LETTER FOR PRIME MINISTER STEPHEN HARPER

Dear Prime Minister Stephen Harper,

I am writing to you regarding the Bill M-416, also known as the campaign to make July 11th Srebrenica Genocide Remembrance Day in Canada. First and foremost, I am saddened that you vetoed this resolution because you believe the words “genocide” and “Bosniak” do not belong in the Canadian official record of events, even though The Hague's International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia has ruled that the events that took place in the Eastern town of Bosnia and Herzegovina, in July of 1995, in a UN safe area, is in fact genocide committed by Serb forces under the command of Ratko Mladic. Furthermore, the European Union, the United States and Serbia have each adopted resolutions and clearly acknowledge that the brutal acts committed in this area are genocide.

In Canada today there are more than 50,000 Canadian Bosniaks and all of them have been affected by ethnic cleansing,  genocide and the overall aggression committed during the 1990s war in Bosnia and Herzegovina in one way or another. Many of these individuals are concentration camp survivors; they are rape victims; they have been physically disabled; or they suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder. Others have lost family, their homes and have been forced out of their home country. Seeking refuge in Canada has been a blessing for many of these individuals because they see Canada as a strong democratic nation with a strong stance on human rights abuses.

I cannot stress enough the importance of marking July 11th as Srebrenica Genocide Remembrance Day, not only for the Bosniak community but for human rights all together. People around the world need to be reminded of the promise “Never Again” and educating people about the Srebrenica Genocide will help us keep committed to this mandate. On behalf of the 50,000 plus Canadian Bosniaks, I ask you, Prime Minister of Canada, to allow the members in the House of Commons to vote on the original M-416 bill which includes the words “Genocide” and “Bosniak.” Having this resolution would recognize and help ease the physical and emotional scars that all Canadian Bosniaks are carrying with them. If you cannot fulfill my request to allow bill M-416 to pass, I would like to know why you will not allow bill M-416 to be voted on.

Best Regards,