On 5 May 2001, rioters destroyed the foundation of a mosque being rebuilt in Trebinje, a town in the southern part of Bosnia, near the border with Montenegro. On 7 May 2001, rioters from the same organization were bussed 200 miles to Banja Luka, where they did the same thing to a mosque being rebuilt in downtown Banja Luka: a mosque that had been one of the archetectural wonders of the former Yugoslavia and had stood for 500 years before it was destroyed by Serb thugs in 1993.
I should note for the record: this did not happen in WW2, a half century ago. This riot occurred less than two years ago. My comment about Serbs Who Cannot Play Well With Others stands. The following is an interview with the US Ambassador about the riots of 7 May 2001 in Banja Luka, "Republika Srpska" (RS).
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8 May 01
DNEVNE NEZAVISNE NOVINE
Daily Independent Newspaper, Serbian national daily from Banja Luka
The RS Leadership Is Responsible
An interview with US Ambassador to BH, Thomas Miller
Q: Mr. Miller, what is your comment on Monday’s events in Banja Luka?
A: I’m extremely disappointed and disgusted with what happened in Banja Luka. We saw what happened in Trebinje on Saturday, so there is no excuse that people could not be ready for such a thing. I was on my way towards the Ferhadija Mosque, and I found myself a few meters away from the building of Meshihat when stones started to fall on us. Security tried to throw me into the car as fast as possible. I think that there are many good people in the RS, but there are also those who support the violence, and I think that such people are responsible for the events in Trebinje and Banja Luka. They do not do anything useful for the people, who obey law in the RS, and that’s why what happened creates a terrible image of the RS. I also think that the RS leadership is responsible for these events. When the mob started coming toward us I saw police officers that did nothing. They just stood there, which I consider absolutely irresponsible. Not only do I consider them irresponsible because they did not do their job, but I also blame their leaders. If the RS citizens want to be treated as citizens of one normal country, they have to behave that way.
Q: Will you insist on the laying of the corner stone for the Ferhadija Mosque?
A: I hope I will. That is nothing extraordinary. There was a famous mosque, which was destroyed, and it took eight years gain permission for its reconstruction. I should have spoken at the ceremony today. I wanted to point out the need for all religious monuments to be reconstructed. I wanted to say that it is not necessary that only Muslims have the mosque, but also that the Orthodox and Catholic believers have their objects as well as the Jewish. It is a basic rule.
Q: What are the consequences of the events in Banja Luka and Trebinje for the RS?
A: The RS citizens are the great losers because this is the image they suffer from. The fact is that the RS police cannot fulfill their basic responsibilities – respect of the law and maintaining order, and this massage will be seen in entire world. How can you expect investments when you cannot maintain the basic order and law?
Q: Will the RS suffer from sanctions after all these events?
A: I think that the RS sanctions itself more than anyone else does. Prime Minister Ivanic has been trying to convince the people for the last four months that there is the hope of a better future and prosperity. I think that events in Trebinje, which were repeated in Banja Luka say to the US and the rest of the IC that the RS leadership is not able to maintain peace and order. I hope that the situation will be different when this interview is published, but currently we have many people including my colleagues, who are surrendered by very hostile groups. I think that ordinary people, who obey the law, should say to their leadership that they had enough of one group of extremists representing the entire nation because if they do not react these extremists will prevail. They simply preach hatred and violence, and those are the people who speak for the RS now. And I wonder now: “Is it what most people in the RS want?”
Q: Is the Banja Luka (Local Police) responsible for these incidents because you say that police officers stood aside calmly and watched what was happening?
A: The first people, who are responsible, are those, who are involved in all what happened, those who behave violently. I saw many young people, who attacked older people. They destroyed buses. The same thing happened in Trebinje on Saturday. Those people bare the main part of the guilt, but the police and their leadership as well as the RS Prime Minister and state leadership are also responsible. Their duty was to prevent this. However, I saw police officers that sat there doing nothing.
Q: Will you take specific measures in relation to these events?
A: First the situation must calm down, so we will see what kind of long-term measures, we should take. Right now, I am worried about the lives of those people who are still in danger. First, we should solve this situation, then we will talk about possible consequences.
Q: The RS President and Vice President showed up at the scene only after the riots escalated.
A: The duty of any leader is to lead. One of the state functions is to provide the safety of the state for its citizens and possible guests in this country. These people neither led nor guaranteed the safety and I think that this is an absolute shame. The shame is even bigger because they have recently returned from America and they spoke there that the SDS has changed. I have just spoken with Prime Minister Ivanic, who is at the spot, and I know that our Office has tried for long time to make a contact with the RS President and Vice President, who were not available. How is it possible that you have such a crisis and that you are not able to contact them? What kind of message is that?
Nice report, I know this happening.
While sheiks spend Millions from their oil Billions for Mosques and Jihad Mujahedeen (in German television I saw sheiks or Arabs walking in Kososo and Metohia to help the poor Fascist) set up in Banja Luka, in the same time the Orthodox Churches in Kosmet and orthodox Mazedonia get blown up by Albanian Fascist Dynamit.
Macedonia 2001:
August 22, 2001, Orthodox Monastery in Leshok in Macedonia, blown up by Fascist Albanian terrorist.
So tell me why the Albanians blew up this Monastery in 2001. (Yes I know, the Macedonians blew up their church by themselves, because a drug-dealing UCK-leader, who fixed the dynamite, said that). And why do Albanians at all attack Macedonia?
Do you remeber the Jihad Talebans and the Buddha statues in Afghanistan? Tell me what happend to this cultural heritage by tolernat Muslims? (you won't say anything bad against such deeds, because YOU ARE AN MUSLIM)
And so this Serbian women were equally intolerant and hating when they spat on the lorries carrying UN troops to Srebrenica (<- click)
Don't forget, what the Serbian Orthodoxs still have in their memories from the recent past in Bosnia:
Karadjordje