I STILL
REMEMBER the day I arrived to Norway,
a refugee from war torn Bosnia and
Herzegovina. It is not
easy to forget it and I do not think that it is possible either.
Horrible
pictures in my mind from thedestroyed
city, dead people lying on
the streets, fear of getting killed, raped, or whatever else. I thought
that
that was the last time I had to think about it. There was a very strong
hope
that time will heal all the wounds and that myself together with all
the others
who had survived genocide, prosecution, killings, rape should never go
through
that again. For many years I avoided watching TV images that could
provoke
horrors from my ‘war’ past. I doubt that I was the only one
who tried like this
to ‘forget’ the images deep seated somewhere in our brains
without us having
control over them. We, human beings like to pretend as if we have
control over
our lives and our feelings. Unfortunately and luckily that is very far
from any
truth. Now, (naively did I think that all percussions were taken) I can
start
building my life again. I am still young, everything is possible, I am
in a new
country where none of the dark, evil, barbaric, dirty beard-wearing
murderers arearound me. They
disappeared in the night. Darkness took them away,
I thought. Oh how naïve I was.
THEY ARE
HERE. Oh yes, they are, they are here in this country that we like to
look upon
as human, democratic, peaceful, full of care and compassion. Suddenly I
had thefeeling that I am again
back to square one, where I started my
journey in the first place.
IS IT
IMAGINABLE that this country gave residence to 50 war criminals who are
freely wandering around the country. Who
would believe this? They are here around me. The darkness is arriving again to the cities. It is
spreading. All the questions that we were asked before surfaced again.
Stupid,
yes, but true. All you who wanted to show that you care and that you
want to
know. Where are you? All the uncomfortable questions; about how it is
possible
to do such things to other people, neighbours, families, children,
women, old
people. How could we? All the answers that came as explanations, or
rather as
excuses for a wish not to be placed in the same box with people who
used
to be your neighbours and countrymen.
That was unit I understood that killing, torture, and systematic rape
do not
have anyexplanation and
especially not any excuse. That is the worst thing
someone can do to others as well as to oneself.
AND
BEAUTIFUL, free Norway
is silent. Does nothing. Does not have resources. This has to be sorted
out in
cooperation with thewar crime
Court in Hague. That takes a long time. They do
not know where those people are, hundreds of excuses. Ridiculous.Sad. Authorities excuses. I am pretty sure
that if this was about giving money to someone abroad to do this kind
of work,
Norway would be the first one to give money, as always. What happens
now? Why do murderers, war criminals go free
around this country? Why are victims again exposed for the horrors they
went
through? This provokes anger, confusion and enormous disappointment. I
want to
demand. I demand action from all those who are quiet, cannot,
don’t want or do
not care. I do not want and refuse that my taxes be used
for protection of those who killed me, tortured me, raped
me and prosecuted me. I demand that contribution to this state should
be used
for condemnation and punishment of these people. I demand that they do
not get
away with it.
I WISH THAT Norway
finally shows that it cares for issues here at home. You do not need to
travel far in order to fight for justice. It
is here right under your noses. Just look up.
