Multiethnicity and Multiconfessionality Under Attack

Ivo Markovic from Sarajevo addressed the Helsinki Committee for Human Rights. In his letter, Mr. Markovic says that there are two reasons for his addressing the Committee: the first relates to the letter of the Cardinal Vinko Puljic to the High Representative in BiH, Paddy Ashdown, in which he demanded that Croats be protected. Mr. Markovic claims that this letter rather represents «manipulation with vulnerable position and fear than an explanation of the real vulnerable position of Croats and Catholics in Sarajevo». Another Mr. Markovic's reason is the attack by stones on the Church of St. Anthony in Bistrik, which happened on 18 April 2003 during the officiating of the ceremonies of the Holy Week. Mr. Markovic also states that he was informed by the people from the Catholic School Center that someone had urinated in the church that belongs to the school and that several young persons were beaten because they carried crosses on their necklaces.

I

Prompted by these claims, the representatives of the Helsinki Committee interviewed a certain number of representatives of political parties with Croatian denomination, representatives of Catholic Church, cultural and educational institutions, and with a number of renowned persons from the Croatian community, as well as with the representatives of the cantonal police.

Apart from the incidents mentioned in the letter of Mr. Ivo Markovic, the interviewed persons spoke also about several other cases of throwing stones at the windows of the Catholic School Center including the one that took place on 10 June 2002, and cases of abusive graffiti and symbols which were provocative for an establishment such as Catholic School Center. In October 1997, an explosive device was activated in front of the Catholic School Center, while perpetrator has not been discovered as yet. The churchyard of St. Marco was several times desecrated: the crosses and tombstones were broken down, and there was an attempt to burn down the big crucifixion cross at the churchyard. Catholic tombstones were also damaged and covered with graffiti at the city cemetery of Bare.

In the streets of Sarajevo, several Catholic citizens were verbally abused and offended for carrying crosses around their necks or wrists. It is not rare that the citizens of Croat nationality are approached with offensive and insulting name of “ustasha” (ustashas were members of Nazi collaborationist movement during the World War II).

II

There is a feeling of uneasiness and insecurity among the majority of Sarajevo Croats. Although the members of the Croatian elite and renowned public, scientific and cultural workers were not directly exposed to uncomfortable situations, there is an overall impression that the citizens of Croatian ethnic background less and less experience Sarajevo as their own city and feel ill at ease in it.

According to some of our collocutors, the overall position of Croats in BiH and thus in Sarajevo, has also been determined by the constitutional provisions according to which “one nation is given a special position” (Serb people – author’s note). In the same line, there is a statement about Croats as “less equal people in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina”, as well as the estimate that the position of Croats has deteriorated in both entities, bringing them to the walk-on role” with the recent changes and amendments relating to the constituency of all three peoples throughout the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina”.

However, there is a prevailing opinion that the position of Croats in Sarajevo can be compared with the position of members of the three constituent peoples in the territories in which they are not dominating, taking into account all the differences that exists from one environment to another. It was stressed that, as a rule, with Sarajevo being not exemption, that the representatives of a nation in majority openly express their desire to dominate, not taking into account the interests of minority peoples. At the same time, in the parts of BiH in which the members of these same peoples are in minority, their political representatives urge for the principles of democracy, human rights, quoting the highest international standards in these fields.

Unsuitable representation in the governmental bodies at the levels of the Canton, city, municipalities and public services is among the elements that determine the position of Croats in Sarajevo. According to some estimates, there are about 20,000 Croats living in Sarajevo today, which is about one third as compared to the pre-war situation. Until 1992, Croats composed 7% of the population. Today, there are less than 3% of Croats employed in the above-mentioned levels of the governmental bodies, including public enterprises, and only one position of a director – of the Veterinary Station - is occupied by Croat.

Since there are few opportunities to get employed, there is a trend of leaving Sarajevo. In addition, some families have decided to send their children for schooling outside Sarajevo because of curricula and relationship of some teachers and professors. Consequently, there is an obvious danger that the number of Croats in the city can be further reduced.

III

When speaking of the causes for such a situation, the most frequently mentioned relate to the character of the ruling parties and the political atmosphere they create. The national political parties represent only the interests of their own nation and did not express any readiness to condemn the perpetrators of acts that spoil the relationship among the nations when the perpetrators are from the rank of “their own people”. Culprit is always and only seen in the members of other nations. Not to mention that the ruling parties do nothing to build tolerance among the members of different nations and religions. It is widely known that these parties and building their influence and power by maintaining the feeling of fear and threats from others and from different. The homogenization around the national parties nourishes itself with smaller and bigger incidents, excesses, and even with terrorist acts. This statement does not mean that the nationalist parties directly incite such things to happen, but it is for sure that their behavior directly encourages both the extreme nationalists and criminals who stand behind the major part of criminal acts. Belief that such acts will not be sanctioned, which has been shown in practice, encourages the extremists to commit acts that will cause fear, that will make people to abandon the idea of return and to work on the idea of leaving the environments in which the members of specific nation feel insecure and under threats.

