Crowd gathers in Des Moines at Iowa Capitol to call for peace in Bosnia-Herzegovina
About 100 people gathered Saturday in front of the Iowa State Capitol to rally for peace in Bosnia-Herzegovina after increased tensions have added fuel to a political crisis in the region.
"We fear that the genocide is happening again," said Berina Smajlovic, 32, of Des Moines.
She's one of thousands of Bosnians who call Iowa home.
At the rally, which was organized by the Bosniak American Association of Iowa, many proudly waved Bosnian freedom flags next to American flags.
"The best thing to do in this moment is to bring our people together — whether it's five of us or 500 of us. We must unite and heal as a community by showing up for each other and taking care of our own," Smajlovic said.
She emphasized to the crowd the goal of re-establishing a united and multiethnic Bosnia that is "free from false borders born out of genocide and ethnic cleansing."
"In Bosnian, we say 'zajedno smo jaci' — We're stronger together," she said.
On Jan. 9, Bosnian Serbs celebrated the outlawed holiday that commemorates the day the ethnic group declared the creation of its own state in Bosnia in 1992, igniting a four-year interethnic war known for genocide and ethnic cleansing.
The Associated Press reported that tensions have increased after Bosnian Serb nationalist leader Milorad Dodik began to intensify his secessionist campaign calling for the separation of Republika Srpsk — the Serbian-run portion of the country — from Bosnia.
Bosnia is in its greatest political crisis since the end of its 1992-95 war, when more than 100,000 people were killed, half of the country's population became refugees, and Bosniaks and Croats were persecuted and almost completely expelled from the now Serb-administered half of Bosnia, according to the Associated Press.
"Today, we are gathering for the victims who lost their lives, for the survivors who are with us today, and for the future and safety of the country we come from," said Amra Klempic, 25, of Urbandale at Saturday's rally.
"We cannot afford to have another genocide on our soil. We cannot risk losing our identity, our people, our land, our culture."
Klempic and Smajlovic stressed the importance of having the Bosnian community in Iowa speak out, show up, and stand in solidarity with oppressed peoples.
Andrea Sahouri covers social justice for the Des Moines Register. She can be contacted at asahouri@registermedia.com, on Twitter @andreamsahouri, or by phone 515-284-8247.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Bosnians hold rally in Des Moines for peace in Bosnia-Herzegovina
