Category: Europe, World Affairs Topics: Terrorism Views: 4722
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Bystanders to Massacre
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Ten years have passed since the Srebrenica massacre took place, termed as the biggest tragedy in Europe since World War II.
Official commemoration ceremonies for the 10th anniversary of the Srebrenica massacre of 8,000 Bosnians by Serbs in July 1995 will be held on Monday July 11. New discoveries are being made about the Srebrenica massacre that took place in area the United Nations (UN) peace forces had declared as a "safe zone" for civilians. At the 10th anniversary of the massacre, statements by Dutch soldiers, who handed Bosnian civilians to Serbs, once again reveals the atrocity of the incident. The Dutch administration does not feel responsible for the issue but soldiers now express their regret and shame for being bystanders to the massacre of Bosnian civilians they had supposed to protect. Statements by 171 out of 600 Dutch soldiers, many of whom have been undergoing psychological therapy for the events they had witnessed, have been compiled in a book called the "Memories of Srebrenica".
Steve van de Veer is one of these soldiers. He relates how Serbs massacred Bosnian civilians they had handed over. According to him Bosnian Muslims had been loaded onto the back of a truck. They had covered the bodies so that the Serbs could not discover the Muslims. The Bosnians were shouting and crying. Halfway on the journey, a 40-year-old man climbed onto the truck. Van de Veer had assured them of their safety. The 40-year-old man did not know that all men in the truck aged between 12 and 60 would be shot to death. Van de Veer said he could not forget the grievous moment. When he returned to the Netherlands, his wife and children left him because he could not overcome his trauma. The Dutch soldier, retired from the army with a report of disability to serve has been undergoing psychological therapy at a medical center.
Manolo Serrano Yvan der Hoeven was also among the soldiers, who have been unable to overcome the trauma they suffered. Hoeven describes the massacre and how they were mere onlookers to it. He says there were only women, children and helpless people running about in the streets. The Dutch soldiers had promised them all protection. Hoeven regrets they could not defend these civilians. After he returned to the Netherlands, he had undergone psychological therapy for years but he still suffers the effect of the incident. He expresses his guilt saying he had wanted to die. He was ashamed of not keeping his promise to protect the innocent civilians. The Dutch soldier unburdened his heart in an unsent letter he wrote to the children of Srebrenica. He hopes to be forgiven and not to be charged for all that happened. Hoeven asks the children of Srebrenica to understand the deep pain he feels from the bottom of his heart whenever he recalls them. He ends his letter with, "I love you". Two thirds of the Dutch soldiers witnessing the Srebrenica massacre have resigned from their positions in the army.
Mr. Basri Dogan writes for Zaman
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Older Comments:
H.A. FROM YATHRIB said:
I wonder where the so-called "civilized world" was @ the time...
Hypocrisy, hypocrisy and nothing but hyprocisy!
The good news is that there is no escape from the infinite justice...& The infinite justice is not going to take in Afganhistan, but at an unknown X-istan...
Let the clock do it ticking for 70-90 years...The criminals are going to find out their punisment...It's a guranteed punishment...
Hypocrisy, hypocrisy and nothing but hyprocisy!
The good news is that there is no escape from the infinite justice...& The infinite justice is not going to take in Afganhistan, but at an unknown X-istan...
Let the clock do it ticking for 70-90 years...The criminals are going to find out their punisment...It's a guranteed punishment...
2005-07-20
TARIQ EL MOOR FROM SPAIN said:
What about the Muslim/Arab nations such as Saudi-Arabia, Kuwait and others who also stood by and did nothing. It's sad that the Prophet (pbuh) was born in that land. Shame on all of them.
2005-07-13
UM AMOO FROM USA said:
I would like to give an example with an anology. It is like this; a group of murderous thugs are attacking and killing innocent people and the "big nice guy" watches until very few innocent remains, and then jumps in to chase away or kill the thugs who are killing the innocent and WOW! becomes an overnight hero or the savior in the eyes of the world. I hope the readers get my point. Lets think outside the box.
May the souls of the Shaheed rest in peace.
May the souls of the Shaheed rest in peace.
