The twenty-second anniversary of the genocide in Srebrenica was marked last night in London in the organization of the British foundation “Remembering Srebrenica”. Famous actress and director Angelina Jolie, who already visited the Memorial Center Potocari, addressed the attendees via video message.
“We are with them. We must never forget,” said the famous Hollywood actress. She particularly noted the need to fight against hate and intolerance.
“Wherever hate is not disputed, the violence is only a few steps away,” she noted. “Anyone who ever visited BiH knows that Bosnians are warm and opened-hearted, tolerant and deeply humane with a sense of humor to match. They are also strong, extraordinary resilient people who endured genocide and ethnic cleansing and emerged with their spirit unbroken, while everything else was ruined around them. Bosnians do not complain. They are humble people. They do not put themselves up for a special treatment or attention,” said Jolie.
She added that the mothers of Srebrenica are telling another story because they are still waiting to bury their beloved ones.
“Each year, more victims are painstakingly identified. Today, on the anniversary of the genocide, there are fresh graves in the cemetery in Potocari. When I think on Srebrenica, I picture its green, wooded hills and a broad valley. My mind turns to Sarajevo, and the cafes on stone streets of its old town, with the Cathedral, minarets, and the synagogue. And I still find it hard to believe that genocide could happen, there, within a few hours from European capitals, during our lifetime. The lesson for all of us is that whenever hatred and intolerance and aggression go unchallenged, violence in different forms is only a few steps away. And sadly, none of these things are consigned to the past, they are deeply rooted in human nature. They are in contrast to everything we love dearly in democratic societies,” stated Jolie.
(Source: klix.ba)
