TRAJER: NO ONE MAY KILL OTHERS IN THE NAME OF GOD; ISLAMIC LEADERS MUST CONDEMN THE ATTACK

BELGRADE, DECEMBER 15 /SRNA/ - President of the Jewish Community of Novi Sad Ladislav Trajer stated that no one has the right to kill other people in the name of God and called on Islamic leaders in the region and worldwide to condemn the attack on members of the Jewish community in Australia.

He stressed that, in an atmosphere of widespread historical revisionism, it is essential for Serbs and Jews, as two peoples who have suffered greatly, to nurture a culture of remembrance and to always condemn such and similar attacks.

"It is our duty to ensure that what happened to us in the 1940s, and to Serbs in the 1990s, never happens to any people. This responsibility has been entrusted to us by God and by history," Trajer told SRNA.

He said that the Federation of Jewish Communities and Cities of Serbia has not yet decided how it will mark the suffering of compatriots in Australia, adding that Novi Sad Mayor Žarko Mićin has sent condolences and support.

"We also had a terrorist attack in Serbia. Unfortunately, certain individuals who identify with the Islamic religion come to the point of becoming terrorists and believe they are sent by God to wage a holy war against those of us who are not Muslims. This is a completely distorted perception, and I call on Islamic leaders to condemn such terrorist attacks," Trajer said.

He believes that the terrorists chose the first day of Hanukkah celebrations for pragmatic reasons-to have as many targets as possible.

"A large number of Jews and people who support Jews gathered there to light candles. They simply chose a joyful holiday, when many people are out on the streets," Trajer said.

Reflecting on the position of the Jewish community in the region, Trajer said that those who try to lecture Serbia and Republika Srpska about certain values should, in fact, learn from them how different peoples live together and what a society without discrimination means.

"It would not be right not to mention Slovenia, a country that lectures us about European values, while literally a week and a half ago it adopted a law declaring Roma a threat to national security, allowing police to conduct raids in Roma settlements without a court order. A country that is in the EU is adopting laws that discriminate against an entire national minority," Trajer pointed out.

According to him, what is happening in Slovenia against Roma, but also against Jews, is as absurd as what is being done against Serbs in Croatia.

"That is the paradox we hear every day - that we are somehow inadequate, whereas in reality the lowest rate of antisemitism and the lowest rate of hatred toward other peoples is found in Serbia and Republika Srpska. I do not recall hearing of any interethnic incident or an incident against Muslims in Banja Luka or Bijeljina - and there was a war there. There was no war in Split, yet Split has problems," Trajer said.

He noted that the Jewish community in Serbia numbers about 3,500 people, and that representatives of this community are in active contact with the Jewish communities in Banja Luka and Doboj, and attend all commemorations marking the suffering of Serbs and Jews in the Independent State of Croatia /NDH/.

"It is no secret that the Serbian and Jewish peoples stand together. From the early 1990s to this day, Israel has not remained silent about the suffering of Serbs in BiH, and Serbs in both Serbia and Republika Srpska have not forgotten this when the war in the Gaza Strip began," Trajer said.

The terrorist attack on a beach in Sydney occurred yesterday. According to the latest information, 16 people were killed and dozens were injured.