I appeal to the Muslim religious leaders of Sarajevo to speak and act forcefully against the persecution of Serbs in the suburbs of Sarajevo.
When the Sarajevo suburbs came under government control, most Serbs left the area. Some left under their own free will. Others were threatened and intimidated into leaving by followings of the hard-line Republika Srpska leadership in Pale. Those who stayed were in many cases elderly. Some had courageously refused to engage in religious hatred and atrocities throughout the terrible conflict that occurred from 1992-1995.
There have been numerous reports that gangs, allegedly associated with the SDA party, are bringing in Bosnian refugees and telling them, who have no other place to live, to find a Serb home and expel the occupant. The gangs help in intimidating, beating, and expelling the Serb occupant, and of course take their cut from their "real estate transactions." This activity was followed almost exactly by Serb religious nationalists in Banja Luka under the leadership of Vojkan Djurkovic in 1994.
I appeal to you to make a dramatic action: to stand vigil in front of the homes of Serbs persecuted in this way, stating that they Serbs will be driven out only over your bodies.
There are many voices that would try to argue for you to remain silent or to merely make general statements condemning violence against any person. But general statements condemning violence are never enough. Religious leaders need to protest specific crimes, particularly by those of their own flock.
You will be told, rightly, that Muslims suffered horrendous atrocities at the hands of those who claimed to act on behalf of Serbs. You will be told that every mosque in the Republika Srpska has been deliberately damaged or destroyed, including masterworks of world archicture--over 600 mosques, an incalculable crime committed by those claiming to act on behalf of Serbs.
But the Serb being attacked were not those who committed the crimes. Please do not allow yourself to fall into generic or group blame. It would be predictable and even understandable for you to remain silent. But it would be wrong.
It would be a true lesson in religious leadership, courage, and wisdom for you to protect this vulnerable population of Serbs in the Sarajevo suburbs.
Sincerely,
Michael Sells