The Cordoba Foundation: Srebrenica Memorial Friday Sermon

As the Srebrenica Memorial Day anniversary on the 11th of July approaches its 17th year, we are once again reminded of the lengths that man could potentially go to when immersed in a state of fear, hatred and division.

The Memorial Day puts to rest any naivety that the lessons of the past have not only been learned, but well and truly headed. Not only are human beings chronically capable of committing the most repugnant of acts against fellow human beings, regardless of the advancement of time, the catalysts for these crimes are invariably similar whatever the different and unique circumstances of each.

The Srebrenica Memorial Day provides a timely reminder to us all of the challenges that can only be met in a sense of togetherness and community.

The Cordoba Foundation's Head of Research, Abdullah Faliq, is currently leading a delegation of British Muslims in Bosnia. The delegation earlier today met the Grand Mufti of Bosnia, Dr Mustafa Ceric, who welcomed the delegation and commended the work undertaken in Britain and beyond. The delegation arrived in Bosnia on 6th July and will be attending the Srebrenica memorial on 11th July.

The Cordoba Foundation is issuing a special Friday Sermon from the Mufti of Bosnia Herzegovinia on this occasion.

REMEMBERANCE AND RECONCILIATION

SHAYKH DR MUSTAFA CERIĆ GRAND MUFTI OF BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA

Issued by The Cordoba Foundation

TO ALL MY BROTHERS IN SISTERS IN THE WORLD
(Shaban 1433/July 2012)

- But do not think of those that have been slain in God's cause as dead. Nay, they are alive! With their Sustainer have they their sustenance! Exulting in that [martyrdom] which God has bestowed upon them out of His bounty. And they rejoice in the glad tiding given to those [of their brethren] who have been left behind and have not yet joined them, that no fear need they have, and neither shall they grieve (Qur’an, 3:169-170).

Praise be to Allah and the blessings on the last Messenger of Allah, Muhammad Sallallahu Alaih wa Sallam!

Dear brothers and sisters,

The anniversary of the Srebrenica genocide is such an event that poses more questions than offers answers concerning man's ethics and morality, religion and humanity, truth and justice, crime and punishment and man's remembering and reconciliation.

Although it does sound metaphysical, the question about evil is a relevant one because "evil is a fact of life". We can see it, not only on the occasion of the anniversary of the Srebrenica genocide, but also in everyday crimes such as murder, rape and incest, as well as in the millions of lives lost by disease, poverty and starvation.

According to Oxford English Dictionary: Evil is 1. Morally wrong and bad; wicked: an evil ruler; 2. Causing harm or injury; harmful: an evil plan; 3. Marked or accompanied by misfortune; unlucky: an evil fate. 4. (Of temper, disposition, etc.) characterized by anger or spite. 5. Not in high esteem; infamous: an evil reputation. 6. Offensive or unpleasant: an evil smell. 7. The quality or an instance of being morally wrong; wickedness: the evil of war. 8. A force or power that brings about wickedness or harm: evil is strong in the world.

 

All those definitions are helpful - indeed, but they do not provide answers to the questions such as:

• Why the holocaust? Why genocide?
• Why was an infant girl of Višegrad raped?
• Why was an innocent boy of Srebrenica killed?
• Why were in July 1995 thousands of men and boys who had sought safety in the United Nations-designated "safe area" of Srebrenica under the protection of the United Nations Protection Force massacred?
• Why were Bosnian Muslims disarmed by the promise that they will be protected, but were in turn betrayed and left alone to suffer genocide?
• Where does evil begin?
• What makes evil so fascinating?

There is no explanation to these questions, but there are indications that human voice is often at the essence of the evil-doing of Cain who had no explanation as to why he killed his brother Abel except for his envy, pride, vanity and greed.

While the metaphysical reflections about the roots of and reasons for evil-doing may continue as an abstract debate, the legal action against evildoers must be concrete so that they may receive their rights as Dostoyevsky used to say: 'the criminals have a right to punishment' because evil cannot survive man's conscience.

Hence, the most important questions concerning the Srebrenica genocide are the questions of:

a) truth and justice;
b) crime and punishment; and
c) remembering and reconciliation.

 

a) Truth and Justice

 

Certainly, John Stuart Mill's statement that

the dictum that truth always triumphs over persecution is one of the pleasant falsehoods which men repeat after one another till they pass into commonplace, but which experience refutes. History teems with instances of truth and goodness put down by persecution has some weight in human experience.

We believe, however, that man cannot live the untruth because truth is of the highest order of human values.

 

We live and are capable of living with many injustices, with many shortcomings of justice; but what is a deeper and moral shortcoming is a self- willed choice to live with untruth said John Lukacs and adds:

Justice is of a lower order than is truth, and untruth is lower than injustice.

However, truth and justice are inseparable not only because of their organic order, but also because of the fact that, as Imam Ali used to say:

The King's power may last with infidelity (kufr) , but the King's power

cannot continue with injustice (zulm)."

In other words, anything that was established by injustice or genocide in Bosnia cannot survive and must be abolished sooner or later.

b) Crime and punishment

In the case of a crime against humanity the victim has the right to ask for an adequate punishment of those who committed the crime.

There are three basic goals of punishment:

1) revenge as personal satisfaction;
2) justice as legal order; and
3) punishment as education so that the crime never happens again.

We can empathize, but we cannot imagine what went through the mind of Remza Ibahimović when she recently saw her husband Smail being tortured and killed on the video that was shown on television stations across the world? Did Smail's son Semir and daughter Senada think of revenge in the manner of "an eye for an eye" or did they think that those who killed their father should be brought to justice in Den Haag so that such things never again happen to anyone, anywhere?

I am certain that Remza, Semir and Senada did not think of revenge because that is not their line of thought, but they do think that those who killed their father should be brought to justice as proof that no crime will ever go unpunished.

c) Remembering and reconciliation

In the case of Srebrenica it seems that the perpetrators of genocide are more obsessed with the denial of their crime than the victims of genocide are occupied with thoughts of revenge. This gap must be reconciled.

The very denial of the crime is a crime in itself. The desire for justice is a sign of reconciliation in itself.

Hence, it is not difficult to conclude that the sooner the war criminals cease their denial of the crime the sooner the road to reconciliation will be revealed.

The victims of the Srebrenica genocide will remember and always remind the world of what happened on the 11th July, 1995.

 

The Memorial Center and the Cemetery in Potočari, which will consist of more than 8.000 graves of innocent Bosnian Muslim men and boys, will tell the story of human suffering at the End of a Millennium in Europe.

 

If the End of a Millennium was marked by the Srebrenica genocide in the heart of Europe, I pray that the beginning of a New Millennium will be marked by human decency and mutual respect around the world.

Dear Almighty God,

we pray to Thee that the tyrant's sword be taken away,
and that the weak be given the power of faith in truth and justice.

We pray for sorrow to become hope,
for revenge to become justice,
and for a mother's tears to become a reminder
so that Srebrenica will never happen again to anyone, anywhere.

Our Lord,

Do not let success deceive us
Nor failure take us to despair!

Always remind us that failure is a temptation
That precedes success!

Our Lord,

Teach us that tolerance is the highest degree of power
And the desire for revenge
The first sign of weakness!

Our Lord,

If you deprive us of our property,

Give us hope!

If you grant us with success,

Give us also the will-power to overcome defeat!

If you take from us the blessing of health,

Provide us with the blessing of faith!

Our Lord,

If we sin against people,
give us the strength of apology!

And if people sin against us,

Give us the streng th of forgiveness!

Our Lord

If we forget You,
Do not forget us.