When one thinks of Bosnia, one of the most important things about it is that it survived such a vicious and violent war with people who were part of its own fabric of society, and even nation at some point. It is something that I think of often and find it is so sobering to contemplate, that your own neighbor turns on you, to the point of torture, rape and mass killings in the blink of an eye based on religious divide and long ago historical events of not forgotten, nor forgiven violence.

It is shocking to realize that this mass turmoil was sparked by one man, the convicted war criminal, Slobodan Milosevic. He incited anger for the past and prejudice for the future, in order to realize his greedy aspirations for a Greater Serbia, a desire that would only be possible through destruction.

I decided that it was appropriate to start speaking of Bosnia by remembering those who have passed away and standing in solidarity with those who have survived with their faith and their humanity beautifully intact. Yes, the Bosniaks (what Bosnian Muslims like to call themselves) have their idiosyncrasies of sometimes a serious bedside manner, but on the whole there’s a gentle, earnest, open and hospitable way about them. Both their painful past and their beautiful character despite or because of their experiences made me feel such kinship and love for them right from the start. And, there is a lot to fall in love with as you will see in the coming posts about Bosnia between culture, nature, architecture, faith and food. 

The good ways of understanding what a people have gone through were all there and I was lucky that my first visit to Bosnia was through a program with Cambridge Muslim College (CMC). I got to hear excellent lectures on the history and hear the imams of important mosques speak of the past and present, and see important exhibits. Not to mention, the excellent reading list that CMC provided.

Then, on my second visit, Holiday Bosnia and its founder, Kamraan saw that my interest went deep, so he introduced me to a friend of his and his wife, delightful Edin and Amina. Through them I got my fill of history and the Bosnian way of life, but in addition, I got precious time with their family and friends. We also did some service for single mothers of abused backgrounds who have as much as seven precious kids to take care of. I am so grateful that my introduction to this special country and people was in such an immersive, thoughtful and personal way. 

This time I want to speak of the museums in Sarajevo, as the city is filled with them. Each is small, but well formed, and acts as a piece of a puzzle to give you glimpses into a culture and a history so rich and precious. 

The first and most sobering one I want to talk about is Galerija 11/07/1995 and it’s permanent Srebrenica exhibition. It is an exhibit that tells the harrowing story of the almost 8000 Bosniaks that were killed over a week in Srebrenica while under the protection of the Dutch UN representatives. Heartbreaking to contemplate, this was such a disturbing dose of reality on so many levels. Tarik Samarah’s photographs and a powerful documentary are a permanent reminder of what happened. I recently learned that there is a walk that happens in solidarity with those who lost their lives and those who were left behind to mourn of relatives and loved ones. Those stuck during those days had only one way out through the forest and mountains, but even then Serbs were lurking and mass graves were found all along the way. My intention is to accept the invitation from my new sister Dzevada and do the walk with her. I will do it for all those who left us and are in a better place, and as a voice of love and honor for those left behind, patient, and grieving. I pray that they stand strong in their faith and belief that there is a better place, and that their loved ones are in it and in sha Allah they will all be meeting there where there is just peace and no goodbyes.