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Speech for Commemoration at Srebrenica Genocide Memorial

at Jackson Park in Windsor, Ontario

Saturday, July 13, 2019

Good afternoon! Thank you all for coming here today, to commemorate the

24th anniversary of the Srebrenica Genocide.

My name is Suzana Vukic. I drove down from Montreal to be here for this

occasion.

It’s my first time seeing this monument here in Jackson Park, dedicated to

the victims of the Srebrenica Genocide. This is very special for me.

I would like to thank Professor Emir Ramic, Director of the Institute for

Research of Genocide Canada,

for inviting me to be here today to deliver this speech.

I would also like to thank Brian Masse, NDP Member of Parliament for

Windsor West, here with us today,

for all of his efforts to have the Srebrenica Genocide recognized by the

Canadian government.

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And Mr. Masse deserves special recognition for his efforts in sponsoring

Petition e-1837,

requesting that the Canadian government enact legislation that would

prohibit Srebrenica Genocide denial in Canada.

Over the years, the Canadian government has continuously expressed

sensitivity and piety

towards the victims of the genocide in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

This has been confirmed with the Canadian Parliament’s two resolutions on

the Srebrenica Genocide,

along with the permanent exhibition of this genocide at the Canadian

Human Rights Museum in Winnipeg,

the inclusion of the study of the Srebrenica Genocide in Canadian school

curriculum,

the unveiling of a monument to victims of the Srebrenica Genocide right here

in Windsor, in this park – the first such commemorative memorial in North

America

the distribution of the Srebrenica Flower, a symbol of this genocide, to all

members of the Canadian Parliament,

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and the proclamation of July 11th as The Day of Remembrance of the Victims

of the Srebrenica Genocide in the cities of Toronto, Hamilton, Windsor and

Saskatoon.

As a managing Board Member for the Institute for Research of Genocide

Canada,

I am grateful for the fact that Petition e-1837 has been tabled by the Canadian

Parliament.

Over the past ten years, the Institute (through its director, Emir Ramic)

has been subject to numerous and repeated threats on the part of Srebrenica

Genocide deniers.

These threats have only served to strengthen our commitment to our work.

And now I would like to explain why the commemoration of the Srebrenica

Genocide means so much to me:

In the early 1990’s, as the former Yugoslavia fell apart and descended into

warfare,

I followed news of these events very closely.

I’m a Canadian of Croatian background.

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My parents come from Croatia – from a small island fishing village – Kali –

near the city of Zadar on the Adriatic coast.

I have no confirmed hereditary links to Bosnia – only the possibility of some

ancestry from my belated father’s paternal side of the family.

I had a very difficult time watching the conflict that erupted in Croatia in

1991.

I watched in disbelief – from the safety and comfort of my home on Canadian

soil – as the war unfolded there.

I could never have imagined bombs falling on my beloved Zadar. This left

me filled with shock and dismay.

But all of this is nothing in comparison to what I felt when war began in

Bosnia less than a year later, in 1992.

I learned of the siege of Sarajevo – the Olympic city,

And the destruction and ethnic-cleansing of towns throughout Bosnia and

Herzegovina,

But the worst of it all was news of the existence of concentration camps and

rape camps.

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And over three years later – in July, 1995, came the news of the fall of

Srebrenica to Bosnian Serb forces, led by Ratko Mladic,

a man who has been convicted of genocide at the ICTY in recent years and

sentenced to life imprisonment.

I remember feeling angry and powerless – knowing that the slaughter of

innocent Bosniak men was at hand.

It’s a feeling that stays with you – long after the event is over and part of the

past.

This genocide – along with the suffering of Bosnia and its people, has

inspired much of my work over the past decade.

Over 10 years ago, I found an outlet for my love of writing;

I began writing a column, titled “Her Voice”, for the Hudson/St.Lazare

Gazette,

a local weekly paper.

I wrote on a variety of topics of personal interest.

And of course, with my new opportunity to write for a readership,

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I knew that I would eventually begin to write about the Bosnian War and

Genocide.

This brought me to Toronto in July, 2010.

