The only path to prosperity is to build Bosnia and Herzegovina on our values!

Written by: Muamer Bandić, representative in the Assembly of the Sarajevo Canton and member of the Presidency of the Party for Bosnia and Herzegovina

Our generation has been struck by a historical misfortune to live in anything but boring and very turbulent times. We already carry within us that unfortunate experience of the brutality of total war and the fight against aggression on our people and our country.

With such an unfortunate life experience, which we did not seek in any way, I sincerely believe that today the only desire of our generation is peace and prosperity for us, our children, our people, and our only homeland, Bosnia and Herzegovina.

For 30 years now, various "pro-Bosnian" political forces have been trying to achieve sustainable peace, stability, and prosperity in this area through an outstretched hand, dialogue, and compromise. I have never been and will never be against an outstretched hand and dialogue, as civilizational and democratic political tools for the betterment of society, but today, faced with ever fiercer and more brazen criminal and secessionist policies, we must seriously think about the compromises we make, because they are leading us, our people, and our state into a very unenviable political position where even our biological survival is threatened.

First of all, it is utterly foolish to even enter into any compromises with anti-state elements and open haters of our people, when we do not even know our starting positions, nor do we have clear political goals as a people. If we can learn anything from the Troika, it is that in such compromises, where we constantly bend our backs and remain silent in the face of all insults, we lose.

We lose our people, who leave because they are sick of everything. We lose our state, handing over institutions to those who hate it and tear it apart at every step. And worst of all, we render meaningless and lose our civilizational values and political principles that thousands of people defended with their hearts and their lives, during four years of brutal aggression by Serbia and Croatia against the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Tomorrow are two great days, March 1 – Independence Day and the first day of the fast of the month of Ramadan. The time we live in brings many trials, both life and political. Let us turn to ourselves, think about the meaning of our existence, as individuals and as a community. Let us find within ourselves the essence and meaning of our lives, who we are, what we are, and what we want, and on those civilizational values and political principles, let us build ourselves and our community. Let us be Together and FOR one, and we will be unbreakable!

Only then will we not be those passive observers and weaklings, who always bend their backs, remain silent, and endure all injustices and insults. We owe this to all those who laid down their lives for the independence of our homeland and for us to stand here today where we are and be a political factor. We owe this to our children as well, so that they do not experience and carry the same traumas that we carry. And we can do this only if we are clear, first towards ourselves, and consequently towards everyone else.

Enough of rotten and bad compromises from which only a handful of armchair politicians and profiteers profit, keeping our society in constant fear of a new war! We must clearly say that we are for peace, but peace on our terms, not on the terms of destroyers and fascists!

In doing so, we neither need nor must threaten anyone with unconstitutional actions or conflicts. There are enough of us, and it is enough that we be smart, and simply not buy products that are produced, imported, and sold by anti-state elements who are destroying our country and constantly threatening war. It is enough that we are not stupid and do not spend our hard-earned money on financing such people, organizations, and ideas.

All of you who read this text, think about this and let us try to be disciplined and read the labels on every item before purchasing, at least during the month of Ramadan. Because for every mark you spend, you deserve respect from those you pay, and until you get it, do not buy from those who work against us and our state!

It is time for them to adapt to us, and to achieve that we must show our unity and our strength! Happy March 1 – Independence Day of our only homeland, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Ramadan Sherif Mubarek Olsun!