Komšić: There is a clash of civilizations in BiH

SARAJEVO, (Patria) - There is indeed a clash of civilizations in Bosnia and Herzegovina, but not in the sense that some backward policies interpret and present, which want to say that the basis of the conflict here is the relationship between Christianity and Islam. No, the fundamental clash of civilizations or civilizational conceptual conflict is between those who accept democratic, European, and civic standards and those who reject all of that with contempt, said the leader of the Democratic Front Željko Komšić today.

"For example, on one hand, we have those who prevent the implementation of the European Court of Human Rights rulings, rulings that implicitly state that ethnic principles in political representation must be rejected in BiH and replaced with civic (1 person 1 vote), democratic, and civilizational principles – while on the other hand, there are those who unequivocally advocate for it.
It is also known from before that there are those who respect the rulings of international courts and those who ignore these rulings. Therefore, it is simply a civilizational conflict," Komšić said.

"The key lies in the very etymology of the word civilization. Civitas, civitatis, which means citizenship. Therefore, the civic principle lies opposite barbarism and anti-civilization, and what is barbarism today if not opposition to the rulings of international courts, which have characterized the crimes from the period of aggression against BiH as they have. Any opposition to this is an expression of an anti-civilizational stance. What else could be an opposition to the implementation of the European Court of Human Rights rulings, rulings that explicitly mandate the rejection of constitutionality and ethnic representation, than an expression of an anti-civilizational stance, which has been defeated but simply doesn't see it yet," Komšić explained.

He believes that all those in BiH who oppose a civic state, democratic and European standards – are on the other side of civilization, and that is why he claims that there is a clash of civilizations in BiH.

"However, we who advocate for a civic state and civilizational values in this conflict must not allow ourselves arrogance and exclusivity, because we do not want to exclude those who unfortunately do not yet accept these values. Quite the contrary, we want to integrate them. Only then can we all be winners, and only then are there no losers, and we are all winners.
A civic BiH will win, because it is democratic and civilized," concluded the DF leader.