I met Professor Emir Ramic, along with other members of the Bosniak

community in Toronto.

I participated in the Silent March and commemoration of the 15th

anniversary of the Srebrenica Genocide.

At the time, I discovered that Canada’s Bosniak community had made a

request to the Canadian government

to recognize July 11th as Srebrenica Genocide Remembrance Day in Canada.

I was shocked to learn that former Prime Minister Stephen Harper vetoed

this.

In response, I wrote a column titled “Recognize genocide for what it is”,

highlighting the Srebrenica Genocide, as well as Harper’s veto.

Later that year, I was thrilled to learn that the Canadian government finally

recognized July 11th as Srebrenica Remembrance Day in Canada.

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A month later, I was pleased to be informed that my column helped in this

effort.

When I think back to July of 1995 and my feelings of helplessness over

Srebrenica,

It feels gratifying to know that sometimes in life, we can experience these

significant victories.

In the summer of 2012, I travelled to Bosnia.

While there, I participated in the Srebrenica Peace March, a three-day trek

on foot through heavily forested and mountainous terrain.

It commemorates, in reverse, the path taken by Bosniak men in July of

1995,

as they attempted to flee death at the hands of Bosnian Serb forces

and reach safe, Bosnian-held territory.

This was a challenging journey.

On the following day, July 11th, 2012, I went to the Srebrenica-Potocari

Cemetery and Memorial Complex

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to attend the mass burial of 520 men and boys, executed in July, 1995.

At the time, it was the final resting place for 5,657 out of the 8,372 of those

killed 17 years prior.

Family members were present to bury the remains of their loved ones.

They were joined by thousands of people from all over Bosnia and from the

international community, including a large number of foreign dignitaries.

On that day, I visited the Mothers of the Enclave of Srebrenica and Zepa at

their office.

Two days later, on July 13th, I accompanied them on a trip to the Srebrenica

region.

We visited various sites where Serb forces held their Bosniak victims

captive,

as well as locations where Bosniak men and boys had been executed en

masse 17 years prior.

Family members laid floral wreaths and said their prayers at these places.

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Four days later, on July 17th, 2012, I again accompanied the Mothers of

Srebrenica to a town called Trnovo, about an hour outside of Sarajevo.

We visited a site where a Serb paramilitary unit known as the Scorpions

killed Bosniak men from Srebrenica.

During my month-long trip, I met victims and survivors of wartime rape

and concentration camps.

I also had the opportunity to visit sites that served as rape houses and

concentration camps during the war.

I spent a great deal of time with Bakira Hasecic and members of her

association Women Victims of War,

Which provides support for survivors of mass and systematic wartime

rape,

and also pursues war criminals.

At the time of the burial at Srebrenica-Potocari on July 11th,

it was difficult for me to witness the suffering of the mourners, especially

the women,

saying their final goodbyes and coming to terms with the irreconcilable:

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the slaughter of their innocent menfolk.

I can’t begin to imagine what they have gone through over the course of

the years.

During my time spent with the Mothers of Srebrenica, I was amazed at

how strong these women are

and wondered where they get their incredible courage – especially in light

of everything they have gone through.

The women and survivors of Srebrenica find the fortitude to go on by a

number of different means.

But I believe one of their chief sources of strength comes from the support

they provide to each other,

as well as the encouragement they get from the community – both local

and international.

While in Bosnia that summer, I learned that genocide did not occur

uniquely in Srebrenica during the war, but rather throughout the country.

The horrors of the war did indeed peak in Srebrenica in July, 1995.

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But the conflict was an international armed aggression against the citizens

of Bosnia,

In which the key players included the Republics of Serbia, Montenegro, as

well as Croatia,

and the principal victims of the war were Bosniaks (Bosnian Muslims)

who faced complete annihilation as a group.

While in Bosnia, I met two individuals – each from different parts of the

country.

They were each the sole surviving members of their entire families.

One can’t even begin to imagine the void and trauma this creates for

survivors,

who are fortunate for being alive,

and yet live with suffering and loss for the rest of their days.

Family is of utmost importance in Bosnian society.