Religious communities are also to be held responsible for the present situation. The inter-religious dialogue, if it really does exist as such, is being carried out exclusively among the dignitaries of the religious communities while the priests are not included. The priests are often in a direct function of the national political parties and use the vocabulary of the politicians. They are in a way a link between national parties and believers. There is a prevailing opinion that the national parties owe for their electoral victory to the clergy and its role in the election campaign.

As a rule, religious communities are not engaged in establishment of mutual trust, building of tolerance and reconciliation of members of different confessions. It is more exception than a rule when individual priests act in public in this line.

The religious instructions are not appropriately adapted to multiethnic and multiconfessional society. The religious instructions do not either offer any knowledge on other religions or prepare others to accept other religions and life with people from other religions.

All collocutors, without any exception, stressed the negative influence of some media on the overall situation concerning the relationships between nations in Bosnia and Herzegovina. They pointed out that “media outlets have successfully been poisoning souls”, and that they “in search for sensations give contribution to increase of intolerance, even hatred against other peoples”. In the protection of quite specific political and clan interests, some media outlets contribute to the atmosphere of fear and insecurity. It frequently happens that media while condemning an individual create negative picture about the whole nation or religious group. The language of hatred has been domesticated, in particular in written media. Biased and provocative nature of media is emphasized as the main features of some means of information.

In this context, it was stated that the media do not sufficiently condemn the cases of vandalism and violence, and do not highlight positive examples that could have a beneficial effect.

The influence of family is deemed to be a key one in the education of children; however, we should note that family in present situation are not up to the challenges of the present times. Many are of opinion that the families merely transmit the information they get from media or hear from the politicians and priests. By saying this, we do not want to minimize the potentials that a family has as the key link in the upbringing of children.

In regard to educational institutions, the right to use mother tongue was stressed as important, since on it depends to what extent will the children feel comfortable in schools and universities. In addition, the interpretation of some historical events from the near past and the treatment of cultural heritage of certain nations are also questionable in some environments. Finally, the attitude of some teachers and professors toward members of other ethnic groups is neither in line with the pedagogical requirements nor with the needs of the society of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

IV

The police forces and judiciary, as instruments of the state for protection of legality and rights and freedoms of individuals, were frequently criticized. The most frequent objections relate to inefficiency in discovering the perpetrators of barbaric assaults and terrorist acts. In majority of cases the police was informed of incidents and there were no objections concerning their direct reactions and correctness of on site investigation, however, more than 90% of cases the perpetrators were never identified. Even when the perpetrators were discovered, the gravity of the acts was relativized under the pretext that the perpetrators were “junkies”, “irresponsible children” or similar. No cases were recorded of work with the families or of court charges pressed.

The opinions concerning the performance of the police are such that it is qualified as inert or covering up the “fools among our people” or directly protecting “ours”.

The representatives of the Ministry of Interior of the Canton of Sarajevo, on the other hand, claim that 65% of the perpetrators were discovered; however, these figures relate to all the cases within the police jurisdiction. According to the information supplied by the police, 25% of the perpetrators are juveniles. They also maintain that they appeared with the information in public, claiming that the Cantonal Ministry of the Interior denounced the cases of vandalism and set the protection of religious facilities as one of its priorities.

The Ministry of Interior of the Canton of Sarajevo expressed a degree of dissatisfaction with the way the courts reacted to charges raised by the police.

V

On the basis of the above, the Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in Bosnia and Herzegovina issues the following

RECOMMENDATIONS

1.   To the political parties: to react in principled manner and equally toward all forms of violence, vandalism, use of hate speech and inflammable language. We invite the political parties to condemn such acts regardless of ethnic or religious origin of the perpetrators or victims.

We urge the political parties to show particular sensitivity toward the situation of the members of people who are in minority in the territories where these parties are in power.

We invite the political parties to pay due attention to the process of reconciliation and establishment of tolerant, civilized relations between the citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

2.   To the Ministry of Human Rights, Refugees and Asylum: to start parliamentary procedure as soon as possible concerning the draft law on the establishment of the Commission for Truth and Reconciliation in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

3.   To the religious communities: to initiate a substantial dialogue on inter-religious relations, both at the level of Inter-religious Council and at local levels, among priests and religious believers.

The involvement of religious communities in the promotion of the inter-religious tolerance would be of particular importance. In that sense, we recommend that in the religious instruction subjects such themes be introduced that would contribute to the better knowledge of other religions in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

4.   To the media: to reaffirm the principles of professional journalism by respecting the professional codes and objectively and impartially informing the public. We particularly urge the printed media to refrain from sensationalism that might lead to poisoning of inter-ethnic and inter-religious relations and provoke a feeling of fear and insecurity among the members of certain ethnic or religious groups.

5.   To the police and judiciary: to abide by the Constitution and laws and to treat each citizen equally, without any prejudice, respecting the fundamental principles of the rule of law.

No: 32-06/2003
Sarajevo, 23 June 2003