Muftija Dedović: Enough with agreements made over the Bosniaks of Herzegovina

(Patria) - Mostar Muftija dr. Salem-ef. Dedović, like every year, sent a strong message during the program commemorating the anniversary of the liberation of Podveležje and the wider Mostar area, emphasizing the preservation of the values of freedom, national dignity, and the multi-ethnic character of the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina, especially the City of Mostar and other places in Herzegovina.

- This is a day of victory, a day of glory, a day of defiance, a day of pride, and a day of freedom, freedom that was won here in June 1992 and which serves as an honor and pride for the entire state of BiH, all Bosniaks, and all justice-loving citizens committed to a unified, independent Bosnia and Herzegovina - said the muftija.

In a metaphorical expression and description of the events and significance of that important victory from 1992, Podveležje was called the wings of freedom.

- Our people are free and a people who want to have their freedom. No one else will determine their measures of freedom, because they did not agree to be a subjugated people in a truncated Yugoslavia, but bravely voted for an independent state, aware that they would have to defend it and did defend it - he reminded, emphasizing that Greater-state projections aimed for the Bosniak people to disappear, and for the 1939 banovina border, ratified in Karađorđevo by Milošević and Tuđman, and later initialed by their followers Boban and Karadžić, to be drawn across the Podveležje area.

In analyzing the sacrifices of the Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Bosniak people during the aggression, the muftija stressed the importance of re-emphasizing the significance of the area and responsibility even today, after so much time has passed.

- Our people have carved out their place on their own, in this area, an area that our state leadership, our Sarajevo, does not understand sufficiently. Many times they have not sufficiently understood what Herzegovina is, how big Herzegovina is, how important it is, that it is the fateful gateway to our country, and that we have often been left to the mercy of fate. But we did not leave ourselves to the mercy of fate. We must say that we are not a bargaining chip. Enough with agreements made over the Bosniaks of Herzegovina that brought harm to our people, putting us in a position of being a second-class, third-class people in this area. Such moves were bad and brought us a lot of harm - said the muftija.

On these premises, the muftija sent his message to political entities ahead of the upcoming local elections, saying that he knows this is expected of him.

- I know that Bosniaks are going in several columns, and let them, because this is not the time of a one-party system, but they should know that nothing has changed since 1992. Let them look at Hum hill every morning when they wake up and see what stands there - assessing that this symbol is not a symbol of Christianity and Christian ethics and teachings, but a political, hegemonic symbol that sends a message that there is no one else in this area, that there is only one people, and that the second, third, and others do not exist.

He clearly told the representatives of political parties to decisively commit to the trust that the people give them and not to betray it under any circumstances.

- If you want the survival of our people, their freedom, honor, and dignity, then listen to the messages being sent to you today from Podveležje, from the wings of our freedom. That is why we need to build wings of freedom at the entrance to this area, at Fortica where the state flag is, as we did at Žuč. We will not raise a crescent moon and star there as they suggested to us. We will not misuse our symbols. We need state-building symbols, symbols of freedom, the seal that the Bosniaks of Mostar, Herzegovina, and this Podveležje have woven into our freedom. We need such wisdom, and then it will be loyalty to the idea and loyalty to the flag - said the muftija.

Finally, he warned about inappropriate instances of displaying state flags on various occasions and in inappropriate places, reports Preporod.info.