Thirty Years Since the Reaffirmation of the National Name Bošnjak: BiH Will Be as Strong as It Is in the Smaller Entity

(Patria) - The Ibn Sina Scientific Research Institute - Center for Balkan Studies yesterday in Sarajevo organized a panel discussion marking 30 years since the reaffirmation of the national name Bošnjak.

Participants were Prof. Dr. Selmo Cikotić, Dr. Jasmin Medić, Mr. Admir Lisica, and Haris Imamović.

- The reaffirmation of the national name is a historical, but also a political-legal category and reality. This is, in a way, being challenged by those who do not have a positive attitude towards the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina, towards Bosniaks as the most populous ethnic group within our country.

However, what has been done in terms of reaffirming the name was done for the benefit of Bosniaks and Bosnia and Herzegovina, at no one's expense - Cikotić said on this occasion.

He emphasized that this was a historical mission realized in parallel with the process of restoring the independence, sovereignty, and international subjectivity of Bosnia and Herzegovina as a state, and of Bosniaks as one of the most populous peoples in this region.

- History is being manipulated, not because of the past, but because of the present and future. Statistics are being manipulated, again not because of the numbers, but because of the consequences those numbers produce. History and statistics in these regions have often been manipulated to the detriment of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Bosniaks.

The subjectivity, size, and strength of Bosniaks are being manipulated. Bosniaks had to show their strength, size, and value in a difficult way, but together with others who feel Bosnia and Herzegovina as their homeland, they stood in the way of those who thought that the plans for the disappearance of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Bosniaks were realized to the extent that it was the end of Bosnia and Herzegovina - Cikotić stated.

Photo: Preporod Info

He warned that these policies have not been completely defeated, and that today, through political, educational, administrative, and many other means, they are trying to achieve goals they failed to accomplish through armed force.

- There is no doubt that Bosnia and Herzegovina will succeed on its path and that Bosniaks will succeed on their path - Cikotić concluded.

Jasmin Medić spoke at the gathering about the position of Bosniaks in the smaller Bosnian-Herzegovinian entity of the RS, emphasizing that "Bosnia and Herzegovina will be as strong as it is in the smaller entity."

- I believe that the focus of Bosniak politics, that is, pro-Bosnian politics, should be in the smaller entity. Tonight I was invited to speak about the position of Bosniaks in the smaller entity over the last nearly three decades.

Bosniaks were a significant political factor in the RS entity, while today they are reduced to a de facto national minority that has no right to participate in the most important decisions in that entity's territory.

Therefore, official Bosniak politics should act more agilely in that area, in order to preserve Bosnia and Herzegovina - Medić said, as reported by Preporod.info.

The host of the gathering, Mr. Admir Lisica, assessed that it is extremely important to talk about such historically significant topics.

- Today we had excellent speakers, each from their own domain, talking about this topic. Bosniaks today, 30 years after the Assembly, are a political nation that has clearly chosen its path - and that is a unified and independent Bosnia and Herzegovina, where all peoples will live equally.

Today, the most common question is whether we have matured. We can say that we have, we have pushed some boundaries, we have progressed, but we can still do much more - Lisica said.

Photo: Preporod Info

Haris Imamović pointed out the significance of the decisions and conclusions reached at the Assembly, highlighting the national unity expressed on that occasion.

- There are several main messages, first of all, the political sovereignty of Bosniaks was confirmed under conditions of absolute pressure and an unfavorable plan by the international community.

Bosniaks found the strength to say no to that plan and open space for what would come later, which is the Dayton Peace Agreement. The second thing is that the integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina was preserved.

Division was on the table. Our political leadership, led by Alija Izetbegović, clearly stated that this was out of the question, despite all threats and pressures - Imamović said.

The first Bosniak Assembly, at which it was decided to replace the then national name Muslim with the historical name Bošnjak, was held in Sarajevo under siege on September 27 and 28, 1993.