Serbian commander Ratko Mladic, one of the main responsible for the Srebrenica Genocide in which Bosnian Muslims were massacred, died in the prison in The Hague, Netherlands. While Serbia's preparations for a state ceremony for Mladic, known as the "Butcher of Bosnia", on September 7 drew reaction, genocide survivor Selma Jahic talked about her experiences and the feelings Mladic's death aroused in her.
"I AM VERY, VERY HAPPY"
Selma Jahic, a survivor of the Srebrenica Genocide, answered Serdar Korucu's questions on CNN Türk. Explaining the emotions he experienced when he received the news of Mladic's death, Jahic said that he was pleased that the commander lost his life in prison, fighting the disease.
Jahic said, "When I heard that this monster had died and that he was struggling with the disease in prison and that he was suffering while dying, I was very, very happy. But then my emotions were mixed. I wanted him to live a little longer, to suffer a little longer. I thought about all the mothers who lost their lives; mothers who lost their lives without finding even a single piece of their children's bones... Our family members did not die in peace. He did not have the right to die in peace like that."
"REAL JUSTICE HAS NOT BEEN PROVIDED"
Jahic emphasized that the responsibility for what happened in Srebrenica is not limited to Mladic alone. Stating that a very wide mechanism was used to carry out the genocide, Jahic said that not all perpetrators were punished.
"There was a huge mechanism that ensured that people were taken to the execution sites. A mechanism that dug mass graves and carried the bodies to these graves... Therefore, real justice was not provided. Some people were convicted of genocide. But genocide was committed against the entire Bosnian people, throughout Bosnia-Herzegovina."
Jahic also stated that he did not see Mladic's actions as a crime and said, "He believed that he was doing something good for the Serbian people."
SERBIA'S MLADIC DECISION DRAWED A REACTION
Jahic, who also criticized Serbia's preparations for a state ceremony for Mladic, argued that this decision has an important meaning in terms of responsibility in Srebrenica.
Jahic said, "Serbia and the Serbian government have so far rejected any narrative about their responsibility in the Srebrenica genocide. Until today, they have said, 'We did nothing. We had nothing to do with the war crimes committed there.' They said that if anyone committed the crimes, they acted on their own. Honoring a genocide criminal as a hero means: "We were also accomplices in this genocide. We also committed genocide. "And yes, we are among the perpetrators."
HE EXPERIENCED THE GENOCIDE AT THE AGE OF 7
Born in Srebrenica, Jahic talked about his experiences in the region with his mother, younger brother and other relatives during the war that lasted between 1992 and 1995.
"I was seven years old when the city was captured by Serbian militants in 1995. Sometimes we fled to the villages, sometimes we returned to the city. We were constantly trying to find food and shelter and survive. Many of my relatives were killed. Some lost their lives in the bombardments, some died while trying to find food or save their children. "And eventually, most of them were deported from Srebrenica, taken to execution sites and massacred."
Jahic stated that he was one of the first groups to be evacuated from Srebrenica, along with his mother and brother, and described those days as follows:
"My mother, my brother and I were one of the first groups taken from Srebrenica, along with many women and children. They said to us, "Who wants to leave? You can leave this area. You are free." We believed them. Because we were completely exhausted from war and hunger. We just wanted peace and quiet. We thought maybe the war was over. That's why we trusted them. They put us on military trucks. And I remember they started separating men from women. We didn't know this was going to happen."
"WE WILL FIND YOU AT THE RIVER THAT SEPARATES BOSNIA AND SERBIA"
Jahic also told about an incident he experienced when men and women were separated. Stating that there was an old couple in front of them, Jahic said that the man did not want to leave his wife.
“In front of us was an old couple about the age of my grandparents. They pulled the man aside and said, "You're not going anywhere. You'll stay here." The man begged because his wife was sick. "Please let me go with my wife. She is not strong enough to reach the safe zone. She cannot get there," he said. They smiled at him and said, "Don't worry. We will find you in the river separating Bosnia and Serbia."
Jahic said he was worried about his grandfather after the old man left the group.
"Then they pulled the man aside and the woman continued with us. At that moment I thought, "Oh my God, what will happen to my grandfather?" Because my grandmother was not strong enough to get in these trucks with us. So they stayed one more day."
Stating that they were placed in a refugee camp after being taken to Tuzla, Jahic said that news began to arrive the next day about the massacre in Srebrenica.
"My grandmother came to us the next day and said that they took my grandfather too. We never saw him again. They also took my mentally disabled uncle and we never heard from him again. Many of my relatives and cousins were taken away in this way."
Jahic stated that they believed that they would be safe because they were in the area where the United Nations was located, and said, "They finally did the most terrible thing that could be done." he said.
HIS GRANDFATHER'S REMAINS WERE FOUND IN 2007
Jahic said that they were able to reach his grandfather's remains only in 2007. Stating that this news means a second loss for them, Jahic explained the pain he experienced with the following words:
"You lose that person for the second time. Before the letter from the Red Cross, you inevitably create a false hope, an illusion in your mind. "Maybe he survived. "Maybe he can't contact us," you think. You imagine every positive possibility that he survived. Then when you receive that letter, everything falls apart. Because in that letter were photographs of my grandfather's remains. And so we went through the same hell again, a second time."
Stating that the remains of those who lost their lives in Srebrenica were distributed to different mass graves, Jahic said that families had to search for bone fragments belonging to their relatives for years.
"On the other hand, I cannot even imagine what it was like for Srebrenica mothers to find and bury another bone, another piece, perhaps a finger, belonging to their children every year. Because the remains were scattered in many mass graves. It is a terrible thing to experience this again and again every year, and to have this happen to us. An endless horror."
WHY DID THEY CALL BOBONIANS "TURKS"?
Jahic said that during the war, Bosnian Muslims were called "Turks" by Serbian nationalists. Stating that this discourse stems from the historical understanding in Serbian nationalist ideology, Jahic stated that the conversion to Islam is seen as "pollution of blood".
"Calling us "Turks" has its roots in Serbian mythology. In a sense, the idea of taking revenge on the Ottoman Empire still continues. This may seem extremely absurd to many people. Yes, it is absurd, but according to some nationalists, we polluted our blood by accepting Islam during the Ottoman Empire."
Jahic stated that this understanding turned into hate speech and sexual violence against Bosnians during the war.
"They believe that we contaminated their DNA by converting to Islam. That's why they called us "Turks" with hatred. They used this as if we were "sub-human beings" rather than being human. The Serbian nationalists' understanding of "You polluted your blood with Islam" turned into sexual violence during the war. That's why they raped Bosnian women."
Jahic said that in his opinion, this idea is "a really disgusting ideology."
"NOTHING HAS CHANGED"
Stating that he does not trust the United Nations and the international community, Jahic drew attention to the conflicts taking place in different regions today.
"Today, we see that genocide is being committed in Palestine. There is Sudan, Yemen, Rohingya. Genocide is being committed all over the world. So nothing has changed," he said.
Jahic also expressed his gratitude for Türkiye's support to Bosnia and Herzegovina.
"I think the Turks feel our pain as their own," he said.
