Stop the killing in the name of God

Again the same, toxic stories… Again we and them, again everyone hates us, again they accuse us unfairly. We are proud again, we don’t give up on ourselves again.

We must not look in the mirror again. Again, we do not want to see ourselves through the eyes of others – and in this, I am deeply convinced, is the whole secret of humanity.

Empathy, in a word.

Again, we do not want to understand what all history speaks about, unequivocally clearly, again and again. Yes, over and over, unfortunately. Problems between people can only be solved with reason and words. Where there is no place for reason and words, violence occurs. And it never brings a solution. Even when there is no choice, even when violence must be responded to with force for the defense of the powerless, for the defense of humanity, even then that is not the solution – and then, when everything is over, words and reason must come.

Several years ago, after a very good and open conversation with Reis Kavazović, I felt the need to address him with a letter in which I tried to summarize my views regarding what is so deeply and painfully burdening the relations of our fraternal peoples, Serbian and Bosniak. For that conversation, as well as for the fruits it brought, I feel the need to emphasize that, I am grateful to him even today.

Reis Kavazović and I agreed that “our” fights and quarrels were too often at someone else’s expense, that the dialogue between our peoples in BiH must never be at the expense of a third party, that we must dig up all our pits and bring the bones to the light of the sun. It is the only true way if we want to get rid of the scrum that has blinded our eyes and minds so many times and made us worse than beasts.

Before I continue, I would like to emphasize at this point that although I am currently staying in Bosnia and Herzegovina from time to time, I have never left it in mind and spirit. It will forever remain my homeland, where I spent 50 years of my life and where one day, God willing, I intend to complete my earthly life. That is why I believe that I have the right and, moreover, the obligation to speak about these topics whenever the need arises.

Therefore, on that occasion, Reis Kavazović and I agreed that, as far as it is up to us, we must initiate and lead a continuous dialogue at every level. We also agreed on the fact that “our” fights and quarrels, Serbian and Bosniak, were too often at someone else’s expense, but that, however, cannot be an excuse for our unreasonableness. Also, the dialogue between our peoples in Bosnia and Herzegovina, it is important to constantly emphasize, must never and under no circumstances be at the expense of a third party.

We also agreed that we must dig up all our pits and expose the bones to the light of the sun. That would be the only right way, if we want to be preachers of truth and charity, if we want the blood to dry and wash away, if we want to wash ourselves and remove the scum that has blinded our eyes and minds so many times and made us become not only beasts but and worse than the beast.

After we concluded that this was the only way and way, our conversation flowed smoothly like still water.

We agreed on that occasion and agreed to constantly emphasize that Bosnia and Herzegovina and any city in it cannot be more “ours” than “yours”. We were honest when it came to politics and so-called difficult political issues, so we had the courage to tell each other that Bosnia and Herzegovina would be unquestionable. And we easily agreed that it would be the only one in which both the Republika Srpska and the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina are unquestionable, in which every living person is guaranteed freedom, human rights, the profession of religion and preserving the dignity of others as well as oneself.

We also agreed on what hurts us all. We agreed to visit our biggest killing sites in Gradina – Jasenovac, Srebrenica, Prebilovce, Kazan, Bradina, just the two of us, as people, not in front of the cameras, but in front of God and the victims. Throughout our honest and human conversation, the feeling of freedom and understanding of the other prevailed

We also agreed on what hurts us all. We agreed to visit our biggest killing sites in Gradina – Jasenovac, Srebrenica, Prebilovce, Kazan, Bradina, just the two of us, as people, not in front of the cameras, but in front of God and the victims. Throughout our honest and human conversation, the feeling of freedom and understanding of the other prevailed. I told Reis that I know how he and his brother Hodja experienced prison and suffering in the true sense of the word during the war. I also told him that my priest brother and I had also directly experienced pain, through wounding and various other torments.

No one can condone any lack of patriotism, neither Reis nor me; yes, we were both there, all the time of the war. We were there and we will remain permanently attached to our country, even when it happens that one of us is not physically there all the time. Because we don’t have another country. Our sense of patriotism refers to one and the same country, Bosnia and Herzegovina, which many outsiders say is the strangest because its citizens do not like it. We agreed back then that this is exactly what we want to change from the roots.

We also agreed that in the communities we serve there are many extreme individuals and groups who can understand anything but humanity and respect. These are those who claim to know what God thinks and wants. These are those who appropriate God. These are those who kill in the name of God. We agreed not to be afraid. By opening a dialogue, we will begin the treatment of what is sick in us, but we will promote even more and sooner what is healthy, and there are many of those.

No one can condone any lack of patriotism, neither Reis nor me; yes, we were both there, throughout the war. We were there and we will remain permanently attached to our country, even when it happens that one of us is not physically there all the time. Because we don’t have another country

Our people, we agreed again, whether they are Orthodox Serbs or Muslim Bosniaks, above all they want life, good and peace. They like to work, they like to have, they like to sing, they like to share good things with each other. There is no end to how many good qualities this people has. Hence, it is surprising how we fail to find ways to prevent this fire of evil in us and among us.

We agreed then that we would invite all people of good will to join us in this work of ours: intellectuals, historians, theologians, sociologists, philosophers, lawyers, political scientists and so on, without running away from any painful question, being always and in every at the moment ready to hear criticism and to change and apply whatever is necessary.

In other words, we understood each other.

Is it really that hard?