Croatian fascism endangers peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina, threatens destabilization of the EU itself!

By: Rasim Belko

While in a synchronized campaign of Serbian and Croatian political hegemonism, Bosnian Muslims worldwide are being portrayed as a factor threatening Europe with alleged fundamentalism and radical Islam, or as terrorists with beards, in the heart of Herzegovina, in the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina, a musical promoter of Croatian fascism held two concerts.

And I don't believe anyone doubted before those concerts that they would turn into a gathering of Ustaše movement enthusiasts, just like Marko Perković Thompson himself.

This PR guslar of fascism, as even the few Croatian anti-fascists call him, does not hold concerts to live music, love, and patriotism, as he often states, but the concerts are a direct weapon in the hands of Croatian politics from Zagreb, supported by that from Herzegovina, through which a message is sent to every other citizen. And that is a message of evil and hatred, which in a country burdened by history must be observed with special attention, because planned systematic crimes have been repeated twice in the past eighty years. Just like the crimes of fascism across the Drina, orchestrated by the Chetnik movement in the name of Serbian hegemonism.

Thompson's guslanje in Široki Brijeg has the same characteristics under which a convicted joint criminal enterprise was committed against the population of Herzegovina, as well as central Bosnia. And because of this fact, any talk of alleged art, culture, and music begins and ends with iconography, verbal and non-verbal messages. The greeting with which Perković begins his concerts, raises the atmosphere and ends that anti-musical charade – “Za dom spremni” (Ready for the homeland) – is forbidden in Croatia. Pardon, it should be forbidden, but it is a dead letter on paper, just as Croatian fascism in both Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina is defeated on paper.

But both there and here, this fascism is very much alive, visibly evident, with a tendency towards even greater promotion of fascist values. Only this inclination is camouflaged by democracy in the names of political parties and false Europeans at the head of these parties.

Because, at Thompson's fascist gatherings, whether they are in Croatia or Herzegovina, the voter base of the two HDZs and their satellites is being counted. Therefore, every message heard at the concert of the guslar from Čavoglave must be attributed precisely to the HDZ RH and HDZ BiH parties. This is more than clear if we consider the fact that these parties never distance themselves in practice from the iconography of the concerts, which, along with the shouts, also includes the raising of the hand that we saw in the era of the Third Reich and Hitler himself.

That the fascism of Croatian politics is a threat to Bosnia and Herzegovina was shown and proven by Ilija Cvitanović, who is allegedly an alternative to Dragan Čović's HDZ, but in the ideology of fascism, he acts even worse.

Thus, Cvitanović, in defense of fascist iconography, tells us: “Cultural and public gatherings are an integral part of democratic life, and the Croatian people, like all other peoples in Bosnia and Herzegovina, have the right to pride, preserve their identity, and dignified remembrance of their defenders. Public discussions need to be conducted calmly, with respect for historical facts and the dignity of all participants in social life. Historians should deal with history, and the focus of public and political action should be on the better lives of citizens. In this context, HDZ 1990 rejects attempts to criminalize the Homeland War and Croatian defenders. It is inadmissible to equate the legitimate symbols of HOS units, which participated in the defense of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with totalitarian ideologies... The Croatian people have the right to pride and do not need to justify their defense or apologize for the fight for their identity and freedom.”

If we compare what happens at Thompson's guslar evenings and Cvitanović's words, we arrive at the definition that: “The Croatian people do not need to justify their defense nor apologize for the fight for their fascist identity.”

Absolutely, unlike Croatian politics, I cannot agree that this is a story about the entire Croatian people, just as I am absolutely sure that Cvitanović, Čović, and Plenković, in defending fascism, are not addressing the entire Croatian populace, but precisely that critical fascist mass that keeps them in power. That fact is the biggest problem, because if we are aware that Thompson's concerts are a census of HDZ voters, both there and here, then it is clear that these policies are based on fascist ideology.

And that doesn't surprise us again, because these are policies and politicians who welcomed war criminals with open arms, clearly told them they did not repent, who, 30 years after the aggression against BiH, just like their partners in the fight against BiH, Vučić and Dodik, do not give up on the policy of dividing Bosnia and Herzegovina on the wave of Greater Croatian and Greater Serbian plans.

That is why they have spent millions and used political influence through Brussels, London, and Washington to launch a witch hunt, or rather, a fascist attack on Bosniaks, Bosnians, and Herzegovinians, who are obstacles to their plans. That is why they are trying to portray Muslims in Bosnia and Herzegovina as terrorists who are a threat to Christianity in Europe, where two-thirds of the population are Christians, compared to perhaps a million and a half Muslims. And yes, that is why they tried to exterminate those Muslims from Bosnia and Herzegovina with the help of the Christian West.

When they failed to do so with weapons, today they are trying with politics, diplomacy, and lobbying in a world that is increasingly sinking into fascist decay.

This must be a call to every politician in Bosnia and Herzegovina to abandon the justification of Croatian, as well as Serbian fascism, and to take concrete steps and inform world leaders that the Bosnian Muslims, for the most part, and Bosnians and Herzegovinians as a whole, have already dealt with fascism and expelled it from this country with their anti-fascist struggle.

Bosnian politicians must travel the world and make it clear that this fascism has returned, that it threatens peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina, but also in the region, and even the EU itself.

Likewise, Bosnian politicians must emphasize to the world that the anti-fascist resistance in World War II was strongest in Bosnia and Herzegovina, that this same anti-fascist resistance defended independent Bosnia and Herzegovina, and, ultimately, most importantly – that the anti-fascists of Bosnia and Herzegovina are ready to confront fascism again, whatever that may mean and whoever that fascism belongs to.