Yet the war has left countless individuals completely bereft,

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left to fend for themselves and make do in an existence that consists of the

total (or in some cases near-total) absence of their closest family members,

and in some cases, their entire communities.

In 2018, I reviewed a book – a poem, in fact, authored by Imam Admir

Maljevac Muhic,

titled HATIDŽA MAJKA SREBRENIČANKA in Bosnian (which translates

into English as Hatidza a mother of Srebrenica)

inspired by the life of Hatidza Mehmedovic, a survivor of Srebrenica who

lost her husband, two sons, and numerous relatives in this genocide,

(and who sadly passed away in the summer of 2018).

In his poem, Imam Muhic describes the loss of identity experienced by

Mother Hatidza with these words: I am no one.

Family means everything to Bosniak women.

During the genocide, the women of Srebrenica had their loved ones taken

away from them.

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With this, mothers like Hatidza have been left with no sense of purpose, or

a reason for being, in their lives.

They struggle to make their lives as productive and meaningful as possible,

and to bear their losses as best as they can.

For women like Hatidza,

their joint effort to keep the memories of their murdered loved ones alive,

along with their fight for justice,

has given them a renewed sense of purpose in life.

These women have endless gratitude towards all those who make efforts to

bear witness to their tragedy,

to accompany them on their collective journey,

to write about what they and their loved ones have been through,

and to tell the world what happened in July of 1995.

This is one of the best ways of keeping the memory alive.

As for me, I no longer have a column, and the newspaper I wrote for no

longer exists.

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Yet I continue with my efforts to tell the world about what happened in

Srebrenica, and in Bosnia, less than three decades ago.

I continue with my work with the Institute for Research of Genocide

Canada.

I was proud to be involved in efforts to promote petition e-1837, recently

tabled by the Canadian parliament.

And I was also honoured to have the opportunity to counter the efforts of

Srebrenica Genocide deniers,

and their attempts to block the Canadian government from passing

legislation that would prohibit Srebrenica Genocide denial in Canada.

I am also currently working on my book, Christmas in Sarajevo,

based on all of the writing that I have done on the Bosnian War and

Genocide,

My hope is that this will help spread the truth about what happened in

Srebrenica, and in Bosnia.

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Dobar dan! Hvala vam svima što ste danas došli ovde, na komemoraciji 24.

godišnjica genocida u Srebrenici.

Zovem se Suzana Vukić. Dosla sam vamo iz Montreala baš za ovu priliku.

Ovo mi je prvi put da vidim ovaj spomenik vamo, u Jacksonu Parku, koji je

posvećen žrtvama genocida u Srebrenici. Ovo je posebna stvar za mene.

Želim zahvaliti profesora Emira Ramića, koji je direktor od Instituta za

istraživanje genocida u Kanadi,

što me je pozvao da budem ovde danas i da održim ovaj govor.

Isto tako bih htjela se zahvaliti Briana Masse, koji je član parlamenta NDP-a

za Windsor West, i koji je ovdje s nama danas,

za sve njegove napore da bi kanadska vlada priznala genocid u Srebrenici.

I Gospodin Masse zaslužuje posebno priznanje za svoje napore u

sponzoriranje peticije e-1837,

tražeći od kanadske vlade da donese zakon koja bi zabranili poricanje

genocida u Srebrenici u Kanadi.

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Tokom godina, kanadska vlada je kontinuirano izražavala svoju osjetljivost

i pijetet

prema žrtvama genocida u Bosni i Hercegovini.

To je potvrđeno sa dvije rezolucije kanadskog parlamenta o genocidu u Srebrenici,

I takodje sa stalnu izložbenu postavku ovog genocida u Kanadskom muzeju

za ljudska prava u Winnipegu,

sa uključivanje studije genocida u Srebrenici u kanadski školski programa,

Sa otkrivanje spomenika žrtvama genocida u Srebrenici - upravo ovdje u

Windsoru, u ovom parku - prvom takvom komemorativnom spomen

obilježju u Sjevernoj Americi

sa podijeli Cvijeta Srebrenice, simbola ovog genocida, svim članovima

kanadskog parlamenta,

I sa proglašenje 11. jula Danom sjećanja na žrtve

genocida u Srebrenici u gradovima Toronta, Hamiltonu, Windsoru i

Saskatoon.

