Izetbegović: Alija is a light year ahead of Schmidt, who reduces all Bosniak rights to the right to life

(Patria) - The President of the Party of Democratic Action, Bakir Izetbegović, stated that the statement by the High Representative in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Christian Schmidt, in which he compared the first President of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Alija Izetbegović, with convicted war criminal Ratko Mladić, is scandalous.

- That is a scandalous statement by Mr. Schmidt. I think that after this experience, he should think carefully and reconsider before saying things about peoples, their leaders, and show more respect for this people. When Schmidt speaks about our representatives - Bećirović and Komšić, whether intentionally or unintentionally, he mispronounces their names. That is a sign of either subconscious or conscious arrogance or belittling of the other side, Izetbegović said for Anadolu.

He emphasized that when the High Representative speaks about Bosniaks, he says: "And Bosniaks have the right to live."

- Is that all our right? And who is he to give us that right? We earned our right to life in a heroic struggle that he should respect. He should especially respect the late Alija Izetbegović, who is a light year ahead of him in everything. He should stand up when his name is mentioned. I think he has now learned his lesson. I don't know what is worse, what he said or that he is now silent, not clarifying that perhaps he didn't mean it that way. Or if he did mean it, let him explain to us how a murderer can be equated with a man who did everything to stop violence and killings, Izetbegović said.

He stressed that Alija Izetbegović, in addition to doing everything to preserve the country and the people, did everything to preserve the system of values on which the world rests.

High Representative Christian Schmidt, speaking a few days ago on a BiH television about the curriculum in the BiH entity of the RS, said that he will do everything to improve the entire education system in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and then placed convicted war criminal Ratko Mladić and the first President of the Republic of BiH, Alija Izetbegović, on the same level.