2005-07-13
UM AMINA FROM USA said:
John Majors the former Prime Minister of UK had avoided the Bosnian Muslims and the Kosova Muslims to remain defenseless and without any kind of weapons to defend their country and their people from the massacre and genocide while the Serb Christians were provided were loaded with weapons and used every means to rape, mutalate and slaughter Muslim men, women and children of Europe. And very little was shown in the media. When most of all the young men and women were raped and slaughtered US intervened but it was too late.
2005-07-13
NA FROM US said:
We have no idea what really happened there.
The dutch are the killer with the Serbs. The Dutch soliders were to help the innocent people.
I don't hear what happen to the Serb and Croatia
leader that started all this?
The dutch are the killer with the Serbs. The Dutch soliders were to help the innocent people.
I don't hear what happen to the Serb and Croatia
leader that started all this?
2005-07-12
KAISAR said:
Christian Serbs are real evil, no words can discribe it.. They should be treat as Nazi. May Allah bless the souls of matyrs and the mujahideens, Ameen.
2005-07-12
SWADI FROM USA said:
If European indifference to he Bosnian massacre and slaughter was not incredibe enough, I was just floored when I visiting Pakistan, India and Bangladesh in the time frame of this crime, the Muslim population, generally, had not a clue as to what was going on. There were some charitable organizations that did a lot of excellent work such as The Edhi Foundation and Jamaat Islami in Pakistan, but mostly the people in these countries were unaware that their fellow Muslims were being systematically wipes out. Sadly I noticed the rich these countries did not even care.
2005-07-12
AVOS FROM NORWAY said:
...and the 'Civilised" world stood by...how utterly pathetic and how terribly terribly sad. There is no hope for mankind.
2005-07-12
ABDUL FROM US said:
It was a graet tragic and barbaric in this modern world for such thing to happen. There should be a International Muslim holocast memorial and observance day in the remembrance of all muslims died or killed because of their religion/faith.
Those barbarians are still on loose. How come?. Saddam & his most team members are captured and even his sons were killed. Al-Qaeda and other so called terrorists (by Westerners) on run and getting captured or killed.
If UN and superpowers are serious and do not show double standards in catching those murderes ,they can get them and put on trial etc. Believe it,it can happen.
May Allah give Paradise to those muslims died in that area during that bad period. They were killed because they were muslims. period.
Those barbarians are still on loose. How come?. Saddam & his most team members are captured and even his sons were killed. Al-Qaeda and other so called terrorists (by Westerners) on run and getting captured or killed.
If UN and superpowers are serious and do not show double standards in catching those murderes ,they can get them and put on trial etc. Believe it,it can happen.
May Allah give Paradise to those muslims died in that area during that bad period. They were killed because they were muslims. period.
2005-07-12
BEN FROM USA said:
The massacre of 8,000 innocent Muslims by Serb forces was by far the most greusome atrocity since World War II...Europe did not do enough to stop it, nor did the USA, and that is our shame. But at this same time, where was the Muslim ummah??? Did the atrocities of the Serbs spark the same outrage we have seen among Muslims against Israel and America!? Why do all Muslim countries have diplomatic relations with Serbia, which consistently ethnically cleansed Muslims but not Israel, though what the Serbs have done is worse? Where was and is the jihad against Serbia? Where are the suicide bombers? For the same reason that the Muslim world does not do anything for the persacuted Muslims of China or Russia or Sudan- these people aren't Arabs, and therefore "not worth it" In direct violation of the Prophet's (SAWS) words that all Muslims must be considered equals regardless of race or ethnicity.
2005-07-12
SYED ALI FROM INDIA said:
This is in response to CC, your knowledge of what happen in Bosnia is so little and what the western media fetch you with.
It was the US and other so called civilized countries put strict sanctions on Bosnian Muslims, that they cannot get weapons for their protection, they were surrounded by kafir countries and at the same time the Serbs was getting all kind of weapons, and every one was aware of that, the sanctions was only to kill as many Muslims in a short time, the Muslim and the Muhajadeen was enough there, they were in need of weapons.
Thanks to the Muslims brothers who came to Bosnia through difficult way, many go there as aid workers and then join the Mujahadeen, they actually take the fight to enemy, it was their success on the ground that stop the advance of Serbs, the Mujahdeen from around the world, specially from Saudi, North Africa and Europe (UK/France).
When the US sense the Muslims might get victory in Bosnia, it jump, and try to content the Mujahadeen. They US stop Serbs only to take the credit for the job the Muhajadeen did on the ground. And the US and European don't want to see the Mujahadeens defeat a Christian army in the heart of Europe.
