Regarding the shameful, anti-civilizational, and primitive outburst of the dismissed president of the Republika Srpska (RS) entity, Milorad Dodik, at the pre-election rally in Istocno Sarajevo, the Institute for Research of Genocide Canada (IGC) sent a letter to political and other leaders in Canada. The letter was sent to Prime Minister Mark Carney, Minister of Foreign Affairs Anita Anand, Speaker of the House of Commons of the Parliament of Canada Francis Scarpaleggia, Speaker of the Upper House, the Senate, Raymonde Gagne, leaders of parliamentary political parties, academic institutions, organizations for the protection of human rights and freedoms.
The letter, among other things, states:
“We ask Canada, a member of the Steering Board of the Peace Implementation Council in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) and the presiding country of the seven most developed countries of the world, to most strongly condemn and take other necessary measures regarding last night’s public appearance of the dismissed president of the RS entity, Milorad Dodik, in which, through a series of offensive, false, and irresponsible statements, openly insulting Bosniaks, he spread interethnic and interreligious intolerance and deepened divisions among the citizens of BiH. Such speech, which represents a classic example of hate speech, directly undermines the constitutional order and the basic values on which BiH rests: peace, coexistence, and mutual respect of all peoples and citizens. We remind you that Dodik, in his hate-filled speech, insulted Bosniaks by calling them “amoebas” and calling on Serbs not to allow, as he said, the Islamization of Istocno Sarajevo as a “Serb city” because, we quote, “we are not the same people.”
The IGC reminds you that such anti-civilizational rhetoric is an identical, dangerous propaganda pattern that in the 1990s served as an introduction to the aggression against BiH and the genocide in Srebrenica. Words such as “no one lies more than a Turk” and calls to “defend the city from Islamization” are not only shameful but represent a classic example of hate speech that in Canada would be the subject of an urgent reaction by the prosecutor’s office. Inciting hatred is not political speech, but a criminal offense.”
Bearing in mind that Canada continuously supports the territorial integrity, sovereignty, independence, and state-legal subjectivity of BiH, we call on you to, by using your authority, take concrete measures to protect the state of BiH.”
