only guarantee to maintain Bosnia and Herzegovina as one united and independent country, where the three nations would live in equity: Serbs, Croatians and Moslems. For this reason, we fought for the unity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Dayton agreement was the only and utter deal in this world. One of the positive issues of Dayton agreement was the freedom of movement throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina for the society, and as I said earlier, maintaining Bosnia and Herzegovina as one united country. On the other hand, the negative issues of this agreement in the first degree reside in overlooking the arresting of war criminals who committed the ugliest crimes against Moslems. We have information that they are present in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and they are moving freely. We are not satisfied with the process of the refugees return, because it is progressing very slowly.
Until now, only 40% of those who were displaced and expelled from their homes have returned. The international community did not keep its promise building the mosques that were destroyed during the war. It is well known that more than one thousand mosques were destroyed during wartime. We are exerting great efforts and pressurizing the international community in order to arrest Cragic and Mladic to try them in The Hague. But we received documented and confirmed information from some of our western allies telling that some EU countries and the US vowed not to pursue and try Cragic and Mladic should they sign Dayton agreement. Moslems in Bosnia and Herzegovina are overwhelmed by the belief that the international community could have arrested Cragic and Mladic years ago if it wanted; shame on the international community, which treats us this way only because we are Moslems.
look at this mockery, the former Bosnian army leader Rasem Delec who defended Bosnia and its people, is being tried by The Hague Tribunal whereas the criminals who perpetrated the ugliest crimes and destroyed Bosnia and Herzegovina are living safely and freely and are being protected by the international community.
What is you comment on the death of Slobodan Milosevic in prison in The Hague?
We hoped that he would be tried and live a long time in prison. This is all that I can say.
How do you see your relationship with the Islamic world? Has this relation developed and became much better than it was before the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina?
Our relation with the Islamic world is a strong and steady one. I say to you openly, if it were not for their help, the Serbs and Croatians with the aid of the international family could have wiped us out.
This is because the aid which they sent to us from 1992 to 1995 played an efficient role in our steadfastness and struggle against the aggressor. I would like to take this opportunity via your newspaper to thank all those who helped us, particularly the Islamic Republic of Iran and all the Gulf Countries as well as Egypt, Malaysia, Indonesia, Turkey, and all the rest of the Moslem and Arab countries that offered us help. In addition, our gratitude goes to the strugglers who came from the Islamic world and fought by our side. Many have died in defense of our sacred land of Bosnia, and for this God let them in his spacious paradise. If it were not for this aid, we would have been all displaced from Bosnia like they did to us during the Word War II, when more than four million Moslems were displaced from Bosnia and Herzegovina to Turkey.
Bosnian President, Alija Izetbegovic, may God have mercy on his soul, was truly aware that the Arab and Moslem countries were the element on which we could rely in our defensive ware against the Serbian aggressor. I still remember how in the beginning of the war I met with President Alija Izetbegovic, and he told me that we will last, God willing, because the Arab and Moslem world is with us. Alija Izetbegovic told all the leaders of the Arab and Moslem world, if you want us to stay in Bosnia, you must help us. Also today, we are seeking help from the Arab and Moslem nations because we consider ourselves a part of them. And I say to them, your strength is our strength, and your weakness is our weakness, and with our unity we can defeat the countries of the world evil and haughtiness.
Recently, there have been calls by the Croatian and Serbian officials, calling on having a second look into the Dayton treaty. Why do you think?
We also in the clergy are supporting these calls that demand an amendment of Dayton treaty, but on the basis that Bosnia remains a united and just country for everyone. The Croats are asking to divide Bosnia into four cantons. We refuse this issue absolutely. We demand an amendment of Dayton treaty but under the term that Bosnia and Herzegovina remain one united country. We, the Moslems in Bosnia and Herzegovina always feel the oppression. We do not feel that we are equal with the Croats and Serbs. When we call for equality and freedom, they accuse us of terrorism and radicalism. We merely want our legal rights which are our natural claim.
The main problem from which we suffer in Bosnia is that the trust remains nonexistent among the disputed parties. The Serbs and Croats do not believe us, and the international community supports them with this. When we win the elections in the areas of Moslem majority and we form a town council, the Croats and Serbs with the help of the international community work on forcedly inserting a Serb or a Croat in order to guard us. They do not believe us. We were not the ones who ignited the war and committed massacres against them. At this point I ask: who was responsible for the war outbreak? Who was responsible for the initiation of death camps? Yet, we are tolerant and accepted coexistence with the Croats and Serbs. The international family is afraid of a Moslem country rising in the Balkan region. We told them repeatedly that the establishment of a Moslem country in the Balkan region is impossible. And if you were afraid of the Islamic radicalism you have to remove all these reasons and give us our legal rights.
Western media keep talking about the existence of Islamic radical movements in Bosnia that seek to strike the Vatican and fight the Christians in the world. What is your comment?
do not believe that there are radical Moslems in Bosnia. I believe that there are radicals worldwide who are working against Islam and Moslems. The world at present is living in fear of Islam. This is funny and strange. But this is their problem.
At the end of this dialogue, I send my great admiration and gratitude to the mujahideen in Palestine, Iraq and Afghanistan. Besides, I send my special greeting to the mujahideen of the Islamic Resistance in Lebanon who gave the Zionist enemy a harsh lesson and liberated their land from the Zionists. We are proud of them because we are Moslems.
Source:Al-Intiqad,special interview. Date: 27/03/2006 Time 09:45
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