The Chair of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Denis Bećirović, spoke at Capitol Hill in Washington on the occasion of the promotion of the Sarajevo Haggadah.
In his speech, the Chair of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina emphasized that Bosnia and Herzegovina is a country where different cultures and religions meet.
“Our country has always been a bridge. In Sarajevo, the capital, mosques, churches, and synagogues are all situated close to one another. This is our greatest wealth. Manipulation of religious narratives and the spread of antisemitism and Islamophobia are contrary to the values of Bosnia and Herzegovina,” he said.
Bećirović said that some malicious politicians and lobbyists are promoting the thesis of a “clash of civilizations” in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
“This is a notorious lie. Diversity is what makes us rich. Cooperation is our choice,” Bećirović said.
“The Sarajevo Haggadah survived the Inquisition. It survived Nazism and the Second World War, when Bosnian Muslims protected it from the Nazis, risking their lives. It survived the Great Serbian siege of Sarajevo in the 1990s, when it was saved by the brave staff of the National Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina while the city was under shelling, “Bećirovićemphasized.
In his speech, the Chair of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina emphasized that even 30 years after the aggression against Bosnia and Herzegovina and the genocide against Bosniaks, we are still confronted with criminal propaganda.
“One of the main goals of the brutal propaganda in the 1990s was the dehumanization of Bosniaks and their discrediting in the eyes of the U.S. and the West. Let us not forget that the horrifying political and media campaign led to the only genocide in Europe after the Second World War – the genocide against Bosniaks. This dangerous aim of discrediting Bosniaks has been reactivated. Unfortunately, we are again witnessing monstrous propaganda against Bosnia and Herzegovina – a country that is a reliable part of the Global Coalition Against Terrorism,” he said.
Bećirović emphasized that Bosnia and Herzegovina is a country with a thousand-year-old history and a secure future.
“We see our future in the Euro-Atlantic family of countries. A stable Bosnia and Herzegovina and Southeast Europe mean a safer Euro-Atlantic world. Bosnia and Herzegovina remains lasting proof that U.S. leadership is important for the entire world. We remain a responsible and reliable partner to the U.S. and the EU,” the Office of the Chair of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina said in a statement.
