Congress of North American Bosniaks (CNAB), the umbrella organization of some 350,000 American and Canadian Bosniaks supports, entirely, the move by Mr. Tarik Sadovic, Minister of security of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and his entourage, to leave, in protest, the 11th European Police Congress in Berlin, having been denied the right and, indeed, the invitation te speak as one of VIPs within the Panel of ?European Strategy in Confronting Terorism?, although his participation was timely announced.

That Minister Sadovic, the official representative of Bosnia and Herzegovina at the Congress, was offered to appeal to speak after all of the other delegates have finished their presentations, and to ask for an opportunity to address the audience, against the backdrop of a threat that should his speech be outside of the theme the microphone would be turned off, is a denial of the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina, a denial of national efforts to strengthen its political, economic and security status. Bosnia and Herzegovina has been particularly betrayed, by the Europen and world community, in its struggle to secure independence, protect the territorial integrity and attain sovereignity. The organizers of the European Police Congress have, by denying Mr. Sadovic to speak, denied all of the foundations upon which the European Union has been formed, and shall continue to develop.

CNAB is of opinion that this move by the organizers of the European Police Congress does not contribute to the efforts that Bosnia and Herzegovina has been investing in within the process of Euro-atlantic integrations.

CNAB is of opinion that Europe needs a direct contact with the Bosniaks, the Muslims of Europe, who have, for centuries, lived in Europe and have no other way but to live in tolerance with their Christian neighbours. The ruse of the ultranationalist Serbian self-proclaimed experts needs to be stopped. The moves by the European Police Congress do not point to that.

CNAB maintains that the Bosniaks wish to have a dialogue with Europe. But there is no dialogue as Europe has forced its monologue in lieu thereof. The Bosniaks are witnesses to European family, yet Europe sees only prejudice. The spirit of a united Europe needs to build its own cohesion with Bosnia and Herzegovina in general, and Bosniaks in particular, by way of establishing a dialogue with them, instead of financing the Serbian ultranationalist profiteers who profess to know who and what the Bosniaks are and purport to explain the tenets of that to Europe.

CNAB is of opinion that Europe ought to be interested in the fact that the Bosniaks, or Muslims of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the southern Slavs who have inhabited their land for over a thousand years, a people politically traumatized, the only European people who live in an unofficial ghetto, have nothing to do with the Islamic terrorism and that no such activities have been conducted in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The decision by the organizers of the 11th European Police Congress shows that the spirit of a united Europe, in the case of Bosnia and Herzegovina, is being challenged. How do the institutions of Europe think that they can promote the principles of unity, freedom and equality to a people living in a ghetto in Europe, to the only country in Europe where the results of an aggression and, indeed, genocide, are out in the open, while, at the same time, denying the official representatives of that country to address such a gathering as is the European Police Congress?

With the Dayton Accords, we had the right to expect that our western european neighbors would promote BiH’s integration and equality within Euro-Atlantic institutions, including law enforcement and counter terrorism. Unfortunately, some have missed the point and opportunity by way of minimizing BiH’s status and not comprehending its capacity to be a substantive contributor to the discussion, policy making as well as practical application. It is evident that some within the European Police Congress believe that self-proclaimed experts from Belgrade with ultranationalist agendas and roots are more welcome to speak on behalf of BiH. It is especially troubling when such had committed fraud in trying to secure citizen and diplomatic status within BiH.

Emir Ramic

President of the Congress of North American Bosniaks