On the occasion of the 24th anniversary of the genocide in Srebrenica, mayors of the Canadian cities of Toronto, Hamilton, Windsor and Saskatoon proclaimed July 11th the Remembrance Day of the Genocide in Srebrenica.
At Hamilton city’s electronic panel, there is a message that states: “July 11th is a Remembrance Day of the Genocide in Srebrenica in Hamilton. We honor the victims of genocide in Srebrenica “. In commemoration for the victims of the genocide in Srebrenica, mayor of the city of Hamilton has decided to raise a Bosnian flag on the mast in front of the City hall. At the same time, Hamilton’s large electronic symbol is lightened up in the colors of white and green, symbolizing the Flower of Srebrenica.
Mr. Brian Masse, a member of the Canadian Parliament, the sponsor of two resolutions regarding genocide in Srebrenica, a sponsor of the petition for the criminal sanctioning of genocide deniers, the sponsor of the World Day of White Tape in Canada, member of the Friends of Bosnia and Herzegovinia – Friends of the Canadian Parliament, on the 24th anniversary of the Genocide in Srebrenica issued a statement in which, among other things, states:
“It has been 24 years since the genocide in Srebrenica was committed, where more than 8,000 innocent lives were lost. The anniversary of this terrible event takes place every year on July 11th in Canada. On this fatal day in 1995, the Bosnian Serb military and paramilitary forces, led by a war criminal General Ratko Mladic, killed more than 8,000 Bosniaks, men, boys and elders who sought security in the region after the fall of Srebrenica. Also, an additional 25,000 residents of Srebrenica were forcibly deported to a UN-protected enclave. The genocide in Srebrenica has been recognized by the European Parliament as one of the “greatest war crimes in Europe after the World War II”. After my departure to Srebrenica and meeting with the mothers of Srebrenica, local leaders and many other people in Bosnia and Herzegovina, I will continue to fight for the truth regarding the genocide in Srebrenica. I commemorate the victims of Srebrenica and thousands of Canadian Bosniaks and I promise all of them that I will continue the fight to make sure that such a crime is never repeated. ”
This year on July 11, a special commemoration to remember the genocide in Srebrenica is being held at the Canadian Human Rights Museum in Winnipeg.
This year’s Canadian remembrance week of the genocide in Srebrenica ends in the city of Windsor on Saturday, July 13, in front of the first memorial built for the victims of genocide in Srebrenica in the diaspora.
The director of the Institute for the research of Genocide in Canada, Dr. Emir Ramic, has thanked Canada for her continuous support of Bosnia and Herzegovina regarding their culture of remembrance and among other things, also said:
“Human civilization has hardly remembered and recorded such a type of crime as the genocide that was committed in Srebrenica. The Institute for the Research of Genocide in Canada has presented Canadian public with many facts that have not yet been recorded on this genocide. We must not forget the Srebrenica genocide. Canadians who did not go through the genocide itself have certainly heard and learned for what it was. We urge young Canadians and young of the Bosnian diaspora not to fear the struggle for the truth and justice. We continually insist that recognition of genocide is not a matter of choice, but that it is a civilization value. We have found a space in the Canadian Cultural Mosaic to penetrate the truth. Supporters of the ideology of denying the genocide and dehumanizing victims are present in Canada but that will not discourage us, because the genocide in Srebrenica and other parts in Bosnia and Herzegovina was carried out.
The Bosnian genocide is a social, historical, and scientific truth. Our message to deniers of genocide is: If you want coexistence, look into the eyes of truth and justice. We say to the followers of the anti-Bosnian coalition: If you can not reconcile yourself with the past, how will you then talk about the future?
Those who deny the genocide that has been established in international courts are certainly ready to do it again. The negation of genocide is an attack on the truth and remembrance of the said act. We must remember the past and look into the future. We are warning the future generations that the struggle for a culture of remembrance is universal. In this fight, knowledge and education play a crucial role.
Accepting the past is the first step for a better future. We must never forget. Our task is to understand the past, to provide evidence and facts for the future generations in order to prevent denial of genocide and triumphalism of war criminals. The Institute for the Research of Genocide in Canada teaches young generations culture of remembrance.
War crimes should not be taboo, war criminals must not be heroes, genocide must not be denied and deniers of genocide must be punished with a criminal offense. This is our work motto. We will continue to work on the culture of remembrance and we will continually recall the need for the truth and justice. For this is the best way to get to the truth and justice. “
