CROATIA - Commentary

Nazism Flourishes in Croatia

2004-08-26T21:16:00.000+02:00

Several days ago in a rather nondescript village in central Croatia a plaque was unveiled which commemorates the life and work of Mile Budak. In a nearby township another plaque has been in existence in memory of one Jure Francetic for some months now. Both Messrs. Budak and Francetic were high-ranking officials in the Ustashe regime which was in charge of the so-called "Independent State of Croatia" [ISC] during the Second World War. The ISC was essentially a Nazi puppet state which was discharging the Nazi's dirty work for them on the territories of roughly modern-day Republics of Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina. The former individual also has quite a few streets named after him in central and southern Croatia. The plaques were sponsored by Croatian expatriates (mostly Ustashe and descendants thereof) from Canada, Australia and the usual haunts of Nazis in hiding. The reactions to this misdeed have been scathing both in Croatia and, much more so, the outside world. The Croatian media have, with some vigor, excoriated this disgraceful act as has the Croatian government. However, for all the hot air and affectations on the part of local and central officials the plaques are still there.

In the meantime, a group of 150 greater and lesser Croatian celebrities proffered a public petition to the effect that the judicial processes against the aforenamed should be reopened. Following Nazi defeat and the dismantling of the ISC, the victorious "partisan" forces apprehended, tried and executed Budak. Budak in particular was a co-signatory of various laws enacted by the ISC regime whose effect was to massacre or expel hundreds of thousands of "unsuitable" people (ie. Jews, Roma, homosexuals, etc.). Incidentally, the plaque to Mile Budak is placed on the outer wall of the village, surprise, church. The former vicar came on television the other day to say, inter alia, that the "opinion" that Mr. Budak was a genocidal criminal is one "he is not obligated to accept as a truism". As an aside, the local branch of the ruling Croatian Democratic Union boasts a large photograph of Ante Pavelic in its town of Gospic headquarters. Pavelic was leader of the said ISC and his role in the ISC was similar to that of Adolf Eichmann elsewhere.

The reasons for glorifying the ISC and Ustashe among a (too large) section of Croats are manifold but can be narrowed down to a somewhat irrational and ill-informed hatred of communists who were on the opposing side and who ruled over Yugoslavia (of which Croatia was part) between 1945 and 1990.

What does one say to all this? Where does one even start? That a wannabe European country erects memorials to Nazi criminals in the 21st century is beyond mind-boggling. It is completely incomprehensible. I know only of one other such idiocy: when the nutjob Idi Amin Dada put up a statue to Hitler(Y"ShU) about three decades ago. Croats like to blow their trumpet awfully assiduously about how they are an inviolate part of Europe and belong in the European Union. My dear friends, with these kinds of act and that type of mentality you do not belong on the same planet, let alone the EU.

Croatia will have to decide once and for all: does it want to be part of the modern, tolerant world founded on the principles of democracy, transparency, accountability, anti-racism, anti-xenophobia, anti-homophobia and freedom from all types of persecution, or the other world: one of homogeny, totalitarianism, isolation, stuck in the past. If the former, then it is imperative to put permanently to rest debates that are part of the last century and conflicts with imaginary demons. If the latter, then the people of Croatia should not worry about who leads them, their economic situation, their social problems, etc. because none of it will be of any consequence in a fortress Croatia... - only fortress from the INSIDE.

The ISC was a total misnomer: it wasn't independent (the German high command was stationed in the center of Zagreb!!), it wasn't a state (more like a Nazi vassal), and it wasn't Croatian (the Ustashe murdered half of Croats anyway plus important parts of Croatia such as Dalmatia and Istria were not even subsumed in it!). But the worst part was that it was founded on Nazism and for the Nazis. There is NO justification for Nazism, ever, and it is dismaying that this kind of discussions should be even taking place in the year 2004.

We urge the Croatian government to take action IMMEDIATELY without the pathetic prevarication and vacillation. Some issues cannot be compromised on even at a political cost. This is one of them. The government's complete indifference and inaction is much worse than the initial act of seeking publicly to commemorate these criminal Nazi butchers.

Anti-Semitism Goes Unpunished

2004-08-19T17:59:00.001+02:00

A couple or so months ago an alderman with the Dubrovnik Council by the name of Ivo Zec averred concerning selling property in Croatia to foreign nationals thus: "We must not sell our property to either Jews or Serbs; Jews are in the long-run the more undesirable of the two." Not one of the other aldermen present at the session protested or commented on this statement, subsequently explaining away this passive acceptance of Zec's libel as having been too shocked to react. There was a bit of commotion in the media but that blew off within a couple of days. Zec stewed for a while and, naturally, claimed he had been misunderstood (not misquoted though) and that the undesirability of Jewish ownership of Dubrovnik property was by reason solely of the increased threat of terrorism our presence supposedly entails.

Other than self-initiated excoriation in some Croatian media, there was no reaction to this outrage, so a fortnight following the incident I took it upon myself to find out what the state of affairs were. I sent communication to:

the head office of the Croatian Democratic Union (whose member Ivo Zec is and which is the governing political party in Croatia),
Prime Minister Ivo Sanader,
the Croatian government - main center, and
several government ministries.

My letter included the following questions:

Is Mr. Zec still discharging the same function as he did prior to uttering his remarks?
Has he been sanctioned in any way OTHER than dismissal?
If not, why not?
If not, are there any plans to do so in the near future?
What is the CDU's attitude toward anti-Semitism and racism in general?

Since then--that is, in the more than two months since the incident--I have received only one reply and that was from the Government website's administrator who expressed his regrets that he was not in position to reply to my inquiry and assured me he would immediately forward my note to those who would be able to do so. Otherwise, I have received nothing.

