For most citizens of B&H, Graham Bamford is a typical British name and last name, without any special meaning and sentiment. Although he sacrificed himself in order to draw the attention of the world, primarily of the British public to the war in B&H, today his name is mentioned only on 6 April, during the awards named after him that was established by the City Administration of the City of Sarajevo in 2009.
On 29 April 1993 this noble and venerable Brit poured gasoline on himself and lit himself on fire in front of the House of Commons of the British Parliament. Death in the most terrible torment was his way to show the suffering of the citizens of B&H, who were being murdered, persecuted and humiliated simply because they had different names.
‘’The British Army should not be an honor guard at a mass funeral. Bosnian babies, children and women are waiting for politicians to give them what they certainly can give-military protection’’, wrote the 48 year old Brit in his farewell letter.
He was in no way connected to B&H and its citizens, but the pictures of horrors from B&H compelled him to sacrifice himself. Bamford was deeply shaken by the images from Croatia and B&H. At the time, in the testimony of relatives and psychologists, in every child victim of the war in B&H he saw his daughter. His condition worsened after images of the massacre in Ahmici on 16 April 1993, when 116 people were killed, and among them was a three month old baby.
The British media, apart from ‘The Guardian’, did not devote special attention to this event. Remembering Bamford in B&H today exists only in traces. Some newspaper texts on the anniversary of his noble act and the award of the City of Sarajevo is awarded for acts of civic courage, solidarity, humanity and altruism.
(Source: klix.ba)
