PRESENTATION OF THE SARAJEVO HAGGADAH Bećirović: There is no clash of civilizations in BiH, that is a falsehood spread by malicious lobbyists

(Patria) - BiH Presidency Chairman Denis Bećirović addressed the Capitol Hill in Washington on the occasion of the presentation of the Sarajevo Haggadah.

In his speech, the BiH Presidency Chairman emphasized that Bosnia and Herzegovina is a country where different cultures and religions meet. Our country has always been a bridge. In the capital city of Sarajevo, mosques, churches, and synagogues are located in a small area. For us, this is a wealth. Manipulation of religious narratives, incitement of antisemitism and Islamophobia are contrary to the essence of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Bećirović said that some malicious politicians and lobbyists are trying to promote the false thesis of a "clash of civilizations" in Bosnia and Herzegovina. This is a blatant falsehood. Diversity is our wealth. Cooperation is our choice, Bećirović emphasized.

The Sarajevo Haggadah survived the Inquisition. It survived Nazism. The Haggadah survived World War II, when Bosnian Muslims, risking their own lives, saved it from the Nazis. It survived the Greater Serbian siege of Sarajevo in the 1990s, when it was saved by brave employees of the National Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina, while the city was under shelling, Bećirović stressed.

In his speech, the BiH Presidency Chairman emphasized that thirty years after the aggression against Bosnia and Herzegovina and the committed genocide against Bosniaks, we are once again facing criminal propaganda. A special goal of the brutal propaganda in the 1990s was to demonize and compromise Bosniaks in the eyes of the United States and the West. Let's not forget, it was precisely the terrifying political and media campaign that preceded the only genocide in Europe after World War II - the genocide against Bosniaks. This dangerous goal of discrediting Bosniaks has been reactivated. Unfortunately, we are once again witnessing monstrous propaganda against Bosnia and Herzegovina - a country that is a reliable part of the Global Anti-Terrorist Coalition.

Bećirović emphasized that Bosnia and Herzegovina is a country with a millennial past and a secure future. We see the future in the Euro-Atlantic family of nations. Bosnia and Herzegovina's entry into NATO is an investment in collective security, not just our national interest. A stable Bosnia and Herzegovina and Southeast Europe mean a more secure Euro-Atlantic world. Bosnia and Herzegovina remains a lasting proof that American leadership is important for the entire world. We remain a responsible and reliable partner of the USA and the EU.