Novi Grad Municipality Celebrated Bosnia and Herzegovina Statehood Day: 'He Who Does Not Know His Past Cannot Know the Path to the Future'

(Patria) - With the event "On the Wings of Freedom and Knowledge", held in the Sports Hall of the Fifth Gymnasium and Dobrinja Gymnasium, the Municipality of Novi Grad Sarajevo today marked November 25, the Statehood Day of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

This event gathered about 1,300 eighth-grade students from elementary schools in Novi Grad, and in addition to the historical part, the program included a musical segment featuring performances by elementary school students and well-known interpreters of BiH music.



Addressing the attendees, the Mayor of Novi Grad Municipality Sarajevo, Semir Efendić, stated that there is no future without history, as numerous heroes defended this city and our right to live here.

Efendić emphasized that today's elementary school students, had it not been for that generation, would not have been born in Sarajevo but in some refugee camps around the world, or perhaps not born at all.



- He who does not know his past cannot know the path to the future, neither individually nor collectively - said Efendić, adding that knowledge is what will guarantee a prosperous and bright future for all of us.

He called on young people to seize the opportunity in school to gain knowledge so that they can navigate life successfully.



Nedžad Bublin Čupo, a recipient of the highest award of the Army of RBiH - the "Golden Lily", and a member of the Second Knightly Brigade, spoke to the attendees about the defense of Sarajevo from the aggressor.

- It is a special honor for me to address a large number of children, especially from this place, which is a symbol of resistance, a symbol of defense, and ultimately a symbol of freedom for us. We were just discussing during the preparation of this speech how the weather was similar in 1992 when we liberated this part. There was slightly less snow, but the temperature was significantly lower.



It is very important that when we commemorate significant dates, events, and figures from our history, especially from the period of aggression, we do so in places like this. This is a place to which we Sarajevans, fighters and members of the First Corps and the Army, cannot remain indifferent. A place where we achieved great victories and a place where we fought decisive battles for our people and our country.

That is why it is important to remember. The culture of remembrance is of paramount importance for every nation, for the state and society. It is part of our identity, it tells us who we are and what we are, it defines us and guides us in the future on how to proceed - said Bublin.



He addressed numerous students who, as he stated, had probably learned in school about peoples, cultures, and civilizations that have disappeared throughout history. The reasons for their disappearance are varied.

- A great European writer said: "If you want a nation to disappear, first take away and ban its memory. Forbid it its history, write your own version of history and education, and that nation will disappear without even realizing it."

Bosnia and Herzegovina has had very significant periods in its long history. One of the most significant for me is the period '92-'95. This is the period when we gained independence, or rather, when we restored independence, achieved international recognition, and the period when we formed the most important organization, the Army of RBiH.



Immediately after international recognition, a brutal aggression against BiH began. The aggression was the realization of the Greater Serbia projects of our neighbors. For this realization, they prepared a respectable military force, 1,000 tanks, as many transporters, more than 10,000 artillery pieces of various calibers, a large part of which was deployed around Sarajevo.

They dug in that artillery before the aggression itself, on these positions around Sarajevo, targeted everything, and started killing. They say there were 35 artillery pieces per kilometer of front line around Sarajevo. That was the highest number of artillery pieces in the history of warfare up to that point - emphasized Bublin.

They thought they would conquer Bosnia in a month, and Sarajevo in a few days.



- Thank God, thousands of our fellow citizens and patriots did not think so. They noticed the danger in time, organized themselves through the Green Berets, the Patriotic League, and the Territorial Defense, and offered strong resistance to the aggressor.

Driven by precisely that courage and patriotism, the Presidency of RBiH placed all these units under a unified command at the beginning of April, thus forming the Army of RBiH on April 15. Besides Statehood Day and Independence Day, this is certainly one of the most significant dates in our history.

I have already mentioned this immense weaponry and artillery positioned above Sarajevo. Never before in the history of warfare has there been such treatment of a city, its citizens, its people. They cut off water, electricity, gas, heating, and began to kill everything that moved in Sarajevo daily, and nothing was sacred to them.



They started killing babies in maternity wards, newborns in incubators, the elderly in nursing homes, entire families in their living rooms, children and young people in playgrounds, parks, students along with their teachers in classrooms. They did this daily for 3.5 years.

They wanted to force us to surrender. However, this call that followed in 1992 was a call to all patriots. Thousands responded who love this city and this country. Those responded who believed that the foundation of the world and the foundation of life rests on courage and truth, never on cowardice, never on lies.

Those whose conscience is completely clear responded. What is the conscience, dear children, of a person who knows that in the next few hours, a few minutes, they can give the most precious thing, which is their life. This was a call for many, an opportunity for many cowards to become brave, for undecided smart alecks to come to their senses.



It was an opportunity for many to become heroes and enter legend, like Safet Zajko, Enver Šehović, Zahir Panjeta, Isović, Magoda, Zolja, Vinko Šamarlić, Čedo Domuz, Saša Petrović, like our Smajo, our Senči from Dobrinja, and many others, who were the bravest and best among us. They are part of the culture of remembrance - stated Bublin.

He also emphasized the importance of remembering all those listed, just like our writers, poets, Oscar winners, footballers, and actors, because they are part of the culture of remembrance, and it is important to know this so that the nineties do not repeat.

- The Army of RBiH stopped the aggressor in '92 and '93, and in '94 and '95 we began liberation and started to liberate our mountains and our cities. Unfortunately, the world imposed an embargo in '92, a ban on weapons, just when we had strengthened, strengthened enough to liberate our BiH.



Then came the agreement, came Dayton, which stopped the war but brought an unjust peace. Any peace, dear children, is better than one day of war. Today, you hold mobile phones in your hands, you hold your loved ones, and we held rifles.

Today your hands smell of perfume, of pretzels, and ours smelled of gunpowder. Today you look at our city with wide-open eyes, the whole world is at your fingertips thanks to technology, and we looked at death every day.



That is why it is very important that you study. Science does not allow you to be arrogant, to hate; it shows you your limits and possibilities. Therefore, study so that you can be strong. Study, so that you can be happy and free.

They say the secret to happiness is freedom, and the secret to freedom is courage. Our great president Alija Izetbegović said: "We must be strong and educated, because only then will we prevent any attack on our only homeland, Bosnia and Herzegovina," Bublin concluded in his address.



As we have already mentioned, the event was attended by about 1,300 eighth-grade students from elementary schools in the Novi Grad municipality, for whom a historical and musical program was organized, featuring performances by students from elementary schools "Sokolje", "Mehmedalija Mak Dizdar", and "Umihana Čuvidina".

Also present were well-known interpreters of BiH music Muhamed Fazlagić Fazla, Nešad Selman, Ana Milanović, Dino Suljić, Denial Ahmetović, who performed songs dedicated to the homeland, as well as songs created during the aggression against our only homeland, Bosnia and Herzegovina.