Only time has passed since World War II - the hatred is the same, the countries are different

By: Amina Čorbo-Zećo

Thirty years after the aggression against Bosnia and Herzegovina, we are witnessing how little has changed in society. Although time has passed, the ideologies that sowed fear decades ago - fascism, Nazism, Chetnik ideology, Ustaše ideology - are still peeking through political rhetoric, social networks, and everyday life.

Milorad Dodik has been at the forefront of this for years, today tying flags with Viktor Orbán, united by hatred. Dodik and Orbán's statements are similar when it comes to Bosniaks (in Republika Srpska, this nation is marginalized, destroyed). While Dodik repeatedly states that life with Bosniaks is impossible, and that BiH is not a sustainable country, not so long ago Orbán wondered how to integrate two million Muslims into the EU!?

Dodik has also gotten close to Donald Trump, who, in his pursuit of the Nobel Peace Prize, launched a new war with Israel!

Dragan Čović is not far behind, still unwilling to accept that a joint criminal enterprise was committed during the establishment of the so-called Herceg-Bosna. Of course, he does not break his firm alliance with Dodik even when humiliated by the fact that members of the HVO cannot commemorate the suffering in Derventa. Because they have a goal, and that is the destruction of the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

It is difficult to count the gatherings, both in BiH and in the world, where the anniversary of the genocide in Srebrenica was commemorated. Almost always from the same places, the message is that genocide must not be forgotten or repeated, and Serbia and Republika Srpska are called upon to recognize this genocide. They have never done so.

The history of BiH is a mirror of the continuity of hatred. While European countries learned lessons from World War II, here, wartime divisions and ethnic conflicts are often repeated, only in a different form. The European Union is almost powerless.

And while world leaders and UN officials have admitted the mistakes of the international community in BiH, the world has witnessed new destructions in the Middle East. Gaza happened, before the eyes of the whole world! In the current conflict, which escalated after the mass attacks by American and Israeli forces on Iran, Iranian territory was hit by a series of strikes that led to great casualties and devastating consequences throughout the region.

The region is facing a war that has engulfed millions of people, with civilian suffering and a strong impact on the global economy, especially through the interruption of oil and gas transport due to the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.

Conflicts, repression, and extremist ideologies show that the human community continues to repeat the same mistakes: hatred and violence transcend the boundaries of time and space. Analysts warn that education, remembrance, and legal accountability are key to breaking this cycle.

But is that really the case? What do all the declarations and resolutions mean to us? What do condemnations mean to us if we don't learn from mistakes.

Time passes, but without a genuine change in society, everything else remains the same. Only time has passed since World War II, and the forces of evil still live in fascists, Nazis, Chetniks, and Ustaše...