This is very disconcerting in and of itself. However, when we recall that the CDU is the same party that was once led by Franjo Tudjman--who would, if he were alive today, most likely be sitting at The Hague next to Milosevic--it is positively alarming. Tudjman was a historical revisionist among whose verbal pearls are included: "I thank G-d my wife is not a Serb or a Jewess."

That an elected politician of the principal political party in a country whose history is almost as difficult as that of post-War Germany can make the kind of statement as above with total impunity is most discouraging. And it also casts great doubt on whether Croatia and the Croatian people are ready for entry into the European Union and, ipso facto, embracing the values on which that Union is based. If this incident is anything to go by, they are very, very far from it.

DUI and priests

2004-07-24T17:37:00.000+02:00

A couple of weeks ago the Croatian government started toying with the notion of reducing the permitted blood alcohol concentration among drivers to zero. This would essentially disallow anyone who had more than a sip of alcohol to sit behind the wheel. Naturally, there as opposition from many quarters for various reasons, raging from "it's our mentality to drink" thru "the "the economy will suffer because people won't be able to have business lunches" to "the tourism industry will collapse because foreigners will be caught at unawares by such a draconian directive." Mr. Premier quite sensibly said that while this measure might cause some inconvenience, if even one life is saved resultantly, it will have been worth it.

But one group of objectors stood out from the chorus of disapproval. It was, what a surprise, the church. The church is generally too loud in Croatia (where the idea of separation of church and state is something of an unknown) and likes to run off its mouth about any conceivable subject. It propagates a right-wing worldview and many of its activities and pronouncements are highly politicized. What they came up with this time was that priests should be exempt from the proposed law because--get this: "many clerics officiate at more than one church and need to drive in order to get from one to the other." And since "officiating" involves drinking the "blood of Christ" (ie. wine), that would mean they'd be busted for DUI after serving the very first mass and driving to the other. Well, blow me!

It is mind-boggling that the church had the audacity and arrogance to demand something like this in the first place. I mean, do THEY have to drive? Why not enlist the help of a sober parishioner? And do they have to DRIVE? What happened to public transit, bicycles or even good old-fashioned walkies? And if they are to be exempt, then why not also exempt their flock who take communion? And after all, what about wine-connoisseurs? Business people, too, for that matter? Anyone, really, who doesn't drink for fun only? What would be the point of such a law?

Of course, Mr. Sanader knew better than to cave in and told them to take a hike (a revolutionary development in itself). The law was finally passed (due to come into force in a few days' time) which reduced the blood alcohol concentration to zero.

Well done.

Ante Gotovina

2004-07-18T19:14:00.000+02:00

A lot of people would say that the question of the fugitive general Ante Gotovina is the biggest issue in Croatian public today. The Croatian army general is sought by the International Criminal Tribunal for Former Yugoslavia in The Hague (Den Haag) on suspicion of perpetrating war crimes against Serb civilians during the Croatian civil war. Mr. Gotovina has been on the run for a couple of years now refusing to surrender to the Tribunal's custody. The Croatian authorities are supposedly unable to find him. This impasse has impacted very negatively on Croatia's image abroad and its aspirations to join NATO and the EU. More than anything, the international community wishes to see the Croatian legal and judicial system work efficiently and impartially. What complicates this matter further is the sympathy Mr. Gotovina evokes among a vocal section of the Croatian populace which sees him not as a potential criminal but exclusively as a hero who played a significant part in liberating Croatia. They are also opposed to Croatia's co-operation with the Hague Tribunal, perceiving this as impinging on Croatian sovereignty. They also see the indictment as somehow morally equating Croatia and the Serb aggressors, thus "belittling" the dignity of the said war.

Oy vey.

There are a couple of points to note. Firstly, no-one is talking here about the war. Mr. Gotovina does not equal the war, and Mr. Gotovina does not equal the Croatian side in the war. He is an individual. So, to accuse him of war crimes is NOT to accuse the whole of Croatia; to take the gloss off his role in the war is NOT to cast aspersions on the Croatian side; to question his role in the war is not to impugn Croatia's right to self-defense.

Secondly, a war crime is a war crime. It does not matter on which side or for what you fight. There is never, NEVER, ANY justification for humiliating, mistreating, abusing, massacring and murdering innocent civilians, hounding them out of their homes, destroying and stealing their property, and discriminating against them because of their ethnicity, religion, nationality, surname or background. Not even if you experienced the same from "their" side. And if Mr. Gotovina directly or indirectly did or played part in any of the foregoing, then he is no hero and he deserves to be convicted and locked up for a long time. If he did not, then he has to clear his name and lift the burden off Croatia. Either way, he HAS to show up in court and undergo the due process of law.

If he hasn't the moral fiber or courage to do so himself, then it falls to those aiding him in his evasion of law and order to turn him in. They may have bitter memories from the war, their enmity toward the "other side" (be it Serbs, be it "communists") may still be raging in them, but their self-asserted righteousness and high moral ground HAS to prevail. Otherwise, they are no better than those shielding Radovan Karadzic.

N.B. If you have any information concerning the whereabouts of Ante Gotovina, do NOT approach Croatian authorities, especially not at the local level. I suggest you contact a civil liberties organization such as the Croatian Helsinki Committee. You can also contact me (I am affiliated with the Simon Wiesenthal Center) on: mls.lists@btinternet.com and I will ensure the information gets processed. (If you knowingly and maliciously pass on incorrect information, you WILL be tracked down and prosecuted.)