Congress of North American Bosniaks – Canada Branch;
Institute for the Research of Genocide Canada;
Bosnian and Herzegovinian Community of Windsor.
Public Event and News Conference:
Declaring Canada’s SREBRENICA REMEMBRANCE DAY – Campaign Kick-off
WINDSOR, ONTARIO
Event: News conference and media availability:
Brian Masse, MP (Windsor West), to announce his
SREBRENICA REMEMBRANCE DAY Motion
submitted to the House of Commons
When: Saturday, August 29, 2009.
Time: 12:00 NOON
Where: Charles Clark Square, City of Windsor
215 Chatam St. E.
Located between Chatham St. and University E;
midway between Goyeau and McDougall streets
In case of rain:
Union Hall, 1855 Turner Rd., Windsor, ON
Congress of North American Bosniaks (CNAB) – Canada Branch, Institute for the Research of Genocide Canada, and Bosnian and Herzegovinian Community of Windsor are pleased to inform the public that they have, together with the Bosnia and Herzegovina Diaspora in Canada, intensified activities for the adoption in the Canadian Parliament of the “July 11 – Srebrenica Remembrance Day” commemorating genocide in Srebrenica (which 15th anniversary is next year) and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The Honourable Brian Masse, Member of Parliament for Windsor West, responding to Bosnian and Herzegovinian Community of Windsor, has gratefully accepted to submit his SREBRENICA REMEMBRANCE DAY Motion into the House of Commons procedure and will publicly announce it at a news conference in Windsor on Saturday, August 29, 2009.
Given:
– the early support we received from the individual MPs,
– the assurance received on July 23, 2009 from The Honourable Lawrence Cannon,
Minister of Foreign Affairs, on behalf of the Government, of this being considered when
Parliament resumes in the fall,
– that then Liberal MP The Honourable Jean Augustine was one who in June 2005 first
raised on the floor of the House this initiative for the “Srebrenica Remembrance Day”,
we call upon all Parties and all Members of Parliament to extend their support for this Motion and work together toward its adoption.
We invite all Canadians of Bosnian and Herzegovinian origin, and all people of good faith who support the truth, justice, and a sovereign, democratic, prosperous Bosnia and Herzegovina to be actively involved in this process and to focus their efforts in campaigning for passing of this resolution in the Canadian Parliament.
BACKGROUNDER
The Srebrenica Massacre of July of 1995 is also a symbol of many horrible atrocities committed in Bosnia and Herzegovina from April 1992 to November 1995 under the policies and acts of aggression and genocide as implemented by Serbian forces and among which the Srebrenica Massacre was the worst. More than 8,000 innocent Bosniak civilian men and boys from the United Nations-designated `safe area’ of Srebrenica in Bosnia and Herzegovina, i.e. under the protection of the international community, were summarily executed and 30,000 others were expelled from their homes by Serbian forces in the worst act of genocide in Europe since the Second World War and recognized as such by the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia and UN permanent International Court of Justice, while The European Court of Human Rights upheld (74613/01) genocide judgement for 1992 atrocities elsewhere.
There are many most serious aspects directly implicating, involving, and connecting Canada to the events and issues leading to, and in the aftermath of, Srebrenica and many other atrocities in the war aggression and genocide on the sovereign state and UN Member the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina (RBiH) and its People. In asking Canada to consider adopting a measure to recognize a Srebrenica Remembrance Day, let us stress one aspect which is less known to Canada’s public, and that is international responsibility and privilege from Canada being a member of the UN Security Council’s Chapter VII Executive Governing Body of Bosnia and Herzegovina – the Steering Board of the Peace Implementation Council (SB PIC), sitting together with its closest allies and international partners, US and European Union, which have already adopted similar resolutions (European Parliament resolution of 15 January 2009 on Srebrenica; US S. RES. 134 and H.Res. 199).
We request Parliament of Canada and Canadian government to recognize that genocide took place in Srebrenica and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Canadian recognition could have bestowed much deserved honour upon the victims and survivors of the genocide. It will assure the Canadian-Bosniak community (who still face overt and subtle threats and intimidation here in Canada without protection of the local authorities) and all communities that aggression, ethnic cleansing, genocide and all such evils will not be repeated and that Canada and Canadians stand ready to uphold democratic principles and the rule of law. It would significantly raise awareness of genocide and the understanding of what can happen when people are judged solely on their ethnicity, their religion, and their beliefs. Furthermore, it would stand as a reminder to re-uphold our commitment to “NEVER AGAIN” after it failed in the case of Srebrenica and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
CANADIAN ISLAMIC CONGRESS – MEDIA COMMUNIQUE
August 26, 2009
ISLAMIC CONGRESS SUPPORTS MP BRIAN MASSE FOR PLAN TO SPONSOR PARLIAMENTARY RESOLUTION ON BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA GENOCIDE
The Canadian Islamic Congress today declared its full support for MP Brian
Masse (NDP – Windsor West), who plans to sponsor a resolution in Parliament condemning the genocide of thousands of Bosnians between 1992 and 1995 in war-torn Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Mr. Masse will publicly announce his resolution at a press conference scheduled for Saturday, August 29, 2009 at 12 noon at Charles Clark Square, City of Windsor, ON.
“What was done to innocent Bosnians by Serb forces meets the definition of genocide as stated in Article 2 of the Convention of the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, which was established in Paris on December 9, 1948 and came into force on January 12, 1951,” noted CIC National President, Mrs. Wahida Valiante. “Traumatic memories of intentionally committed atrocities on Bosniaks are still very much alive in the minds and hearts of those who survived.”
“What happened in Bosnia and Herzegovina was so terrible, I would never wish it on any human being,” added Imam Dr. Zijad Delic, CIC’s Bosnian-born National Executive Director who will also attend and speak at the press conference.
“Serbs from both Bosnia and Serbia – supported by the Serbian government – killed approximately 250,000 Muslims; raped more than 50,000 Muslim girls and women; imprisoned thousands in concentration camps; maimed and wounded tens of thousands more. The full list of atrocities is too long to recount here. In the now-infamous Bosnian town of Srebrenica – which was supposed to be an internationally recognized safe-zone – Serbs slaughtered an estimated 8,000 Muslim men and boys,” Imam Dr. Delic added.
The CIC thanks Mr. Masse for recognizing that Bosnia and Herzegovina underwent the worst case of atrocities and genocide committed against civilians since the Second World War and that innocent Bosnian men, women, children, the sick and the elderly, took the brunt of intentional aggression by Serb forces.
The CIC calls upon all Canadians of conscience to support this courageous initiative to sponsor parliamentary resolution on Bosnia-Herzegovina genocide so that justice can be brought to bear on behalf of all who were so brutally massacred.
Imam Dr. Delic concluded: “Thank you, MP Brian Masse, for caring about justice and daring to stand up for truth in these troubled times! All Canadians – but especially those whose roots of origin are in Bosnia and Herzegovina – are proud of Canadian politicians like yourself, who value honesty and integrity.”
MP Brian Masse’s personal website: www.brianmasse.ndp.ca Brian Masse’s Parliamentary e-mail: Masse.B@parl.gc.ca
CONTACT:
Mrs. Wahida Valiante,
National President, Canadian Islamic Congress (647) 802-8024
Imam Dr. Zijad Delic,
National Executive Director, Canadian Islamic Congress (613) 698-8469