Daily Lessons from Life 01 November 2010 - Bosnian war rape victims decry Jolie's film

Bosnian war rape victims decry Jolie's film - CNA 01 November 2010

"The influential Bosnian weekly Dani (Days) accused Hasecic of trying to 'barter with victims emotions' for influence, saying victims' associations across the country are often controlled by politicians.

'Therefore victims ... are classical hostages of the political elite and manipulated by politicians,' Dani wrote.

It has been estimated that thousands of women, mostly Muslims, were raped during Bosnia's vicious war that was sparked by the break-up of the communist federation of Yugoslavia.

The Bosnian atrocities, in part, prompted a groundbreaking UN Security Council resolution adopted 10 years ago Sunday, the first to address the impact of war on women. Resolution 1325 calls on all parties to take special measures to protect women and girls from sexual violence and rape in conflict situations.

A number of Bosnian Serbs have been convicted either by the UN War Crimes Court for the former Yugoslavia or by local courts on crimes against humanity and war crimes for rape and forced prostitution of Bosnian Muslim women."

Angelina Jolie, the international mega star of Hollywood, making her directorial debut with this film to be shoot in Bosnia. It was supposedly a love story between a rape victim and the rapist? Goodness gracious! Now it is reported it was about a couple who got separated after the Bosnia war and met again in a situation where the girl is a rape victim or concentration camp while the man of her love is the warden of that camp!!

Lessons for me are:

1. we don't hear much about this war and atrocities committed by the war criminals during that time except the Muslim world crying out for justice as their women folks were subjected to rape and 'shamed pregnancies' by the non-Muslim Serbs!;

2. the scale of humiliation and atrocities were supposed not worst than what the Nazi managed to do to the Jews. Yet, little is known or publicised as some said, it happened to the Muslim Bosnian who have no money and influence unlike the Jews! Sad if true. Sad indeed as it seems that is true!!;

3. I read about some of these atrocities while in transit at the bookshop in KL International Airport. The book was written by a Muslim Chinese Malaysian. It had photos of the country, the people, the victims. It had stories of the brutality and humiliation meted out by the Serbs on the Bosnian. Yet they were once fellow countrymen and women! I saw Sarajevo hosting the Winter Olympics with the majestic beauty and peacefulness - before this war broke out. Wrenching tragedy. When neighbours turned against neighbours all in the name of race, and power!

It has been 10 years since it seems. Glad to learn that some of the culprits were trialed and sentenced to their just punishment while the living victims have to shoulder the burden of having been through such a tragedy. May time heal the wounds and may human being learned NEVER to repeat such sad tragedy again!!