As I reflect on the parallels between Bosnia and Gaza, I am reminded that standing idly by is tantamount to complicity. We cannot ignore the cries of innocent lives, including all the hostages caught in the crossfire of this conflict.
“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.”
—Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. during his 1963 speech “Strength to Love”
I am not an expert on war crimes, but I am a survivor of war who recognizes that what is happening in Gaza is inhumane. Now is the time to recognize the situation for what it is and stop it. All nations of conscience must unite on the international stage to send a signal that further loss of civilian life must not endure.
As someone who lived in a war zone for over five years, north of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s capital, Sarajevo, I have borne witness to the horrors inflicted upon innocent souls women and children, my own community torn apart by violence and despair. Yet, in the face of such darkness, I have also seen the flicker of resilience, the unwavering spirit that refuses to be extinguished.
The failure of the international community to support a timely intervention in Bosnia has been well documented, but as I witness new conflicts across the globe in the three decades since, I see that we did not learn anything about protecting humanity. From the horrors of Rwanda in 1994, to the current crises in Haiti and Ukraine, these ongoing conflicts relentlessly devastate communities, showing blatant disregard for human life. Yet it is impossible to ignore that some conflicts receive more attention than others.
Even though images of suffering in Bosnia and Herzegovina made global headlines, including the front page of The New York Times, the global community failed to respond in a timely manner.
Sarajevo was once known for its 1984 Winter Olympics and the scene of Archduke Franz Ferdinand’s assassination in 1914. Today, Sarajevo is linked with more recent events that destroyed the city infrastructure, including the incineration of 2 million volumes in the iconic National Library that contained rich collection of Bosnian culture. Even though images of suffering in Bosnia and Herzegovina made global headlines, including the front page of The New York Times, the global community failed to respond in a timely manner. In July 1995, in Srebrenica over 8,000 Muslim men and boys were separated from their families and executed within a week, many buried in mass graves and not yet found or identified.
In a situation that evokes Gaza today, the population of Sarajevo was trapped, with limited or no access to food, water, electricity, or fully functioning hospitals. The city and its people depended on humanitarian agencies, who put their lives in harm’s way to help others.
According to Genocide Watch, “Sarajevo was exposed to daily bombings and mortar attacks by Bosnian Serb troops for 1,425 days,” which is one month shy of four years. Civilians bore the brunt of brutal urban fighting, where “an average of 329 mortar shells per day claimed over 11,000 lives in Bosnian capital, according to estimates.” This remains the longest siege of a capital city in the history of modern warfare.
Unprecedented, forced displacement and loss of life that unfolded in places like Bosnia and Rwanda almost three decades ago are unfolding in other places, most recently in Gaza.
According to the BBC, since Oct. 7, 2023, “Almost two million people in Gaza—more than 85 percent of the population—are reported to have fled their homes.” Millions are on the move and half of the population are children.
United Nations reporting in January indicates that since late 2023, “more than 24,620 Palestinians have been killed in the Gaza Strip, 70 percent of whom were women or children.” The same report indicates that “the entire population of Gaza—roughly 2.2 million people—are in crisis levels of acute food insecurity or worse.”
Since the U.N. report, the grim reality persists as each subsequent report outpaces the last, now tallying over 30,000 lives lost. To be sure, in early 2024, the United Nations found itself under scrutiny, with the allegations of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) involvement in Oct. 7, which has led to drastic withholding of crucial financial resources, which has already shown devastating effects.
As I reflect on the parallels between Bosnia and Gaza, I am reminded that standing idly by is tantamount to complicity. We cannot ignore the cries of innocent lives, including all the hostages caught in the crossfire of this conflict. Now is the time for decisive action; advocating to end relentless fighting and supporting urgent adequate delivery of humanitarian aid and medical assistance.
Let us not be bystanders to suffering but champions of peace. Let’s take the time to educate ourselves about the historical and political context of this region and share this knowledge with others to foster understanding and empathy for all, as this part of the world attempts to build a new path to peace and unity. Let’s advocate for and prioritize the protection of all civilians, uphold human rights, and support peaceful resolution to the conflict in Gaza and beyond.
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