BRATUNAC Six victims of the 1992 crime buried, the youngest was seven years old when killed

(Patria) - The 17th collective funeral for six victims of the Greater Serbian crime committed against Bosniak civilians in the spring of 1992 was held today at the Veljaci Martyrs' Cemetery in Bratunac.
The program began with laying flowers on the martyrs' tombstones, followed by a religious program and messages from the victims of genocide.

The funeral prayer and noon prayer were led by the Deputy Reis-ul-ulema of the Islamic Community in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Prof. Dr. Enes-ef. Ljevaković.

“We remember our brothers and sisters who were subjected to horrific crimes in the area where they lived, solely because they were Bosniaks. Their murders remind us of the Quranic truth that there are creatures in human form in the world who are not only willing to kill the innocent but also enjoy killing,” stated Dr. Ljevaković.

As he conveyed, this event is a reminder of the innocently killed people, as well as the values for which they were killed.

“We send a message from this place that we will keep the memory of the martyrs alive, just as they are alive with their Lord, that we will live the values for which they gave their lives, and that we will tirelessly fight for justice so that the perpetrators of crimes are adequately sanctioned,” said Ljevaković.

The Mufti of Tuzla, Dr. Vahid-ef. Fazlović, emphasized on this occasion that coming to this site is a testament to the great truth about the past.

“In these martyrs' cemeteries, we are together with our martyrs. We have come to express our respect and gratitude to them. Martyrs are witnesses and symbols of the value of human life, but also of crimes against life,” said the Mufti.

He emphasized that martyrs are guardians of their homeland, country, faith, and freedom, stressing that these are achievements that oblige us.

“We perform today’s funeral and noon prayer with humility, with prayers to Allah, the Almighty, for mercy and forgiveness. We are here to, together with the families of the martyrs, our imams, and all witnesses of the truth, make a vow that we will never stop being with our martyrs and especially to come collectively in large numbers to our martyrs' cemeteries,” conveyed Mufti Fazlović.

Michael J. Murphy, the Ambassador of the United States of America to Bosnia and Herzegovina, also visited Veljaci today, stating in a press release that such events are an important reminder of the importance of recognizing and acknowledging the facts from the past.

“We must teach all people in the present so that they remember in the future and pay tribute to the victims as they deserve. Likewise, we must actively work on searching for missing persons and seek justice in terms of prosecuting perpetrators of crimes. This is the kind of reconciliation that Bosnia and Herzegovina needs in order to build its democracy and progress as it deserves,” said Murphy.

The funeral prayer was held for Amiri Paraganlija, a girl who was killed at the age of seven in the arms of her mother Safija, who was 31 years old. The oldest victim to be buried this year is Rukija Paraganlija, born in 1925 in Biljača near Bratunac. She was 67 years old at the time of her death. Funeral prayers were also held for Sabaheta Hasanović, born in 1952, Šaćir Muminović, born in 1952, and Alija Hodžić, born in 1963.