Bosnia, Jul 12: Bosnians commemorated on Saturday the massacre of about 8,000 Muslim men and boys in Srebrenica, marking the 25th anniversary of killings that shocked the world and have stood out as Europe's only atrocity since World War Two constituting genocide.
Nine newly identified victims were buried at a flower-shaped cemetery near the town, where tall white tombstones mark the graves of 6,643 other victims.
"After 25 years we succeeded in finding his mortal remains, so they can be laid to their final rest," said Fikret Pezic, who buried his father Hasan.
The remains of some 1,000 victims of the massacre in the eastern town during Bosnia's 1992-1995 war are still missing.
Ifeta Hasanovic decided to bury incomplete remains of her husband, saying: "We were aware they cannot be complete after 25 years, at least there are some, I did not want to make any new delays."
World leaders addressed the ceremony by video link, unable to attend because of coronavirus epidemic. Instead of the tens of thousands visitors who typically attend the commemoration each year, only a few thousand came after organisers banned organised visits.
During the Bosnian war, Bosnian Serb forces pushed non-Serbs out of territories they sought for their Serb statelet. Fleeing Muslims took shelter in several eastern towns, including Srebrenica, that were designated as United Nations "safe zones".
On July 11, 1995, the Serb forces commanded by General Ratko Mladic overran Srebrenica, which was protected by lightly armed Dutch peacekeepers.
They sent women and children away and captured and executed the men and boys they found. The bodies were dumped into mass graves and later exhumed by U.N. investigators and used as evidence in war crimes trials of Bosnian Serb leaders.
"We grieve with the families that tirelessly seek justice for the 8,000 innocent lives lost, all these years later," said U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. Washington brokered Bosnia's peace deal months after the massacre.
Most people at the commemoration were Muslim Bosniaks, reflecting conflicting narratives about the bloodshed - which hinders reconciliation nearly 25 years after the end of war in which about 100,000 people were killed.
The U.N. war crimes tribunal for the former Yugoslavia convicted Mladic and his political chief Radovan Karadzic over Srebrenica genocide but they remained heroes for Serbs, many of whom deny that genocide happened.
On Saturday, the Serbs in the nearby town of Bratunac organised an event marking July 11 as the "Srebrenica Liberation Day".
Sefik Dzaferovic, the Bosniak chairman of Bosnia's tripartite presidency, called for legislation that would ban denial of genocide.
"There can be no trust as long as we witness attacks on the truth, denial of genocide and glorification and celebration of executors," Dzaferovic told the commemoration gathering.
Comments
Dears even if prophet (pbuh) did not ate beef ,never deneyed it to his rollovers ,what is halal and what is haram is clearly mentioned in Quran, but for a beliver its not compelsory to eat beef to prove his belief it permisable one like mutton and chicken or veg it depends upon the place, whether, biographical condition ,ect, here not only Muslims meeting beef people of,so many other religion also eating but only Hindus worshiping it this is fact ,,one more thing people of different parts of the world eetind beef since human eyes but problem begins only it created a vote bank ,,now real Hindus should prove what is real hinduism which permits to kill human for the name of cow? Still cow know nothing!!
CRAZY man half knowledge , makes him crazy to express wrong words
Dear CD
Don't support by publishing un islamic topic from so called Muslim (Nawzbillah)
Beware of such people,
Our bellowed prophet peace be upon him, said anybody who lies as misquoting against him, shall reserve their place in hell.
We should ask him for authenticated proof, sure he will fail to do so, then people have to decide his fate on the grounds of sharia law.
Better change your name to Tarak Mehta :-)
Hello, who is this Tarek Fatah, Agent of RSS, what he know about Prophet Swallahu Alaihi wa sallim. Where is quoted beef is Haram in Qur'an or Hadith.
What he is talking even not veda, purana, ramayana or in Mahabharatha there is no single word against slaughtering cow. 10000 of cows and other animal slaughter in yaaga, yajna.
Prophet Muhammed peace be upon him Told be aware of MUNAFIQs like you . and also mentioned that the day will come when Ignorant will become leaders ......so you try to become......you are going against ISLAM by claiming something Haram when its allowed in ISLAM
May be one day you will say PIG also allowed....!!!
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