Municipality of Novi Grad marked the Day of the Army of RBiH: 'Stay upright, how will you with your head bowed under the stars'

(Patria) - The Municipality of Novi Grad Sarajevo marked the Day of the Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina - April 15 and the 32nd anniversary of its formation, with a program, with fighters, veterans, members of the Novi Grad and other wartime brigades and the MUP of RBiH, women fighters, disabled war veterans, family members of martyrs and fallen fighters, civilian victims of war, army generals, and numerous guests from social and public life at the municipal, cantonal, and federal levels, and the presence of about 150 young men and women.

"The event commemorating one of the most significant dates in the history of Bosnia and Herzegovina was held in the multimedia hall of the Municipality. It was an opportunity to recall how the Army of RBiH bravely and heroically resisted the intentions of those who wanted to destroy this city and this country, to remember the bravest sons and daughters of BiH, who laid down their lives for the freedom we live in today, to pay tribute to them, to express our respect and gratitude for what they did for an independent, sovereign, and free BiH," announced the Municipality of Novi Grad.

The Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina was officially founded on April 15, 1992, from units of the Territorial Defense of BiH and organized volunteers, in response to the Serbian aggression against the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Our people resisted a far superior enemy. Courage, defiance, and honor were stronger than the aggressor's heavy weaponry.

In those crucial moments for our country, there was no fear, only a great desire and struggle for a free BiH, a great desire to preserve Bosnia and Herzegovina, our only homeland, was the driving force of love, strength, and courage. That great desire in young men and women, the elderly and children, fueled by a firm decision that it was worth dying for. That historical commitment should be engraved in golden letters in our hearts and memories, it was stated at today's gathering from the Municipality of Novi Grad Sarajevo.

The attendees were addressed by the wartime commander of the famous Dobrinja Brigade, general of the Army of RBiH and recipient of the highest wartime recognition, the "Golden Lily," Ismet Hadžić.

"We are a generation of Bosniaks whose traces are visible, I think Bosnia will never have such heroes again. Neither we, members of the Army of RBiH, nor our leaders, are even aware of what our martyrs, heroes, and fallen fighters gave to Bosnia. They are the guardians of our state and our Bosnia, our only country, guardians of our survival at the crossroads of East and West, at the clash of religions.

I often wonder what Bosnia is after all this, what happened and what is happening, what Bosnia is today. Bosnia will be better or worse, but it will be different. We naturally want, wish, and believe that it will be better. As we are, so will Bosnia be. No one has ever managed to rule Bosnia. It only seemed so, because Bosniaks are born with two lives and one death," said General Hadžić.

He recalled the words of the late first president of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Alija Izetbegović: "Stay upright, how will you with your head bowed under the stars. Whichever path you take, you will eventually await death, and everything ends in ruin, and you will die, and know that the world will die. Therefore, stay upright," were the words of the late president Izetbegović.

The Mayor of the Municipality of Novi Grad, Semir Efendić, congratulated the attendees on the Day of the Army of RBiH - April 15, emphasizing that the Municipality pays special attention to dates important for our country, Independence Day, Statehood Day, and Army Day, believing that neither Independence Day nor Statehood Day would have anyone to commemorate if it weren't for the Army, which defended the country.

“Perhaps it is a good time to remember that this country would not exist without the Army of RBiH. We see what is happening in Bosnia and Herzegovina and in the region, that the denial of genocide has not ceased to this day, that very ugly, fascist messages continue to come from the smaller BiH entity, Republika Srpska. The policies that led to the Dayton Agreement, but before that, to genocide in BiH, have not been defeated, and they are still alive.

Therefore, it is important to remember that the Army of RBiH stopped them. Because, if it weren't for the Army and its honorable struggle, there would have been no negotiations and talks in Dayton and the way BiH was formed today, i.e., its Constitution. It is very important for us to preserve in our consciousness the memory of an honorable Army, which in the most difficult possible circumstances waged war in the most humane way ever observed. That is, revenge was not observed, it did not create concentration camps, it did not destroy religious buildings and abuse civilians. That is the moral dimension, but of course, besides the moral dimension, there is also its heroic dimension,” stated Mayor Efendić.

For June 8, on the Day of Defense of the Municipality of Novi Grad, he announced the completion of the construction of a large monument "Wings of Freedom" on Žuč hill, where a large number of fighters gave their lives defending the city of Sarajevo, and thus the state of BiH.

“We believe it is important to preserve the memory of the Army of RBiH primarily because we do not know when we might need it again. And it is very important to know that there will be no international organization, institution, or convention that will protect us if we are not able to protect ourselves. We received that lesson once from the Army of RBiH, and it is important that we are always aware of that lesson, that in any situation where the country needs to be defended, it will only be defended by people willing to defend it with their lives, as was the case with the members of the Army of RBiH,” concluded Mayor Efendić.

As part of the program, a documentary film was shown, which reminded all attendees of the period of aggression against our homeland Bosnia and Herzegovina. In the musical part of the program, the mixed choir RKUD „Proleter“, the choir VIS Merak from Sapna, and the female ensemble „Corona“ performed. The narrator and host of the program was BiH actor Izudin Bajrović.