Djamila
Bosnjakinja
The Scream of Tuzla
The Tuzla Kapija
The Tuzla Kapija
Razija Dedovic - 16, Muslim
Alma Brguljak - 20, Jewish
Senada Hasanovic - 26, Muslim
Alma Brguljak - 20, Jewish
Senada Hasanovic - 26, Muslim
Fahrudin Ramic - 26, Muslim
Pera Marinovic - 26, Christian
Savan Mustacevic - 29, Christian
Edhem Sarajlic - 20, Muslim
Adnan Beganovic - 15, Muslim
Asmira Bakalovic - 9, Muslim
Suzana Dusic - 14, Christian
Almasa Cerimovic - 20, Jewish
Amir Dapa - 4, Jewish
Amir Duzel - 31, Jewish
Vesna Kurtalic - 18, Christian
Edisa Memic - 19, Muslim
Sanja Cajic - 18, Christian
Nedim Rekic - 28, Muslim
Mustafa Vukovic - 23, Muslim
Adnan Hujdurovic - 15, Muslim
Edina Ahmetasevic - 21, Muslim
Amira Mehinovic - 16, Muslim
Franc Kantor - 24, Christian
Asim Slijepcevic - 20, Christian
Sandro Kalesic - 3, Muslim
Edin Hodzic - 31, Muslim
Indira Boric - 36, Christian
Sulejman Mehanovic - 18, Muslim
Damir Kurbasic - 14, Muslim
Ilinka Tadic - 12, Christian
Selma Nuhanovic - 23, Muslim
Edin Mehmedovic - 20, Muslim
Nihad Sisic - 20, Muslim
Amir Cekic - 21, Muslim
Indira Okanovic - 15, Christian
Ilvana Bosnjakovic - 26, Christian
Admir Alispahic - 24, Muslim
Jasenko Rosic - 18, Christian
Damir Bojkic - 28, Christian
Samir Mujic - 29, Muslim
Rajif Rahmani - 23, Muslim
Almir Jahic - 18, Christian
Lejla Bucuk - 17, Muslim
Azur Mujabasic - 22, Muslim
Azur Vantic - 24, Muslim
Suzana Abuismail - 25, Muslim
Semsa Hasicic - 20, Muslim
Senahid Salamovic - 26, Muslim
Nenad Markovic - 19, Christian
Hamdija Hakic - 48, Muslim
Petar Stjepanovic - 25, Christian
Elvis Alagic - 18, Muslim
Lejla Atikovic - 13, Muslim
Armin Sisc - 20, Muslim
Rusmir Ponjavic -17, Jewish
Alem Hidanovic - 20, Muslim
Zada Dedic - 21, Christian
Vanja Kurbegovic - 21, Muslim
Jelena Stojcic - 18, Christian
Hasa Hrustanovic - 25, Muslim
Ago Hadzic - 20, Muslim
Selma Causevic - 6, Muslim
Nesit Mujanovic - 21, Muslim
Adrijana Milic - 17, Christian
Samir Cirak - 19, Muslim
Muri Fatusic - 11, Christian
Elvir Murselovic - 24, Muslim
Adnan Saimovic - 28, Muslim
Jasminka Sarajlic - 23, Muslim
All of these people whose names are listed above have many things in common. They were all Bosnians, and they were all Slavs. They all lived in the same northeast Bosnian city, Tuzla. They went to the same schools, hung out at the same cafes.
They also all went downtown, to the kapija (central street) on May 25, 1995 - the Day of Youth in Bosnia - to celebrate highschool graduation with graduates with friends. They were also all killed by a single shell - one, single bomb - launched from a Serbian position several kilometers away.
As the parents of Tuzla collected the pieces of an entire generation wiped out in garbage bags, news of their 'success' reached the soldiers and they fired more shells into the city. They continued to do so throughout the night, and during the funerals several days later.
It took an entire issue of the local newspaper to list the photographs and names of those killed.
The children were not burried in the individual Muslim, Roman Catholic, Orthodox Christian, and Jewish neighborhood cemeteries. Their parents decided instead to bury them all together in a special cemetery solely for that purpose.
"They would have wanted it that way." was the most common sentiment, and indeed - it was probably true.
Tuzla is today the most diverse city in Bosnia and Herzegovina. During the war, it was the only city in the country that did not elect nationalist or otherwise extremist parties. It was the only city that accepted refugees of every religious background. It was the only city which was not near, or involved, in any of the fighting. And still they attacked.
Today, through the actions of those who survived and the parents of the victims, Tuzla is one of the most prosperous cities in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It consistently comes out on top in polls about quality of life and satisfaction with life. It's schools are not segregated, its - by all accounts - a religious utopia of sorts.
That's the power of the religious tolerance and that was their miserable failure. The soldiers can take lifes, they can take infrastructure, but they cannot take souls and nor could they shake the centuries-old tradition of diversity. So we won, in every way we could have won.
