Living%20through%20the%20siege%20of%20Sarajevo

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Living through the siege of Sarajevo

• Selma Rizvic

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Living through the siege of Sarajevo, Selma
Rizvic, Graphics Hardware Workshop 2008

• this was NOT my idea
• Im not very diplomatic
• I was living in Sarajevo under the siege for 3.5
  years
• I want to give you the context and my personal
  feelings

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Who lives in Bosnia

• before the war
• Bosniaks (Muslims) 44
• Bosnian Serbs (Orthodox) 31
• Bosnian Croats (Catholic) 17
• Others (Jewish, non declared...) 8
• MIXED no one-nation teritory

Living through the siege of Sarajevo, Selma
Rizvic, Graphics Hardware Workshop 2008
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Who are Bosniaks

• we are European Muslims
• we are NOT white terrorists
• Islam forbids suicide and killing innocent people
• we respect all religions
• we have many friends Catholic, Orthodox, Jewish,
  agnostic
• some of our women wear veils, some wear mini
  skirts matter of choice, not religious rule

Living through the siege of Sarajevo, Selma
Rizvic, Graphics Hardware Workshop 2008
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How it all started

• Yugoslavia Federation of 6 Republics and 2
  autonomous regions
• dominated by Serbs
• Serbs always had idea of Great Serbia
• Milosevic wanted to continue dominating over
  Yugoslavia

Living through the siege of Sarajevo, Selma
Rizvic, Graphics Hardware Workshop 2008
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How it all started
Living through the siege of Sarajevo, Selma
Rizvic, Graphics Hardware Workshop 2008
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Wars

• Slovenia declared independence
• 7 days war, no Serbs
• Croatia declared independence
• war
• Serbs from Croatia joined Milosevic
• occupied part of the country

Living through the siege of Sarajevo, Selma
Rizvic, Graphics Hardware Workshop 2008
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War in Bosnia

• referendum for independence - 70 voted YES
• Serbs did not accept results
• UN recognized independent BH
• 1992 aggression from Serbia Bosnian Serbs
• start of the siege of Sarajevo
• GENOCIDE all territories cleaned out of
  non-Serbs
• 200 000 people killed, millions expelled

Living through the siege of Sarajevo, Selma
Rizvic, Graphics Hardware Workshop 2008
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War in Bosnia

• 1993 Croats turned against Bosnians
• war with two enemies
• idea to divide Bosnia between Serbia and
  Croatia
• Bosniaks (Muslims) to disappear

Living through the siege of Sarajevo, Selma
Rizvic, Graphics Hardware Workshop 2008
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Sarajevo

• 3,5 years of siege
• no water, no electricity, no heating, no food
• difficult to move through the city
• I was crossing it every day going to work

Living through the siege of Sarajevo, Selma
Rizvic, Graphics Hardware Workshop 2008
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Living through the siege of Sarajevo, Selma
Rizvic, Graphics Hardware Workshop 2008
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Sarajevo

• airport - UN forces maintaining the siege
• humanitarian aid
• half to Serbs
• half to Bosnians
• arms embargo
• 10 000 people killed in Sarajevo, 1000 children

Living through the siege of Sarajevo, Selma
Rizvic, Graphics Hardware Workshop 2008
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Why I say Bosnians

• we were (and are) fighting for Bosnia a country
  of equal rights for all nations and religions, no
  domination
• we are Bosniaks, Serbs and Croats, but above all
  - Bosnians

Living through the siege of Sarajevo, Selma
Rizvic, Graphics Hardware Workshop 2008
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How was the life under the siege

• tough life danger every second
• wonderful spirit of resistance
• reconsidering the real values in life
• PROUD!

Living through the siege of Sarajevo, Selma
Rizvic, Graphics Hardware Workshop 2008
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Intervention of NATO

• after genocide
• after 8000 people killed in 3 days in Srebrenica,
  UN protected zone
• after many massacres of civilians in Sarajevo
• after 3,5 years watching us dying
• thanks to Americans

Living through the siege of Sarajevo, Selma
Rizvic, Graphics Hardware Workshop 2008
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Dayton agreement

• end of the siege, November 1995
• half country given to the agressors
• message GENOCIDE PAYS OFF!
• created a monster of a country
• 2 entities
• 10 regions in one entity
• 1 district

Living through the siege of Sarajevo, Selma
Rizvic, Graphics Hardware Workshop 2008
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Dayton agreement
Living through the siege of Sarajevo, Selma
Rizvic, Graphics Hardware Workshop 2008
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Present structure of the state

• 1 government state level
• 2 governments entity level
• 10 governments cantonal level
• 1 government district
• too much administration
• entities and nations can block every decision

Living through the siege of Sarajevo, Selma
Rizvic, Graphics Hardware Workshop 2008
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OHR

• Bosnia a protectorate under the Office of the
  High Representative
• High Representative
• his Majesty, king of Bosnia
• has authority to dismiss officials, change laws
• not very democratic
• has power to solve problems, but thinks its
  better that our politicians agree!?

Living through the siege of Sarajevo, Selma
Rizvic, Graphics Hardware Workshop 2008
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Frustrations

• problem is not solved Serb entity still wants
  to join Serbia
• war criminals NOT arrested
• ICTY sentences 15 years for genocide
• I dont believe in justice, democracy and human
  rights any more
• we need visas to travel anywhere

Living through the siege of Sarajevo, Selma
Rizvic, Graphics Hardware Workshop 2008
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Future

• we believe in multiethnic country
• Sarajevo, Tuzla, many cities in BH good example
• we are the healthy core of Bosnia and Herzegovina
• we hope to win one day

Living through the siege of Sarajevo, Selma
Rizvic, Graphics Hardware Workshop 2008
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• Thank you for your attention!
• Long live Bosnia!
• Questions?

Living through the siege of Sarajevo, Selma
Rizvic, Graphics Hardware Workshop 2008