A solemn commemoration of the 30th anniversary of the 1995 Srebrenica Genocide took place in St. Louis, Missouri, on July 12 at the historic Soldiers Memorial Museum. The program was organized by the Srebrenica Remembrance Coalition in St Louis, a diverse consortium of 16 organizations, including the Association of Srebrenica Survivors in St Louis. St. Louis is home to some 60,000 Bosnians who were displaced by the aggression and genocide from 1992-1995.
The July 12 program, for which Nedim Ramić served as master of ceremonies, included recorded messages from President Bill Clinton and Reis-u-Ulema Husein Kavazović. Congressional Representative Wesley Bell, co-chair of the US Congressional Bosnian Caucus, and Professor David Pettigrew also gave speeches as part of the program. Survivors of the aggression and genocide, Jusmir Handžić, Elvedin Pasić, Behidin Pirić, and Elvir Ahmetović spoke emotionally about their experiences surviving the violence and enduring the loss of their loved ones. The program featured a video of Elvedin Pasić’s dramatic testimony at the Hague in the Mladić trial.
The program was attended by a number of government representatives and civic leaders, including Missouri State Representative Bridget Walsh Moore and Jeremy Lloyd, Director of Community Initiatives for U.S. Senator Josh Hawley. Helen Turner, Director of Education at the St Louis Kaplan Feldman Holocaust Museum, participated in the program by introducing Elvedin Pasić. A number of St. Louis City Council Members presented Ermin Grbić with a Proclamation recognizing the Observance of the 30th anniversary of the Srebrenica Genocide.
Several of the speeches focused on the important role that commemorations can play in rebuilding and healing a post-genocide society that had been so deeply traumatized, as well as in resisting the nationalist ideologies of the 90s that are still a threat. There was an emphasis on raising awareness about the Srebrenica genocide in order to resist the rampant denial in Republika Srpska and Serbia.
Professor Pettigrew called for ensuring the right for survivors to install memorials at atrocity sites such as Kravica warehouse, Petkovci dam and Pilica Cultural Center, sites where Bosniakswere murdered as part of the Srebrenica Genocide. He also called for the immediate removal of the mural glorifying Ratko Mladić, insisting that it is incomprehensible on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the Srebrenica Genocide that the mural is allowed to stand at the entrance to Kalinovik.
A concluding Prayer was offered by Imam Enver Kunić.
Following the program, the approximately 1000 Bosnians and supporters in attendance took part in a symbolic one-mile march in silence around the historic square in memory of the victims.
The commemoration on June 12 was a culmination of a series of events organized by the Srebrenica Remembrance Coalition in St. Louis. The events included the visits of Avdo Huseinović and Emir Suljiagić to St. Louis, as well as a prayer service for the victims of the genocide held at the Islamic Community Center in St Louis on July 11.