Offen US officials claim in their speeches that they help Muslim in Bosnia, No they are not, they actually facilitate the killing of Muslims by tying their hand with full sanctions on them.
It was the US and other so called civilized countries put strict sanctions on Bosnian Muslims, that they cannot get weapons for their protection, they were surrounded by kafir countries and at the same time the Serbs was getting all kind of weapons, and every one was aware of that, the sanctions was only to kill as many Muslims in a short time, the Muslim and the Muhajadeen was enough there, they were in need of weapons.
Thanks to the Muslims brothers who came to Bosnia through difficult way, many go there as aid workers and then join the Mujahadeen, they actually take the fight to enemy, it was their success on the ground that stop the advance of Serbs, the Mujahdeen from around the world, specially from Saudi, North Africa and Europe (UK/France).
When the US sense the Muslims might get victory in Bosnia, it jump, and try to content the Mujahadeen. They US stop Serbs only to take the credit for the job the Muhajadeen did on the ground. And the US and European don't want to see the Mujahadeens defeat a Christian army in the heart of Europe.
Offen US officials claim in their speeches that they help Muslim in Bosnia, No they are not, they actually facilitate the killing of Muslims by tying their hand with full sanctions on them.
2005-07-11
BOSNIAN FROM BOSNIA said:
The massacre, in the final months of a 43-month war that claimed 250,000 lives, aimed to ensure there were no Muslims to fight back or reclaim Serb-occupied land or homes in the future.SO USA AND EUROPE STOPPED BOSNIANS I LIBERATING BOSNIA AND WE END UP WITH 33% OF OUR OWN COUNTRY.HUGE HELP, IF IT COMES TO AMERICA OR EUROPE NOONE OF MUSLIM IN BOSNIA WOULD BE ALIVE NOW, IF WE DIDNT DEFEND OURSELVES. THINK BEFORE YOU SPEAK CC, READ WHATS BEHIND EVERYTHING, READ HISTORY THAN OPEN YOUR MOUTH.
2005-07-11
BOSNIAN FROM BOSNIA said:
REPLY to CC.
WHEN IT COMES TO DEFENDING OURSELVES, WE DEFENDED OURSELF. NOONE DIDNT HELP US. WHAT OUR ARMY CONTROLED PRRIOR OF INVASION OF AMERICANS AND NATO TROOPS, THATS WHAT WE GOT 33% OF OUR OWN COUNTRY. VERY GENOUREOS HELP PREVENTING US FROM LIBERATING OUR OWN BOSNIA. WE END UP ON 33% OF OUR OWN COUNTRY AND 300 000 KILLED. YOU AMRICANS SHOUDL LET US FINISH LIBERATION OF OUR COUNTRY,BUT YOU STOPED US FROM REASON EVERYONE KNOWS.
WHEN IT COMES TO DEFENDING OURSELVES, WE DEFENDED OURSELF. NOONE DIDNT HELP US. WHAT OUR ARMY CONTROLED PRRIOR OF INVASION OF AMERICANS AND NATO TROOPS, THATS WHAT WE GOT 33% OF OUR OWN COUNTRY. VERY GENOUREOS HELP PREVENTING US FROM LIBERATING OUR OWN BOSNIA. WE END UP ON 33% OF OUR OWN COUNTRY AND 300 000 KILLED. YOU AMRICANS SHOUDL LET US FINISH LIBERATION OF OUR COUNTRY,BUT YOU STOPED US FROM REASON EVERYONE KNOWS.
2005-07-11
CC FROM USA/MEX said:
This was a very sad moment in human history. When groups of defenseless civilians are targeted and killed by military groups it makes the crime difficult for the human soul to endure. I have heard and read many statements from Muslims denying that the Srebrenica massacre ever occurred. They do so because they are incredulous to the fact that the great SATAN (USA) was the only nation willing to take a strong stand and stop the killings. American soldiers where the only ones defending Muslims while the Dutch soldiers were delivering Muslims to their deaths. Osama did not come to their rescue neither did any Muslim army from a Muslim nation. Not to say that the U.S.A is free of any crime but when it comes to Islam vs. America there is in fact no real competition in the eyes of America.
2005-07-11