Kao članica upravni odbor za Instituta za istraživanje genocida u Kanadi,

zahvalna sam na činjenicu da je kanadski parlament iznijelo na raspravu

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peticiju e-1837.

U proteklih deset godina Institut (preko direktora Emira Ramića)

bila je izložena brojnim i ponovljenim prijetnjama od strane poricatelja genocida u Srebrenici.

Ove prijetnje su samo doprinijele jačanju naše predanosti našem radu.

A sada bih željela objasniti zbog čega meni toliko znači komemoracija

genocida u Srebrenici:

U početkom devedesetih godina, kada se bivša Jugoslavija raspala i spustila

se u rat,

Vrlo sam pažljivo pratila vijesti o tim događajima.

Ja sam Kanađanka hrvatskog porijekla.

Moji roditelji dolazu iz Hrvatske - iz malog otočkog ribarskog mjesta - Kali -

u blizini grada Zadra na jadranskoj obali.

Nemam potvrđenih nasljednih veza sa Bosnom - samo mogućnost nekih

porijekla iz očeve strane moje porodice.

Bilo mi je teško vidjeti sukob koji je izbio u Hrvatskoj 1991. godine.

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Od sigurnosti i udobnosti svog doma na kanadskom tlu sam u nevjerici

gledala kako se rat odvijao tamo.

Nikada nisam mogla zamisliti da bi bombe mogli pasti na mog dragog

Zadra. Ovo me je ispunilo šokom i užasom.

Ali sve to nije ništa u usporedbi s ono što sam osjećala kad je rat počeo u

Bosni malo manje od godinu dana kasnije, 1992. godine.

Saznala sam za opsadu Sarajeva - olimpijskog grada,

I uništavanje i etničko čišćenje gradova širom Bosne i Hercegovine,

Ali najgore od svega je bilo vijest o postojanju koncentracijskih logora i logora za silovanje.

I više od tri godine kasnije - u julu 1995. godine, došla je vijest o padu

Srebrenice snagama bosanskih Srba, na čelu sa Ratkom Mladićem,

čovjek koji je u posljednjih godine osuđen za genocid pred Međunarodni

Krivični Sud za bivšu Jugoslaviju i osuđen na doživotni zatvor.

Sjećam se da sam bila ljuta i osječala sam se nemoćna - znajući da je pokolj

nevinih muškaraca Bošnjaka bio pri ruci.

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To je osjećaj koji ostaje s vama - dugo nakon što je događaj završen i kad

postoji dio prošlosti.

Ovaj genocid - zajedno sa stradanjem Bosne i njenog naroda - inspirisao je

veći dio mog rada u protekloj deceniji.

Prije više od 10 godina, pronašla sam ispust za svoju ljubav prema pisanju;

Počela sam da pišem kolumnu pod nazivom „Njezin glas“ za Hudson /

St.Lazare Gazette, lokalni tjednik.

Pisala sam o raznim temama od osobnog interesa.

I naravno, uz moju novu priliku da pišem za čitaoce,

Znala sam da ću na kraju početi da pišem o bosanskom ratu i genocidu.

To me je dovelo u Torontu u julu 2010.

Upoznala sam profesora Emira Ramića, kao i ostale članove bošnjačke

zajednice u Torontu.

Učestvovala sam u Tihi marš i komemoracije 15. godišnjice genocida u

Srebrenici.

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Tada sam otkrila da je kanadska bošnjačka zajednica podnijela molbu

kanadskoj vladi

da se priznaje 11. srpnja kao Dan sjećanja na genocid u Srebrenici u Kanadi.

Bila sam šokirana kad sam saznala da je bivši prvi ministar Stephen Harper

to stavio na veto.

Kao odgovor na to, napisala sam kolumnu pod nazivom “Prepoznaj genocid

za ono što jeste”,

naglašavajući genocid u Srebrenici, kao i Harperov veto.

