“TURKISH GUILT” – ONE OF THE MOTIVES FOR THE GENOCIDE COMMITTED UPON BOSNIAKS

Abstract

UDK 316.722-027.542:28(=163.4*3)(047.53)

When talking about the aggression on Bosnia and Herzego-vina and the genocide committed upon Bosniaks, it is very common to avoid mentioning religious motives and reli-gious dimension of aggression and genocide. Even though it is common fact that the aim of this twofold aggression (Serbian and Croatian) upon Bosnia and Herzegovina was conquering the territory of B&H, it is important to consider the influence and the role of Christian Churches (Serbian Orthodoxs and the Catholic Church) in the aggression and the genocide. It is a fact that 1,347 waqf properties owned by the Islamic Community (614 mosques, 218 masjids, 69 maktabs, 37 tombs and over 400 other constructions) were destroyed which alone is an evidence, amongst other, of in-tentions and aims of both the aggressors. It should also be emphasised that the Army of Republika Srpska (military troops of Bosnian Serbs, Serbian quislings) played the major part in destroying most of the above mentioned properties of Waqf, whereas HVO – military troops of Bosnian Croats (Croatian quislings) destroyed over a hundred of the these waqf properties. This fact proves intention to destroy mate-rial and spiritual Islamic heritage of Bosniaks. According to the Serbian nationalistic and mythological interpretation of medieval history, Bosniaks have by accepting Islam be-come “Turks”, even a different race, betrayers of “their an-cestral faith”, “murderers of Jesus” therefore it is legitimate even plausible to kill them, exterminate them by committing ethnic cleansing and genocide. On the other hand, Croa-tian mythological nationalistic thought suggests that Cro-ats are the defenders and protectors of Christianity against the threat presented by Bosniaks as Muslims believing they are the “bulwark of Christendom”. Such interpretations of history and Christianity has led some priests to “bless” the slaughters prior to the crimes they were about to commit believing it was devotional and sacred work, pleasing God.