Abusive and Derogatory Bosnian Foreign Policy Lecture by Bosnia and Herzegovina Deputy Minister of Affairs Ana Babić – Trišić from September 17, 2008:
The Congress of North American Bosniaks, an umbrella organization representing 350,000 Bosniaks residing in United States of America and Canada, was shocked to watch the video clip which has surfaced, as part of the “Global Awareness Lecture” held on September 17, 2008 at College of Saint Benedict / Saint John University in the U.S.A. given by Bosnia and Herzegovina Deputy Minister of Affairs Ana Babić – Trišić.
It is appalling and unethical to see the manner and the way in which the statehood, historical events, war crimes and criminals in Bosnia and Herzegovina are maliciously misrepresented. We would like to point out among other things that the history of Bosnia and Herzegovina is not 13, 14 years old as Mrs. Trišić suggests, but over 500. Throughout the 1 hr long presentation it can be considered defamatory not to mention by name, the first and only single Bosnian president Alija Izetbegović.
Conveniently omitting the events and dates such as; when Bosnia gained independence, when UN recognized Bosnia as independent state, some would think that these events had some ma j or significance when speaking on behalf of a new country, instead rendering them meaningless. Falsely portraying events and reasons for war in Bosnia, as well as distorting historical events, such as; JNA (Yugoslav National Army) involvement in the start of the war, omitting the truth about systematic ethnic cleansing and genocide in Srebrenica, implying it takes 2-3 parties to have a war, globalization cause for war… is simple and utter deception.
While talking about Dayton most of the 1 hr lecture, Deputy Minister of Affairs Ana Babić – Trišić did not once mention the signatories of this milestone agreement. Even after being the witness of stalled political progress for 13 years, threats of secession of RS, she had the audacity of calling the Dayton agreement: the right solution for Bosnia, very good, most splendid agreement of American diplomacy, best guarantee and in-viable instrument for B&H stability, who satisfied everyone, and reintegrated the country.
B&H Deputy Minister of Affairs Ana Babić Trišić deliberately forgets to mention any High Representatives, Heads of state, her own boss, or any political figures involved in all critical decisions for Bosnia and Herzegovina by name. It is a shame to see Bosnian government official downplay the importance and purpose of High Representative, calling him “the King”… “ruling the country”. Mocking international institutions, heads of state, other Bosnian partners should not be foreign affairs policy of Bosnia.
Audience of professors, Ambassadors, journalists, students are being immersed into a biased, misleading, and twisted terminology where all aspects of negative topics relating to Serbs, were addressed by terminology such as; Yugoslav’s, confessions, ethnicity, Bosnia, we or left out by silence. Where as at every chance the Muslims were deliberately and in derogatory manner described with: Bosniaks, Islam confession, mujaheedin, or even worse terms. It does not escape knowledgeable and informed viewer that every Serb propaganda is being propagated here as only true solution for Bosnia; such as closing of the Office of High Representative prior to amending Constitution and ethnic voting, closing the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY), changing the election system. But statements such as: Democracy brought us into war, or either we decided or we were put into war… etc. left us wondering how Minister of Affairs Ana Babić – Trišić can hold such a lecture.
In addition, it should be considered a criminal act to deny decisions brought by ICTY in regards to 160 war crime inducements against Serbs, and instead imposing her own views on the justice served. It was superfluous to mention the implication of Karadžić’s trial and Mr. Holbrooke or lengths of sentences Serb criminals have been serving.
It is pure public deception to say: Human rights is excellent – while Bosniak returnees are facing threats, fear mongering from “Ravnogorski Pokret”, economy made remarkable progress – while 40% of country is unemployed, Yugoslav languages – while Bosnian language is left out, and others.
As the Bosnia and Herzegovina Deputy Minister of Affairs Mrs. Ana Babić Trišić compared the ending of Bosnian Dayton situation, to a movie with “good ending”, we conclude our letter with the hope that the ending of this lecture-movie as the ending of her carrier as the Deputy Minister of Affairs for Bosnia and Herzegovina. We urge the Bosnian Ministry of Foreign Affairs to deeply examine the portrayal and representation of Bosnia and Herzegovina by its members abroad and at home.
We invite the Bosniaks and pro-Bosnians to watch the video of Ms. Ana Babić Trišić’s lecture.
On behalf of the Congress of North American Bosniaks
Semir Djulic
Spokesperson
Transcript of the lecture is provided by Sanel Babic, member of the CNAB Board of Directors.