BOSNIACS IN CROATIA

AIM Zagreb, 27 April, 1997

It is not easy to be a minority in Croatia. For the time being, this affects mostly the Serbs and the Bosniacs. It is difficult to be equal in the civil and political sense of the word, when ethnic affiliation is the only criterion for everything. Due to it, people are thrown out of their apartments, sacked from work, and living a difficult life. Because of ethnic affiliation, small Ahmet or Jovan, both in kindergarten or school, in order to be like everybody else, prefer to write that their names are Tomislav or Hrvoje. If they wish to live in peace, their parents have no choice, either to wear what everybody else does or - leave.

As concerning the Serbs, things are clear. Those who have gone after operation Storm, have difficulties returning. The administration is doing its best to prevent them, so their houses are sold, given away to others or set on fire. Although the Americans allegedly wish everybody to return to their homes, and even the Serb refugees, everything is done to prevent it. In this sense, Croatia is making its own steps. For example, the Croats from Kosovo are colonized into their homes, like in Kistanje, Knin and western Slavonia around Okucani and Daruvar. The rights of national minorities are diminishing, so Croatia has become a state in which blood, birth and land are above everything else.

The Serbs are not the only ones, however. Discrimination is applied against the Bosniacs too, although Croatia is in the confederation with Bosnia & Herzegovina. The Bosniacs are exposed to denial of a their nation from a few sides. Starting from the fact that the Bosniacs are officially Muslims, and not as much as they wish to be, there is also the problem with papers which they cannot get except if they do not give up their faith and nation. That is why many Bosniacs in the past five years declared themselves to be Croat, and even Catholic, just in order to be issued a certificate on citizenship. Because without it, they can do nothing - neither find a job, nor be sick, nor walk at night without fear. Many of the brave ones who dared do it, have spent the night in a police station, and for some it was the last night they spent in Croatia, because they were banished then and there.

As concerning the name, the ethnic community of the Bosniacs submitted a demand in 1996 to the Ministry of Administration of the Republic of Croatia to change the name Muslim in the constitution into Bosniac. The Bosniacs are, however, still called Muslims, especially by the media. The name Bosniac in Croatia, at least officially, is a synonym for a citizen of Bosnia & Herzegovina, and not for a member of a nation. This shows that all the rights in Croatia are the result of religion and nation, so the Bosniacs are a nation with limited rights, and often without them because they are deprived of them.

An example of that are about two thousand Bosniacs from the bordering region with B&H, from the vicinity of Vojnic, Vrginmost, Slunj and Cetingrad, where they have lived for years (some even 40), or were even born there. Although they are practically natives over there, they are not entitled to citizenship, because someone decided that they are not, although pursuant the Croatian Law on Citizenship they are entitled to it and must get it. When the war began, the Bosniacs from this region fled to Bosnia, or Europe or Canada. Many have returned after operation "Storm", but were deprived of the right to remain in their homes. Those who had remained are practically foreigners, although their identity cards were issued to them in Croatia before the war. Since the Croat Democratic Community (HDZ) believes that history began when it came to power, it does not recognize anything that happened before the war. Croatia simply does not wish to have these people on this part of its territory, but only Bosnian Croats or Croats from Janjevo.

In the explanation why they cannot be Croatian citizens, the authorities showed how imaginative they can be. For instance, they wrote about Fatima Pehka, born in Podzuzdu near Velika Kladusa in B&H, who lived for thirty years in the village of Gejkovac near Vojnic, that she did not know the Latin alphabet. Fatima is in fact illeterate. And even if she had been literate, they would have written something similar, like that she cannot sing the Croatian national anthem. For those born in Croatia in the sevnties, like Fikret from the village of Svinica, the same rules apply. They either cannor write, or something similar, but the real reason is - that they are Bosniacs. "We have their papers since before the war and they have all been issued in Croatia", says Sead Hadzagic, advisor in the Embassy of Bosnia & Herzegovina in Zagreb. "We have spoken with the authorities a few times about it, but everything remains like before. Had they lived in Medjimurje, I believe they would not have had any problems. As it is, they suffer because they were born and live in the wrong place.

