Ten more martyrs…

Bosnia, as it does every year at this time, will today remove the bandage from its wound, cry out the truth to the world once more, and then gently cover its wound again. Yes, for the victims of the Srebrenica Genocide that took place in the summer of 1995, tears will flow again today, hearts will ache again, and the martyrs will remind the "modern" world once more of its hypocrisy and indifference.

On the 31st anniversary of the genocide, 10 more victims whose identities have just been identified are being laid to rest today at the Potocari Memorial Cemetery in Srebrenica. The bodies, brought to the capital Sarajevo three days ago in a convoy that set out from the town of Visoko in Bosnia, were greeted with respect and sorrow by the people lining the streets. The scene where the vehicles carrying the bodies stopped in front of the Markale market, which witnessed two horrific massacres during the siege of Sarajevo, was undoubtedly one of the most emotional moments of the ceremony. It was as if the martyrs were meeting and embracing one another.

The 10 victims whose identities have been identified through work carried out since last July range in age from 20 to 56. Their names are: Senad Jusic, Muriz Barakovic, Hamid Music, Ramo Alic, Muhiddin Osmanovic, Huso Kerimovic, Nuko Nukic, Ahmet Guster, Asim Kunic, and Ramo Davutovic. Their "crime" is hidden in their names: Hamid, Ramazan, Muhiddin, Husameddin, Ahmed, Asim... Alic, meaning son of Ali. Osmanovic, son of Osman. Kerimovic, son of Kerim. Davutovic, son of Davut... Simply paying attention to the names and surnames of the victims reveals why they were slaughtered.

I am writing this quickly in a column, and perhaps you are reading these lines in a few minutes. But behind the phrase "identification of the victims' identities" lies a recurring pain and open wounds for the surviving families of the martyrs. Aside from the technical difficulties and exhausting nature of the identification process, since the bodies of at least 8,372 men killed in the genocide were dismembered and scattered haphazardly across numerous mass graves, even reconstructing the skeletal integrity of some bodies takes years. The families of the victims are forced to wait for years, hoping "at least the skeleton can be assembled in one piece." The bodies of Bosniaks killed under horrific conditions by Serbian monsters have been identified in 150 different locations so far, and 77 mass graves have been found. To date, 6,772 victims have been buried at the Potocari Memorial Cemetery. Another 250 bodies have been buried in local cemeteries and villages in the surrounding area, at the request of their families. There are at least 1,000 more victims whose bodies have yet to be found. These still appear as "missing" in the records. Moreover, many families of the victims passed away without ever seeing results. Some bodies no longer have a surviving relative to claim them or pray at their grave.

Whenever my path takes me to Bosnia, I always visit Srebrenica, even though it is far from the center and off the beaten track. I have always taken my family, my children, and close friends with me. Every year on the anniversary of the Srebrenica Genocide, I always write a piece and try, in my own way, to keep the issue on the agenda. I also follow the legal proceedings and official procedures separately. But still, I cannot overcome my anger; my heart does not cool. The details of this oppression inflicted upon an innocent people still tighten my chest.

Every year, without getting tired or bored, we must shout in the faces of Europe, the UN's so‑called peacekeeping forces, and especially the Netherlands, their crimes against humanity in the Srebrenica Genocide. The sole reason innocent Bosniaks were handed over to the Serbian monsters, simply for being Muslim, is the hatred for Islam and Muslims. The sight of Western politicians and state leaders shamelessly strutting about at international meetings today should not prevent us from seeing the blood dripping from between their teeth. The first of the many lessons to be learned from the Srebrenica Genocide is this: keep memory alive and vibrant at all times. Never forget that the Western mind and subconscious always look at us and the East as a whole through the same window... And never lose sight of the fact that a vein capable of repeating Srebrenica if given the chance still pulses there.