IGC wrote to Prime Minister Carney: Anti-civilizational rhetoric like Dodik's led to aggression against BiH and genocide in Srebrenica

(Patria) - The Institute for the Research of Genocide Canada (IGC) sent a letter to political and other Canadian leaders regarding the shameful, anti-civilizational, and primitive outburst of the dismissed president of the RS entity, Milorad Dodik, at an election rally in Istočno Sarajevo last night.

The IGC sent the letter to Prime Minister Mark Carney, Minister of Foreign Affairs Anita Anand, Speaker of the House of Commons of Canada Francis Scarpaleggia, Speaker of the Senate Raymonde Gagne, leaders of parliamentary political parties, as well as academic institutions and organizations for the protection of human rights and freedoms.

"We call on Canada, a member of the Peace Implementation Council for Bosnia and Herzegovina and the chair of the G7, to most strongly condemn and take other necessary measures regarding the public appearance of the dismissed president of the RS entity, Milorad Dodik, last night, in which, through a series of offensive, false, and irresponsible statements, by openly insulting Bosniaks, he spread inter-ethnic and inter-religious intolerance and deepened divisions among the citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Such rhetoric, which represents a classic example of hate speech, directly undermines the constitutional order and the fundamental values upon which Bosnia and Herzegovina is based – peace, coexistence, and mutual respect of all peoples and citizens.

We remind you that Dodik, in a speech full of hatred, insulted Bosniaks by calling them 'amoebas' and called on Serbs not to allow, as he said, the Islamization of Istočno Sarajevo as a 'Serb city' because, we quote, 'we are not the same people'.

The IGC reminds you that such anti-civilizational rhetoric is an identical, dangerous propaganda pattern that served as an introduction to the aggression against Bosnia and Herzegovina and the genocide in Srebrenica in the nineties.

Words like 'no one lies more than a Turk' and calls to 'defend the city from Islamization' are not only shameful but represent classic hate speech that would be subject to immediate prosecution in Canada. Inciting hatred is not political speech, but a criminal offense.

Given that Canada continuously supports the territorial integrity, sovereignty, independence, and statehood of Bosnia and Herzegovina, we call on you to use your authority to take concrete measures to protect the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina," reads part of the letter signed by IGC Director Emir Ramić.