CALL FOR GREATER AWARENESS OF SERB SUFFERING IN SARAJEVO

ISTOČNO SARAJEVO, JUNE 12 /SRNA/ – Renowned Israeli historian and Holocaust scholar Gideon Greif said that the suffering of Serbs in Sarajevo during the war in BiH must be discussed repeatedly and continuously, as it remains largely unknown internationally.

"Knowledge about the suffering of Serbs in Sarajevo, as well as during the civil war in BiH more broadly, remains limited and known only within narrow circles. What should be done? Study it, talk about it, and teach it," Greif told reporters in Istočno Sarajevo following a meeting with Mayor Ljubiša Ćosić.

He expressed satisfaction at visiting Istočno Sarajevo and contributing to research on the suffering of Serbs during World War II and the most recent war, subjects he said are still insufficiently known.

"During my stay, I took part in a seminar for students of the Faculty of Philosophy in Istočno Sarajevo, who showed great interest in the suffering of Jews during the Holocaust and of Serbs in the Independent State of Croatia," Greif said.

He pointed out that historians must resist attempts to revise history.

Greif thanked the Center for Socio-Political Research of Republika Srpska in Banja Luka for making his visit to Istočno Sarajevo possible, noting that they had developed excellent cooperation over the past decade.

On behalf of the City Administration of Istočno Sarajevo, Ćosić expressed gratitude for the opportunity to host one of the leading historians and researchers of the genocide committed against Jews, Serbs and other peoples during World War II.

He reminded that the scientific conference "The Holocaust and the Genocide Against Serbs in the Independent State of Croatia: Sociological and Political Science Aspects" was recently held in Istočno Sarajevo as part of efforts to promote the truth about what happened to Serbs in the First World War, the Second World War and the Homeland-Defense War, with Greif participating as a speaker.

Ćosić noted that Greif authored the book "Jasenovac - The Auschwitz of the Balkans" and that his research also extended to the Homeland-Defense War, during which he served as one of the most prominent members of commissions tasked with establishing the facts regarding Srebrenica and Sarajevo.

He expressed hope that Greif would soon visit Istočno Sarajevo again, adding that he had presented him with an icon of Saint Peter of Sarajevo, the patron saint of the City of Istočno Sarajevo, who was killed during the genocide in the Independent State of Croatia.