Voices from the Drina | Bosnian Genocide Education

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Both girls turned to me today and said: “You Muslims don’t have your own culture or language.” I asked her, “Who told you that?”. “Dad does,” she said.

I said “tell your dad he should do some reading.” I’m horrified and devastated. I don’t know what to make of this. Is something changing in Bosnia?

I’m in shock. I was coming back after today’s khutbah (I was still wearing my black Islamic robe and turban). I was stopped by JNA soldiers. They threatened to slaughter me with a knife. I don’t know how to process this.

I don’t want to sound alarmist, but it’s becoming very clear that Serb police and soldiers in BiH are being armed by the Yugoslav People’s Army. Meanwhile, we Bosniaks have nothing to defend ourselves with…

I don’t know if there will be a war. But Bosniaks are not prepared in terms of weapons. I don’t even know where I can get something to defend my community with.

Every evening my Serb neighbours have started leaving. Apparently they are holding meetings. I keep thinking about that uniform…

Just got back from my neighbour’s house. We had coffee, like we usually do. While we were upstairs a black suit fell out of the closet. It was a black suit with something woollen attached to it. My husband thinks it was a Chetnik uniform.

My Serb colleagues are arriving to work with automatic rifles. At the entrance gates they’ve hung a sign saying “Republika Srpska”. We non-Serb workers have been given an ultimatum to sign a loyalty oath to this “RS” or lose our job. Over my dead body will I sign such an oath.

I’m reading stories in the press about Serb suffering under the Ottoman Empire and in World War Two. I don’t understand why I’m being portrayed as a threat to my Serb neighbours. Why is a Muslim majority Bosnia a threat?

I’m noticing a trend in Yugoslavia’s media. There are fewer Muslim journalists and Serbs seem to be in positions in power. Yutel (Yugo state news) is reporting that the People’s Army will restore order. For now I believe them.