PEN Centre Persecutes Bosniak Writers

The Electoral Assembly of the PEN Centre on Thursday did not accept the membership candidacy of three prominent Bosnian-Herzegovinian writers Abdulah Sidran, Džemaludin Latić and Amir Brka. Their stance on this for the Bosnian news agency Patria was presented by Džemaludin Latić.

- This decision only confirms the claims of Abdulah Sidran that he has publicly made about this organization in recent years, which means that the PEN Centre of Bosnia and Herzegovina is a cruel ideological section that, in the name of a humane international organization that, by its calling, fights for freedom of expression and the rights of persecuted or imprisoned writers, is doing a completely inhumane job here: it stifles freedom of thought and expression, persecutes writers, supports the apartheid imposed on one country and one people, sends a false image of Bosnian culture to the world, and interprets our modern history exactly as the instigators of aggression and genocide against Bosnia and the Bosniak people want, and as those centuries-old policies want, according to which Bosnia is a "dark province" and Bosniaks are the subject of their, mostly Greater Serbian, colonial project - said Latić.

He stated that Sidran left that organization precisely because it did not react when the journalist of Oslobođenje, Nagorka Idrizović, classified him as a member of the same ranks as Chetnik writers such as Radovan Karadžić, Dobrica Ćosić, R.P. Nogo and others.

- On that list were also me, then the late Nedžad Ibrišimović and Alija Izetbegović. Two other members of that organization, Ahmet Burić and Enver Kazaz, imputed fascist statements to me; I sued the first one, demanded in court that he show where, when and how I called children from mixed marriages "bastards"; he could not prove it, but the judge, a certain Sanela Đidić, despite that, did not accept my claim - emphasized Latić.

When asked whether there are persecuted writers in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Latić said that he is one of them, the second is Abdulah Sidran, and the third, as things stand now, is Amir Brka.

- Me, as a Muslim and Bosniak writer, in Sarajevo I am persecuted by the PEN Centre of Bosnia and Herzegovina with the help of the Sarajevo court. The same case is with Sidran, i.e., his case will also be resolved by the Sarajevo court like mine, and the PEN is already treating him worse than me! And such writers, like Burić and Kazaz, actually quasi-writers, can be members of the PEN and decide who will be a member of that organization and who will not, while about twenty of our exceptional writers cannot be members of that organization, cannot fight for freedom of expression, for the freedom of their language, people and state, and against the apartheid or "Dayton racist piggery" (Dž. Karahasan) imposed on the Bosniak people - points out Latić.

He also stated that Bosnia and Herzegovina has three writers and intellectuals of European renown: Sidran, Dževad Karahasan and academician Esad Duraković.

- All three, as you know, have left the PEN. The greatest responsibility lies with them; I think they can solve this problem, which is, in my opinion, of the greatest state and national importance. I am glad that the PEN, by rejecting my candidacy, actually calmed my conscience: in this case, I support Sidran and will remain on his side. I know that writer and my conscience dictates that I clearly and loudly rise against the intrigue that the PEN members have created around this, our greatest writer, accusing him of greed for money and other benefits. Sidran is a great martyr, this state has wronged him, and he did not clash with the PEN for personal interest, but for his honor and our, literary calling, and most of all for our state and the freedom of both the Bosniak people and all peoples living in it. As for me, I will go to the Slovenian or Kosovo PEN and declare myself a Palestinian writer, but I will not leave Bosnia, dead or alive - said Latić.

On how other members of the PEN Centre might behave after such a decision, given that some openly supported Sidran, Latić said "if they have a conscience, they will leave that organization".

- Like Esad Duraković, or Dževad Karahasan, or Ugo Vlaisavljević, and not because of the three of us whose candidacy they rejected, but because of the illegitimacy of the Management of the PEN Centre, which betrayed the principles and humane calling of the International PEN Centre - concluded Latić.