Religious leaders against cartridge ammunition

BiH CoM Chair Nikola Spiric opened today in Sarajevo the conference that the European leader of religious leaders, in cooperation with Interreligious Council in BiH and organization Handicap International, organized on ban of the usage of the cartridge ammunition.

- We are witnesses that unexploded cartridge ammunition continues to cause death and continues to injure people in BiH and the region and long after the end of the tragic clashes on this area; Spiric warned.

According to the data of the UNICEF, children make 40 per cent out of total number of victims of cartridge bombs, and UNICEF also estimates that billions of cartridge bombs have been scattered all around the world.

BiH is determined to put an end to all killings and accidents caused by cassette bombs. BiH CoM adopted the report from negotiations in Dublin and approved BiH approach to the Convention on ban of cartridge ammunition; Spiric said.

Naib-u-Reis of the Islamic Community in BiH Ismet ef. Spahic said at the press-conference, after the assembly was opened, that this topic has to draw attention of all reasonable beings.

All religions teach that to kill one man is the same as to kill the whole world, but the human mind has been distorted and now, instead to think how to live better, they think how to kill more; Spahic warned.

He also pointed out the symbolism of holding this conference in Sarajevo that felt all the consequences of cartridge ammunition on itself.

Norwegian Bishop, ex member of the Committee for Nobel Prize, Gunar Stalsett also pointed to the symbolic and spiritual value of holding this conference in Sarajevo.

Ex pyrotechnic officer of the Yugoslavian Army, now activist for ban of the cartridge ammunition, Branislav Kapetanovic talked about his personal experience on dangerous that cartridge bombs represent. He was also severely injured.

However, the problem with the new convention will be that the countries, the biggest producers of the ammunition in the world, as Russia, China, USA or Israel, will not join it.

(Fena)