Kasnije te godine, bila sam oduševljena kad sam saznala da je kanadska

vlada konačno priznala 11. jula kao Dan sjećanja na Srebrenicu u Kanadi.

Mjesec dana kasnije, bilo mi je drago što sam bila obaviještena da mi je

kolumna pomogla u ovom nastojanju.

Kada mislim natrag u julu 1995. godine i moje osjećaje bespomoćnosti zbog

Srebrenice,

Osjećam zadovoljstvo kad saznam da ponekad u životu možemo iskusiti ove značajne pobjede.

U ljeto 2012. godine, otputovala sam u Bosnu.

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Dok sam bila tamo, učestvovala sam u Marša mira za Srebrenicu,

trodnevnom putovanju pješice kroz teško pošumljen i planinski teren.

Taj put obilježava, u obrnutom smislu, putom kroz koji su prošli muškarci

Bošnjaci iz Srebrenice u julu 1995. godine,

dok su pokušavali pobjeći od smrti od strane snaga bosanskih Srba

i doći do sigurnog teritorija pod kontrolom Bosne.

Ovo putovanje je bilo teško, pun izazova.

Sutradan, 11. jula 2012. godine, otišla sam do mezarje i memorijalnog kompleksa u Srebrenicu-Potočari

prisustvovati na masovnom dženazu za 520 muškaraca i dječaka

pogubljenih u julu 1995. godine.

U to vrijeme, to je bilo posljednje počivalište za 5.657 od ukupno 8.372 ljudi

ubijenih prije 17 godina.

Članovi njihove porodice su bili prisutni da sahranu ostatke svojih

najmilijih.

Njima su se pridružile na hiljade ljudi iz cijele Bosne i iz međunarodne

zajednice, uključujući veliki broj stranih dostojanstvenika.

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Toga sam dana posjetila Majke enklave Srebrenice i Žepu u njihovom

uredu.

Dva dana kasnije, 13. jula, pratila sam ih na putovanju u regiju Srebrenice.

Posjetili smo razne lokacije gdje su srpske snage držale zatočene bošnjačke

žrtve,

kao i mjesta gdje su muškarci i dječaci Bošnjaci bili masovno pogubljeni

prije 17 godina.

Članovi njihove porodice su položili vijenaca i izrekli svoje molitve na tim

mjestima.

Četiri dana kasnije, 17. jula 2012. godine, ponovo sam popratila Majke

Srebrenice do grada Trnovo, oko sat vremena izvan Sarajeva.

Posjetili smo mjesto gdje su pripadnici srpske paravojne jedinice poznate

kao Škorpioni ubili bošnjačke muškarce iz Srebrenice.

Tokom mog jednomjesečnog putovanje, upoznala sam žrtve i osobe koje su

preživjeli ratno silovanje i koncentracione logore.

Takođe sam imala priliku posjetiti mjesta koje su služile kao kuće za

silovanje i koncentracione logore tokom rata.

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Provela sam dosta vremena sa Bakirom Hasečić i članovima njenog

udruženje Žena žrtava rata,

Koja pruža podršku onima koji su preživjeli masovnog i sistematskog

ratnog silovanja,

i takođe progoni ratne zločince.

U vrijeme pokopa u Srebrenici-Potočarima 11. jula,

bilo mi je teško svjedočiti patnju ožalošćenih, osobito ženama,

koje su izgovarali svoje poslednje opraštanje i koje su morali prihvatiti ono

što je nepomirljivo:

pokolj njihovih nevinih muškaraca.

Ne mogu ni zamisliti kroz što su prošle u protijekli godinama.

Tokom vremena koje sam provela sa Majkama Srebrenice,

bila sam iznenađena njihovom snagom

i pitala sam se odakle dolazi ta nevjerovatna hrabrost,

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posebno u svjetlu svega šta su prolazile.

Žene i oni koji su preživjeli Srebrenicu pronađu hrabrost za nastavak na više

različitih načina.

Ali vjerujem da jedan od njihovih glavnih izvora snage potiče od podrške

koju pružaju jedni drugima,

kao i ohrabrenja koju dobijaju od zajednice - kako lokalnih tako i

međunarodnih.