On the other hand, the Bosniacs are the only minority without a representative in the Assembly. Everyone else has them - those who are more numerous, but also those who are less numerous than they are. With 45 thousand, the Bosniacs rank second among the minorities in Croatia, after the Serbs. According to the 1991 census, there were 12 per cent of the Serbs, and one per cent of the Bosniacs. In the religious sense, there are about 55 thousand Muslims, which is 1.2 per cent (0.9 per cent of the Bosniacs, 0.1 are the Turks, and 0.2 Albanians). Since 1991 to this day, the number of the Muslims has somewhat increased. Before the war in Croatia, there were between 200 and 300 thousand Bosniacs with a permanent job in Croatia, mostly in construction, but they were registered in Bosnia & Herzegovina. A large part of them legalized their status in Croatia in 1992. Since many of them declare themselves as Croats, for known reasons, there are formally less of them than actually. Statistics does not care for "known reasons".

Four political parties of the Bosniacs are registered in Croatia, but actually only the Party of Democratic Action of Croatia (SDAH) exists in the field. The SDAH has about 3,700 members, out of which 2,800 are in Zagreb. "Nowadays it is a little better than in '93 and '94", says President of this party, Dr Semso Tankovic. "The Bosniacs in Croatia are not so few to give up the struggle for their rights. I believe that we will succeed and have our name and representatives in the Assembly, as well as for other rights which we do not enjoy at the moment. Unfortunately, the intention in Croatia is to have nothing but Croats, and that is the cause of all our problems".

Along with the Bosniac Cultural Information Centre, where there are lectures, literary evenings and concerts, there are at least two other places important for the identity of the Bosniacs. They are the Islamic Centre amd Meshihat, and the Cultural Society of the Bosniacs of Croatia called Revival, formed of respectable Bosniacs or their elite. The society exists five years already and it deals in culture, publishing books and magazines, education and science. The President of the society is Ibrahim Kajan, writer, and the board consists of Ismet Ico Voljevica, known caricaturist, poet Enes Kisevic, Zijad Haznadar member of the Academy of Sciences and Arts, musician Ismet Kurtovic, painters Mersad Berber and Nurudin Dino Trtovac, many university professors, and about 300 other members. The society is financed by the Office for Ethnic Communities and Minorities of the Government of the Republic of Croatia, and a part of the money is collected from membership fees. Perhaps it is not unnecessary to say, all the members of the society are citizens of Croatia. For five years already, the "Revival" has published its magazine for culture and social issues called Behar (Blossom) with the circulation of two thousand copies. It is sent to Bosnia, Slovenia and all the European countries. The society also has its edition with about 50 titles published already in the fields of Islam, literature and linguistics.

As concerning the Meshihat, Mirsad Srebrnikovic, who is in charge of secular matters, says: "We are doing all kinds of things and we take care of the people as much as we can. We gather the believers in almost all the cities of Croatia. This is good because the people spend time together, they relax, and then feel better". Except for the religious and humanitarian role, the Meshihat is engaged in education, and organization of symposia, gatherings and discussions. In 1992, Meshihat and the Islamic Centre found themselves in the first line of fire of banished Bosniacs from eastern and northern Bosnia. Things are slightly more peaceful nowadays, so they are turned more to what they were founded for - prayer, religion and spiritual refuge for the Bosniacs who need it. For the others, those who are less inclined to God, there are other things which keep them in touch with Bosnia. They are holding out so far. But, if Croatia does not soon decide to become a state ruled by law, it could become an empty state. As concerning minorities, that is exactly what the plan of the HDZ authorities is. We can only hope that the Bosniacs will not give them this pleasure.

ALEN ANIC