28 Sep Pismo podrške KROKODILU od nemačke političke partije Die Linke (Levica)
Dragi prijatelji, želimo da s vama podelimo pismo podrške koje je prošle nedelje stiglo KROKODILu od nemačke političke partije Levica (Die Linke). Istog dana, kada smo dobili ovo pismo, Levica je osvojila najviše glasova na izborima u Berlinu. Čestitamo im iz sveg srca na ovoj pobedi, koja definitivno budi nadu.
Nas ovo pismo podseća na to da, uprkos osećaju političke izolovanosti, nismo sami, da postoje ljudi širom međunarodne zajednice koji su nam vrednosno bliski i da je suštinski važno da uvek stojimo jedni uz druge. Podrška Levice dolazi kao podsticaj da nastavimo da se bavimo temama koje dosledno prepoznajemo kao važne. Takođe, ono je podsetnik na vrednost saradnje sa zemljama Evrope ali i, što je možda čak i važnije, sa srodnim organizacijama iz našeg regiona.
U vremenu kada se politički pejzaž širom planete dramatično menja i kada nedemokratske prakse postaju nemila realnost praktično svuda, ovakvi primeri konstruktivne politike i podrške između organizacija već sami po sebi predstavljaju akt pobune. Ponosni smo što ovakvi ljudi kao što su prijatelji iz nemačke političke partije Die Linke stoje uz nas u borbi za slobodnije i pravednije društvo.
Pismo podrške KROKODILovom političkom i kulturnom angažmanu, a posebno naporima da se praktikuje kultura sećanja koja nije bazirana na nacionalizmu i autoviktimizaciji već na transnacionalnoj solidarnosti, osećaju empatije i kolektivnoj odgovornosti, možete pročitati u celosti u nastavku teksta.
Od: Zada Salihović, Member of the German Bundestag
Za: Association KROKODIL z. Hd. Vladimir Arsenijević
In solidarity with you, who keep the memory of Srebrenica alive
Dear staff of the Srebrenica Memorial Centre,
dear survivors and relatives of the victims,
dear people who are working to promote remembrance and
coming to terms with the past in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia
and beyond,
It is with great concern that we are following developments surrounding the Srebrenica Memorial Centre and the increasing pressure being placed on those working to come to terms with the Srebrenica genocide. That is why, with this letter, we wish to convey one thing above all else: you are not alone.
For years, many of you have devoted a large part of your lives to the task of preserving the names and stories of those murdered, safeguarding testimonies, giving a voice to survivors and relatives, and conveying to a new generation what happened in July 1995 and in the years leading up to it. For this, you deserve our respect and solidarity, not just on an anniversary.
We are therefore watching with concern the investigations being carried out by the Republika Srpska police against current and former staff members, as well as other individuals associated with the Memorial Centre. To those of you who are directly affected by the questioning, we would like to say explicitly: we see what is happening, and we will support you in your work.
Investigations in accordance with the rule of law must be possible. However, they must be transparent, proportionate and free from political influence. Work to commemorate and come to terms with the past must not be used as a pretext for intimidation or political pressure.
The fact that current events are causing concern is also due to the political climate in which you carry out your work. In the run-up to the International Day of Remembrance on 11 July, there were once again shocking instances of denial and glorification. In Belgrade, Vladimir Arsenijević was also physically attacked whilst preparing a commemorative event.
Our solidarity therefore extends explicitly to those of you who are working to come to terms with the past in Serbia. You organise commemorative events, document war crimes, work with young people and speak out publicly – sometimes in the face of massive hostility. In doing so, you demonstrate that nationalism and genocide denial must never be equated with an entire society or an entire people.
The images from Ratko Mladić’s funeral also show just how necessary this work remains. A man who had been legally convicted of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes was buried with military honours and in the presence of political representatives. We can only imagine what such images mean to those of you who have lost loved ones in Srebrenica and other parts of Bosnia and Herzegovina, who were yourselves displaced, or who have been fighting for decades for the crimes to be recognised.
International courts have unequivocally established what happened in Srebrenica: genocide. This is not a matter of political interpretation. Your work helps to preserve this historical truth and the memory of the individual victims against denial and revisionism.
Our solidarity must therefore not be limited to words.
We will advocate to the relevant authorities for transparency regarding the investigations and full compliance with the rule of law. We expect the same from the European Union, the OSCE and the United Nations.
At the same time, we will fight to ensure that the protection of independent work on remembrance, human rights and coming to terms with the past becomes a more integral part of German and European policy towards Bosnia and Herzegovina and the entire region. The issue of dealing with the war crimes of the 1990s must also be consistently addressed in the EU accession process. Political stability must never mean turning a blind eye to genocide denial and historical revisionism.
Above all, however, we would like to thank you: those who have been searching for relatives, identifying graves and preserving testimonies for decades; those who tell their stories and work with young people; and those in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia and the entire region who carry on despite hostility and political pressure.
If you are intimidated, we will not remain silent. If historical facts are denied, we will speak out. If war criminals are turned into heroes, we will not accept this without protest.
Remembrance must not be intimidated. The process of coming to terms with the past must not come under pressure. Srebrenica and the crimes committed in Prijedor, Višegrad, Foča, Zvornik and so many other places in Bosnia and Herzegovina must never be forgotten.
In full solidarity,
MP Zada Salihović,
MP Dr. Moses Arndt,
MP Dietmar Bartsch,
MP Desiree Becker,
MP Jorrit Bosch,
MP Fabian Fahl,
MP Katrin Fey,
MP Kathrin Gebel,
MP Nicole Gohlke,
MP Ates Gürpinar,
MP Maren Kaminski,
MP Cansin Köktürk,
MP Caren Lay,
MP Sahra Mirow,
MP Charlotte Neuhäuser,
MP Cansu Özdemir,
MP Lea Reisner,
MP David Schliesing,
MP Lisa Schubert and
MP Sascha H. Wagner
Foto: Die Linke