PRIME MINISTER
JUL 11, 2024
Dear Friends:
I am pleased to extend my warmest greetings to everyone commemorating the 29th anniversary of the Srebrenica genocide.
This somber anniversary is an opportunity for all Canadians to honor the memory of the victims of the Srebrenica genocide and to pay tribute those who are still grappling with the lasting effects of this painful part of human history. For it is only by ensuring their stories are never forgotten that we can help prevent future atrocities and defend human rights wherever they came under the threat.
On behalf of the Government of Canada, I offer my best wishes for a memorable day of commemoration.
Sincerely,
The Rt. Hon Justin P.J. Trudeau, P.C., M.P.
Prime Minister of Canada
Emir Ramic
With special pride let me introduce to you now prof. dr. Emir Ramcic, director of the Institute for Genocide Research based in Hamilton, Canada. Professor Emir Ramić currently lives in Hamilton, Canada and for more than 30 years, professor Ramić has been engaged in the fight for truth, justice, remembrance culture and lobbying for overall betterment of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Professor Emir Ramić is founder and director of The Institute for Genocide Research, Canada (IGK) established in 2009. The Institute for Genocide Research, Canada is a public scientific institution that investigates crimes against peace, crimes of genocide and other serious violations of international law.
Professor Ramić is a member of the Bosniak Academy of Sciences and Arts, the International Association of Genocide Scholars, the Canada Holocaust Museum, the Canadian Museum for Human Rights, the World Without Genocide association, as well as many other human rights and protection of freedom organizations around the world.
He has actively worked for and contributed to the adoption of a resolution on the genocide in Srebrenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina, in the United States, Canada, Australia, the European Parliament and the parliaments of a dozen other countries. Both domestic and foreign analysts consider him one of the best experts on the crime of genocide.
Professor Ramić is the recipient of a number of awards and recognitions,
Prof. Ph.D. Emir Ramić is appointed as ambassador of the Culture of Remembrance of Truth and Justice in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
In the past twenty years Professor Emir Ramić worked hard with honorable Brian Masse and honorable Robert Oliphant to adopt the Srebrenica Resolution in the Canadian Parliament. The resolution was adopted in the Canadian Parliament on October 19th 2010. For a years now Emir Ramić is working hard with honorable Brian Masse and honorable Robert Oliphant on passing a law that would officially declare a Srebrenica Remembrance Day in Canada. Thank you prof. Ramic you are our relentless national drive and a great hero.
PRESIDENCY OF BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA
Chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina
dr. Denis Becirovic
Sarajevo, June 27, 2024
Distinguished attendees at the Central Canadian Commemoration July 11. International Day of Remembrance of the Genocide in Srebrenica.
I send you the warmest greetings from Bosnia and Herzegovina.
I want to tell you that we are proud of your fight for truth and justice, and the representation of our culture and tradition in Canada.
On behalf of the citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina, I would like to express my special gratitude to our Canadian friends, who in the nineties of the last century opened the doors of their homes and accepted refugees from our country. As one of the best integrated communities, we knew how to thank our friends, making an important contribution to building a multicultural Canadian society.
Allow me, on behalf of the citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina, as the chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, to thank Canada and the Canadian people for their support to Bosnia and Herzegovina, especially for the dedicated cultivation of the culture of remembrance of the genocide of Bosniaks in Srebrenica.
Bosnia and Herzegovina extremely respects Canada’s contribution to the culture of remembering the genocide in Srebrenica. We especially respect the fact that the Canadian Parliament unanimously adopted the Resolution recognizing the genocide and establishing the Srebrenica Genocide Remembrance Day in Canada. The Canadian Parliament unanimously adopted a historic proposal to recognize the month of April as a month of remembrance, condemnation and prevention of genocide and recognized the committed genocides, including the genocide in Srebrenica.
Members of the Canadian Parliament submitted a parliamentary petition calling on the Canadian government to enact a law that would prohibit the denial of the genocide in Srebrenica. This year, Canada joined the list of sponsors of the Resolution of the United Nations General Assembly declaring July 11 as the International Day of Remembrance for the 1995 Srebrenica genocide. I would like to thank the Bosnian and Herzegovinian organizations and communities in Canada for their continuous work on the culture of remembrance.
I would like to especially thank the Canadian Genocide Research Institute for its enormous contribution in spreading the truth about the genocide in Srebrenica and justice for the victims of the terrible crime.
Let this Central Canadian commemoration on the occasion of July 11, the International Day of Remembrance of the Genocide in Srebrenica, be a contribution to our joint struggle for truth and justice, but also a reminder of our obligation to preserve and strengthen the culture of remembrance of the genocide in Srebrenica.
May we have an eternally free, independent and whole, multicultural Bosnia and Herzegovina.
dr. Denis Becirovic
Organizing Committee for the Central Canada Commemoration of 29th anniversary of the genocide in Srebrenica
Dear attendees,
I sincerely regret that I could not join you at the Central Canadian commemoration of July 11, the International Day of Remembrance for the Srebrenica Genocide. Every year, traditionally and with dignity, you mark July 11 in front of the first memorial to the victims of the genocide in Srebrenica in the diaspora in the city of Windsor, Ontario, Canada.
The genocide in Srebrenica is the defeat of the civilized world. Srebrenica is not only the problem of the Srebrenica people, it is the problem of all humanity, because if the evil of Srebrenica were to happen again, it would be the greatest moral failure of humanity in the entire history. That is why I call on all citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina in Canada and all Canadians to preserve the memory of Srebrenica so that it will never happen again to anyone.
We are pleased to receive the news that Canada is one of the world leaders in the culture of commemorating the genocide in Srebrenica, and the Islamic community of Bosniaks in North America appreciates Canada’s significant contribution in this direction. We especially respect the fact that the Canadian Parliament unanimously adopted the Resolution recognizing the genocide and establishing the Srebrenica Genocide Remembrance Day in Canada. The Canadian Parliament unanimously adopted a historic proposal to recognize the month of April as a month of remembrance, condemnation and prevention of genocide and named the genocides it recognized, including the genocide in Srebrenica. Members of the Canadian Parliament have submitted a parliamentary petition calling on the Canadian government to pass a law that would prohibit the denial of the genocide in Srebrenica in Canada. The Canadian Museum for Human Rights has a permanent exhibition on the genocide in Srebrenica. This year, Canada joined the list of sponsors of the United Nations General Assembly Resolution declaring July 11 as the International Day of Remembrance for the 1995 Srebrenica Genocide. Canada thus achieves its deliberate goal in the best possible way, namely that crime should not go unpunished and that the victims of crime should not be forgotten.
The victims of the genocide in Bosnia and Herzegovina are aware that the past cannot be changed, but it is easier for them to bear pain and suffering when they know they have friends. Therefore, I convey our expressions of gratitude to the Canadian leaders, stressing that we understood the message of their good will, which gives us hope that Srebrenica will never happen again anywhere and to anyone.
We sincerely hope that the example of Canada will be followed by other countries.
Dr. Sabahudin ef. Ceman Muftija
