Srebrenica: A Tragic Reminder to Act Against Hate Before It Leads to Genocide
The Srebrenica genocide was a tragedy that shook the world and exposed the horror of ethnic cleansing in Bosnia. More than 8,000 Bosniak Muslim men and boys were brutally killed by Bosnian Serb forces in and around the town of Srebrenica in July 1995, during the Bosnian War. They were separated from their families, who were forcibly expelled from their homes, and executed in mass graves or the woods. Some were tortured, mutilated, or burned alive. Their bodies were later moved and hidden to cover up the crime.
The victims of the Srebrenica genocide were innocent civilians who had sought refuge in a UN-protected "safe area". But the UN peacekeepers failed to protect them from the Serb forces, led by Ratko Mladić, who overran the town and carried out the massacre. The international community was slow and reluctant to intervene and stop the bloodshed, despite knowing about the atrocities committed by the Serbs throughout the war.
The Srebrenica genocide was the worst act of mass murder in Europe since World War II. It was a crime against humanity and a genocide, as recognized by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia and the International Court of Justice. It was also a betrayal of the values and principles of human rights and dignity that the UN and its members are supposed to uphold.
The Srebrenica genocide left deep scars on the survivors, who lost their loved ones, their homes and their sense of security. It also left a legacy of trauma, grief and injustice for the whole Bosnian nation, especially the Bosniak community.
Genocide is preventable
Genocide is one of the most horrific crimes against humanity, but it is not inevitable. It can be prevented if we learn from the past and act in the present. One of the main lessons from the Srebrenica massacre, is that genocide does not occur suddenly or spontaneously. It is the result of a long and deliberate process of creating divisions and hatred between groups, which eventually leads to violence.
This process of "othering" and dehumanization involves various forms of discrimination, exclusion, intimidation and incitement against a targeted group, based on their ethnicity, religion, race or any other identity marker.
These actions create a climate of fear and mistrust, which erodes the bonds of solidarity and empathy among people. They also justify and normalize the use of violence against the perceived enemy, who is seen as less than human and deserving of elimination.
Remaining vigilant and proactive in detecting and addressing these early warning signs, countering hate speech, promoting dialogue, holding the perpetrators accountable, and educating ourselves and others about the history and causes of genocide can help in preventing such tragedies.
The seeds of hate that sprouted in Srebrenica still poison our perception of Muslims today. One aspect of the genocide is how the Muslim identity was stripped of any other marker of humanity, whether race, place or culture. Bosniaks, who shared the same European land and skin as their killers, were demonized, dehumanized and massacred solely because of their faith.
This massacre echoes in a time when far-right groups in Europe and North America are using various tactics to promote Islamophobia and go forward with the process of othering Muslims.
By Arman Saadat
