THE INTELLECTUALS OF SARAJEVO IN THE "CIRCLE 99"

THE CIRCLE IS EXPANDING

AIM, Sarajevo, October 4, 1994.

"We are strongly convinced that life with its diversity and tolerance is an invaluable heritage of our past and a sound foundation for a peaceful and happy future for each citizen of Sarajevo and Bosnia&Herzegovina". - This is an extract from the Declaration of Free and United Sarajevo, whose voluntary signing began on October 1 by citizens of this city, its inhabitants in the occupied regions of Grbavica and Ilidza, Bosnians in diaspora regardless of their nationality, people of good will and supporters from all over the world.

The citizens of Sarajevo will have the opportunity to say what they think about the Declaration until the end of October, and people abroad probably a month longer, and according to some assessments, about 100 thousand of inhabitants of the capital of B&H will support this document as well as an equal number of citizens from other countries of the world. The initiative and the idea about the Declaration originated in the association of Sarajevo independent intellectuals called the "Circle 99", and they were supported by all the existing parties and the city structures, although not always too willingly. Such unity of the ruling and the opposition parties concerning this issue appears for the first time, and as they inform us from within the "Circle 99", the exclusive motive for polling about the Declaration was a feeling that the destiny of the city and its citizens are subject to bargaining in all political instances, both local and international, and that life in diversity and tolerance has not been destroyed, but only questioned. The power-wielders from the ruling parties would hardly agree with this thesis, since they are the ones who endangered it in the first place, but nevertheless, they supported the Declaration. It was simply impossible to refuse to support its contents.

It would be superficial and wrong to reach the conclusion that the members of the "Circle 99" are high in favour with the structures in power. In a big campaign recently led by the extremist faction of the Party of Democratic Action (SDA) against mixed marriages, the "Circle 99" was the only one to raise its voice against it and to resist it. Its members informed both the domestic and the foreign public that a fundamental human right to freedom and privacy was jeopardized here, and even in the darkest ages noone dared support, at least publicly, anything of the sort. Members of the "Circle 99", however, are still earning vulgar, primitive and chauvinist labels because of their stances.

Who are members of the "Circle 99", in fact? Without exaggeration the answer is: the very elite among the intellectuals of Sarajevo. Half of the remaining members of the Academy of Sciences and Arts are among them, writers such as Izet Sarajlic and Marko Vesovic, painters like Afan Ramic and Edo Numankadic, eminent public and political personalities, renowned journalists. There is no such thing as membership of the "Circle 99", its doors are wide open to distinguished people who accept the existence of Bosnia & Herzegovina as a country where all nations are autochtonous and possess the culture of living together. It was formed spontaneously within the ranks of the intellectuals who were given an opportunity by the independent Radio "Studio 99" to say what they think freely, without any censorship, to point out to failures, to criticize. Now there are practically two parts of the same organism located in some fifty square metres of premises in a cellar criss-crossed by numerous installation pipes. They have remained together, free and independent, because Radio "Studio 99" is still the most popular radio station in the city, which is a total disaster for the state radio, so it was exposed to threats that it would be closed down on several occasions. "Studio 99" responded to a recent ban of broadcasting of all music from aggressor countries imposed by the Minister of education, science and culture, E. Karic, by broadcasting songs of Djordje Balasevic. We, therefore, remind the Editor-in-chief of "Studio 99" and the ideological creator of the Circle, Adil Kulenovic, of the prescribed measure for disobedience - interruption of broadcasting. He replies:

• Should that be a reason for the police to come in and ban our work, it would not only be contrary to the Constitution and the Law on Public Media, but it would cause indignation of the entire progressive world. Short-sighted people like Enes Karic do not see this, but such peoplenjust come and - go. We have experienced much more serious threats and we have survived, and none of us received a salary for nineteen months of the war. Gentlemen from the "Ljiljan" are slapping us on the wrists and they have spent the war in Ljibljana while we worked here. Mister Minister Karic proclaimed the journal "Zmaj od Bosne" to be the medium of the year, and in it you may read such fantastic ideas that each Muslim should have his own Serb for retaliation. And one should be aware that the aim of his latest ban concerning music, was not music at all, but general censorship. We dot accept this.

*After the Declaration of Free and United Sarajevo, what will the activitities of the "Circle" be?

• We are already engaged, both in the country and abroad, in foundation of an International Tribunal for investigation of morality in politics. We have the support of several significant world intellectuals for this initiative. They support it because they say that the world does not have great politicians any more, but bureaucrats who curry favour with the public, and they make decisions concerning the fate of the world. That is why fascism is quite a realistic danger for Europe, but broader too. The International Tribunal is intended to be the voice of conciousness against such processes.

*You have recently stayed in several countries of Europe. What are your impressions about the political rating of B&H authorities, is the fame of "Circle 99" growing?

• The rating of B&H politics is dropping because it has accepted the hypothesis that it is impossible to live together. It is further aggravated by the stance of the extremists from the SDA who are campagning against mixed marriages, alcoholic beverages, or who are limiting the freedom of women concerning clothing and appearance in public. The world sees this and condemns it as an attack on fundamental human and civilization rights. Unfortunately, the official politics does not disassociate itself from such incidents and this is very harmful for it. And, contrary to the official politics, the fame and the influence of the "Circle" are rising, primarily among the intellectuals, but increasingly in the public in general.

This is how Adil Kulenovic, the Editor of the "Studio 99" and the Secretary of the "Circle 99" speaks. Realistically and not bragging, because in these troubled times, these two institutions have preserved their good name and moral dignity. For a growing number of supporters these two institutions have become symbols of consciousness and honesty at least of a group of intellectuals who decided to call a spade a spade, regardless of immediate consequences. Their vision of a joint and democratic Bosnia&Herzegovina is facing numerous temptations, but time will show to what extent they were right to believe in it.

MLADEN PAUNOVIC