Alija Izetbegović Foundation wrote to Schmidt: Read Alija's book, perhaps then you will better understand Bosniaks and BiH

(Patria) - The "Alija Izetbegović" Foundation has released an open letter to High Representative Christian Schmidt due to his statement about the first President of the Republic of BiH, Alija Izetbegović.

"We have sent a letter to the High Representative, as well as Alija Izetbegović's autobiography 'Memories' in English, so that he can become better acquainted with his life, the principles he advocated for, and his actions," the Foundation stated.

Read the complete letter from the "Alija Izetbegović" Foundation to High Representative Christian Schmidt below.

Mr. Schmidt,

we are very disappointed with your statement in which you equate the first president of the Presidency of the independent Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Alija Izetbegović, with a convicted war criminal, Ratko Mladić. Such a thoughtless and uninformed statement indicates that you have not gained sufficient knowledge about the peoples and citizens living in Bosnia and Herzegovina, nor have you grasped the truth about the events that took place here.



And this is unacceptable for a high-ranking international official.

You, Mr. Schmidt, persistently, through your actions, cause people in Bosnia and Herzegovina to doubt your good intentions and impartiality.

From your statement, it can be concluded that you do not want us to talk about either Alija Izetbegović or Ratko Mladić (but about the truth!), but rather that we should teach our children some adapted version of history, which relativizes and equates good and evil, truth and falsehood, justice and injustice.

You are mistaken if you think that the young generations of this country need such an education. On the contrary, all citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina have the right to the truth.

Why should Bosniaks, as a people who suffered the greatest losses during the war of 1992-1995, as well as all Bosnian patriots, be ashamed of their leader who remained a man in the most difficult moments?

And with his associates, many of whom were of different religious, national, or political affiliations, managed to maintain a unified and sovereign Bosnia and Herzegovina? Why do you persistently impose a narrative on us that we should be ashamed of our struggle for the defense of fundamental human values?

Alija Izetbegović advocated for a Bosnia and Herzegovina "where no one should feel cramped and where no one will be persecuted for their faith, nation, or political beliefs" and fought to preserve a whole, democratic, and multi-ethnic Bosnia and Herzegovina, even though the international community pressured him, offering a partition and a "Muslim" statelet. And we hope you at least know what the criminal Ratko Mladić stood for and how he implemented his ideas.

Therefore, wishing to believe that your careless statements stem from ignorance, we are providing you with Alija Izetbegović's autobiography "Memories" in English, in which you can find information about his life journey, as well as his thoughts, statements, and speeches that can help you correct your perspective and contextualize your knowledge.

Perhaps then you will better understand Bosniaks and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Please read it.