Dok sam bila u Bosni tog ljeta, saznala sam da genocid nije se dogodilo

samo u Srebrenici u toku rata, nego u cijeloj zemlji.

Ratne užasi su zaista dostigli vrh u Srebrenici u julu 1995. godine.

Ali sukob je bio međunarodna oružana agresija na građane Bosne,

U kojoj su ključni akteri bili republike Srbije, Crne Gore, kao i Hrvatske,

a glavne žrtve rata su bili Bošnjaci (bosanski Muslimani)

koji su se suočili s potpunim uništenjem kao narod.

Dok sam bila u Bosni, susreo sam dvije osobe - svaka iz različitih dijelova

zemlje.

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I jedna i druga su bili jedini preživjeli članovi od cijele svoje porodice.

Ne može se čak ni zamisliti praznina i trauma koje ovo stvara za osobe koje

su preživjele rat,

koji su sretni što su živi,

ali koji ipak moraju živjeti sa patnjom i gubitkom do kraja svojih dana.

Porodica je od najveće važnosti u bosanskom društvu.

Ali je ipak rat ostavio bezbrojne pojedince potpuno lišene

i prepušteni sami sebi da preguraju dalje u postojanje koje se sastoji od

ukupnog

(ili u nekim slučajevima skoro ukupnog) odsustva najbližih članova

porodice,

a u nekim slučajevima i njihove čitave zajednice.

U 2018. godine, napisala sam recenziju za jednu knjigu - zapravo pjesmu –

koju je napisao Imam Admir Maljevac Muhić,

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pod nazivom HATIDŽA MAJKA SREBRENIČANKA

koji je inspiriran životom Hatidže Mehmedović, osoba koja je preživjela

Srebrenicu, i koja je izgubila muža, dva sina i brojnu rodbinu u ovom

genocidu,

(i koja je nažalost preminula u ljeto 2018.).

U svojoj pjesmi, Imam Muhić opisuje gubitak identiteta kojeg je majka

Hatidža doživjela s ovim riječima: Ja sam niko.

Porodica znači sve za bošnjačkim ženama.

Za vrijeme genocida, njihove najmilije osobe su bili oduzete od te žene iz

Srebrenice.

S time su majke poput Hatidže ostale bez ikakvi osjećaja svrhe ili razloga

za postojanja u svojim životima.

One se boru da bi svoje živote učinili što produktivnijim i smislenijim, te da

snose svoje gubitke na najbolje način moguče.

Za žene poput Hatidže,

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zajednička nastojanja da sačuvaju sjećanja na njihove ubijene najmilije,

zajedno sa svojom borbom za pravdu,

dala im je obnovljen osjećaj svrhe u životu.

Ove žene imaju beskrajnu zahvalnost prema svima onima koji se trude da

svjedoče o njihovoj tragediji,

pratiti ih na njihovom kolektivnom putovanju,

pisati o onome što su oni i njihovi voljeni prolazili

i reći svijetu što se dogodilo u julu 1995.

Ovo je jedan od najboljih načina održavanja sjećanja.

Što se mene tiče, više nemam kolumnu, a novine za koje sam pisala više ne

postoju.

Ipak, nastavljam sa svojim naporima da svijetu ispričam ono što se dogodilo u Srebrenici I u Bosni prije nešto manje od tri decenije.

Ja nastavljam sa radom u Instituta za istraživanje genocida u Kanadi.

Bila sam ponosna uključiti se u napore za promovisanje peticije e-1837,

koju je nedavno predložio kanadski parlament.

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I bila mi je čast imati priliku da se suprotstavim naporima poricatelja

genocida u Srebrenici,

i njihovi pokušaji da blokiraju kanadsku vladu od donošenja zakona koja bi

zabranila poricanje genocida u Srebrenici u Kanadi.

Trenutno radim i na svojoj knjizi, Božić u Sarajevu,

na osnovu svih pisanje koju sam uradila o bosanskom ratu i genocide.

Nadam se da će to pomoći u širenju istine o onome što se dogodilo u

Srebrenici, i u Bosni.