Damir ef. Peštalić: Imagine the pain of the mothers of Srebrenica who bury their children 30 times because one bone is found

It is forbidden to bring about a situation where victims of genocide today do not have their basic rights, are belittled, are daily insulted by the politics from Banja Luka, and live in a time when they are threatened with policies similar to those that committed genocide in 1995 – stated Damir-ef. Peštalić, chief imam of the Islamic Community in Srebrenica, for Preporod.info.

The chief imam of Srebrenica clearly stated that "we must finally draw a line, conduct an analysis, and see where we have erred and where we can improve the situation to finally start treating Srebrenica systematically, planned, and maturely".

– And all this in order to bring it to a position where the victims of genocide, who have returned to these areas, can live with dignity from their own labor, where our children, born in Srebrenica after the genocide, have a bright future, together with other children, and where Srebrenica becomes a city attractive to all those who wish to build their lives here. Only in this way – with life in Srebrenica – can we plan a better future in the long term, not only for our country but for the whole of Europe, and if you will, for the world – said efendija Peštalić.

He also stated that we must never forget July 11, 1995.

– This is important, not only for the victims of genocide but for the entire world. This way, we will certainly defend ourselves better against those who still harbor genocidal ideas in their minds, and this way we will ensure a better future for our children. We must fight, each in our own way, to contribute – said Peštalić.

In that fight, he particularly highlighted the mothers who wait day after day without knowing the whereabouts of the remains of their loved ones.

– That is a great pain and emptiness. Many mothers, who have already passed to a better world, did not live to find their children's bones. We, believers, and they themselves, were aware that they would be resurrected and that they would be reunited with their children in the afterlife. That is what kept them sane and gave them hope in this world. However, in this world, it is injustice – said Peštalić.

He also reminded that it is very difficult to find each martyr's body, given the fact that their remains have been moved from grave to grave so many times to hide the truth.

– The consequences of genocide are most evident in this. Those responsible for this must do more, strive to get involved, we must not give up until every body of our martyrs is found – says ef. Peštalić.

According to him, about 6,750 martyrs have been buried in the Potočari Memorial Center so far, while about 250 victims have been buried outside the Memorial Center – in their family graveyards.

– The martyrs who are buried have their graves, tombstones... Unfortunately, many of these bodies are incomplete, only parts of skeletons are buried. That is why the number of funerals is decreasing year by year, because the number of found bodies is decreasing. Our mothers are aware that they are getting old, they agree to bury even a part of their child's body and to have a funeral prayer. Some cannot, they do not want to. It is very difficult to say: "do it". No one has the right to tell a mother: "Don't wait anymore, bury your son's forearm". We hope that the missing parts will be found. This will take years, it is difficult to say how long – said Peštalić.

This process is painful, he adds, perhaps even more painful than the funeral itself, because re-exhumations and further burials are carried out every year.

– Imagine the pain of mothers who have to bury their child 30 times. Each time is harder than the first. These are traumas, and all of this speaks to the consequences and the severity of the genocide. However, we must not give up, especially I mean the institutions responsible for this process. There is no giving up until the last part of our martyrs' bodies is found – said ef. Peštalić.

The mothers of Srebrenica teach us this best, he says, because despite the pain they have endured, they have not given up.

– Our mothers had two goals in this world. One was to find their children while they were alive, to find parts of their bodies. The second wish was to fight for justice, to achieve as much justice as possible for the victims of genocide. In their struggle, they have become a symbol of dignity, perseverance, and love throughout the world – says ef. Peštalić.

He emphasizes that the mothers have managed to achieve a lot, not only for the victims but also for our country and for Srebrenica.

– If we take just two things as an example, it is significant. Today, thanks to them, we are talking about Srebrenica globally. It is known all over the world. Thanks to their strength and persistence, the UN Resolution on the Genocide in Srebrenica was adopted last year. This is a huge thing for all of us, but also for the entire world – said Peštalić.

He assessed that the Resolution will certainly be quite effective in the future when it comes to preventing genocide.

– Besides, we have the Hague verdicts. We know that the most important things, when it comes to verdicts, were the testimonies. It is very difficult to prove a crime, genocide, if you do not have witnesses. Our mothers went, testified, spoke a hundred times... It was not easy to go through those traumas, but they found the strength. Thanks to that, they achieved verdicts that are a historic achievement, not only for Bosniaks and for the victims but generally for all people in Europe and the world – emphasized ef. Peštalić.