That's the moral of this thread. Take it, wrap it away, put it in your heart, and never forget. And please, remember them in your prayers.
Pera Marinovic - 26, Christian
Savan Mustacevic - 29, Christian
Edhem Sarajlic - 20, Muslim
Adnan Beganovic - 15, Muslim
Asmira Bakalovic - 9, Muslim
Suzana Dusic - 14, Christian
Almasa Cerimovic - 20, Jewish
Amir Dapa - 4, Jewish
Amir Duzel - 31, Jewish
Vesna Kurtalic - 18, Christian
Edisa Memic - 19, Muslim
Sanja Cajic - 18, Christian
Nedim Rekic - 28, Muslim
Mustafa Vukovic - 23, Muslim
Adnan Hujdurovic - 15, Muslim
Edina Ahmetasevic - 21, Muslim
Amira Mehinovic - 16, Muslim
Franc Kantor - 24, Christian
Asim Slijepcevic - 20, Christian
Sandro Kalesic - 3, Muslim
Edin Hodzic - 31, Muslim
Indira Boric - 36, Christian
Sulejman Mehanovic - 18, Muslim
Damir Kurbasic - 14, Muslim
Ilinka Tadic - 12, Christian
Selma Nuhanovic - 23, Muslim
Edin Mehmedovic - 20, Muslim
Nihad Sisic - 20, Muslim
Amir Cekic - 21, Muslim
Indira Okanovic - 15, Christian
Ilvana Bosnjakovic - 26, Christian
Admir Alispahic - 24, Muslim
Jasenko Rosic - 18, Christian
Damir Bojkic - 28, Christian
Samir Mujic - 29, Muslim
Rajif Rahmani - 23, Muslim
Almir Jahic - 18, Christian
Lejla Bucuk - 17, Muslim
Azur Mujabasic - 22, Muslim
Azur Vantic - 24, Muslim
Suzana Abuismail - 25, Muslim
Semsa Hasicic - 20, Muslim
Senahid Salamovic - 26, Muslim
Nenad Markovic - 19, Christian
Hamdija Hakic - 48, Muslim
Petar Stjepanovic - 25, Christian
Elvis Alagic - 18, Muslim
Lejla Atikovic - 13, Muslim
Armin Sisc - 20, Muslim
Rusmir Ponjavic -17, Jewish
Alem Hidanovic - 20, Muslim
Zada Dedic - 21, Christian
Vanja Kurbegovic - 21, Muslim
Jelena Stojcic - 18, Christian
Hasa Hrustanovic - 25, Muslim
Ago Hadzic - 20, Muslim
Selma Causevic - 6, Muslim
Nesit Mujanovic - 21, Muslim
Adrijana Milic - 17, Christian
Samir Cirak - 19, Muslim
Muri Fatusic - 11, Christian
Elvir Murselovic - 24, Muslim
Adnan Saimovic - 28, Muslim
Jasminka Sarajlic - 23, Muslim
All of these people whose names are listed above have many things in common. They were all Bosnians, and they were all Slavs. They all lived in the same northeast Bosnian city, Tuzla. They went to the same schools, hung out at the same cafes.
They also all went downtown, to the kapija (central street) on May 25, 1995 - the Day of Youth in Bosnia - to celebrate highschool graduation with graduates with friends. They were also all killed by a single shell - one, single bomb - launched from a Serbian position several kilometers away.
As the parents of Tuzla collected the pieces of an entire generation wiped out in garbage bags, news of their 'success' reached the soldiers and they fired more shells into the city. They continued to do so throughout the night, and during the funerals several days later.
It took an entire issue of the local newspaper to list the photographs and names of those killed.
The children were not burried in the individual Muslim, Roman Catholic, Orthodox Christian, and Jewish neighborhood cemeteries. Their parents decided instead to bury them all together in a special cemetery solely for that purpose.
"They would have wanted it that way." was the most common sentiment, and indeed - it was probably true.
Tuzla is today the most diverse city in Bosnia and Herzegovina. During the war, it was the only city in the country that did not elect nationalist or otherwise extremist parties. It was the only city that accepted refugees of every religious background. It was the only city which was not near, or involved, in any of the fighting. And still they attacked.
Today, through the actions of those who survived and the parents of the victims, Tuzla is one of the most prosperous cities in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It consistently comes out on top in polls about quality of life and satisfaction with life. It's schools are not segregated, its - by all accounts - a religious utopia of sorts.
That's the power of the religious tolerance and that was their miserable failure. The soldiers can take lifes, they can take infrastructure, but they cannot take souls and nor could they shake the centuries-old tradition of diversity. So we won, in every way we could have won.
That's the moral of this thread. Take it, wrap it away, put it in your heart, and never forget. And please, remember them in your prayers.