To work on a logging road. There were over a hundred men old and young working on this project. My father was the head of the project. I cannot recall specifically how the conversation started but I do recall a day. It was an early Saturday morning and everybody was anxious to go back home all though in those days there was no transportation if you wanted to catch the bus chances were that you didn’t have money to pay for it so most of us traveled over the mountains to go home. That was a dangerous journey. I mean by environment. Streams, rivers, and high mountains had to be overcome there were no easy roads. During the resting period at the top of the mountain, I can vividly recall that conversation between my father and the rest of the group as going back in history of 1912, 1913, and beyond. Topic of the conversation was Previja and that was a moment when I realized and saw the pain in every man in the group. They were carefully listening to the answers to their question from my father. I remember him taking a deep breath and looking up in the heavens and then glancing in a circle that the way the men have position themselves and telling them that every time I think of previa it makes my heart cry. Although it is something so special in that giant grave where more than a thousand innocent men and children are buried. Strange phenomenons are happening there, and then he was interrupted by one of his cousins.

Naso Omerov, “What do you mean by that?” Said Naso. “It is the phenomenon of the flowers that grow on top of that grave. They are not even native to that area, but this has captured my inspiration.” Said Halim.
To visit every year and I feel when I look at the flowers as if I am talking to each soul. At the same time I feel humble and perhaps owe them a visit and respect. They all bow their head and agree although they reminded each other that this shall not be discussed anywhere else it could cause harm to them and their families from the government. The name Boshnjak was prohibited to mention. Most of us never even knew what it meant if we did we dare to mention it in public, the consequences would be server.

After all these years I see that we as people have woken and our identity as Boshnjaks has again given us a chance to grow our roots and from the roots the hope a tree will grow and bare the fruit till the end of time. 1992 was a time of wakening it was the last genocide over our people. I dare every one of us to forget that. Memorial that we are asking to be built in Montenegro; it is not that we are asking for a loan that we have given them. It is only the fore fathers of the Montenegrins and Serbs have chose to do to our people and that means murdering them to oblivion, it is no time in history that one can show that we as Boshnjaks or Albanians ever have tried to create an atrocity over their people. Each time we have extended the hand of good neighbor. Our hand as been chopped off, no matter what we try in the good fate, somehow that wasn’t enough for them. It is not shameful to admit the truth especially in this case the healing must start somewhere.

The conference last couple of weeks ago, that was call from our leaders from New York. It is the right step although there is a hard road ahead since already ambassador of Montenegro in Washington DC has written letters as I understand to some news media in Serbia and or Montenegro to manipulate or derail the long waited discussion between government of Montenegro and in fact of Serbia in regard of the memorial. It should serve as a warning to everyone who is trying to derail the path to the truth. I will take this opportunity to call on every single Boshnjak to join this noble group of men who are trying with a good intention to heal a century old wound that the other side is thinking that this is not worthy of discussion. I will remind them the only truth can heal a wounded heart and for that it requires a lot of courage and character. Let’s see if they have any. I believe that we as Boshnjaks are ready to sit down and start the process. It shouldn’t be too hard to do. The truth is there and the truth will provable. On my behalf I support the initiative for the memorial of our fore fathers with hopes that the government of Montenegro will realize that this is not about to go away. The sooner we settle this, the more prosperous Montenegro will be.

Bayram H. Koljenovic

Las Vegas, 12. novembar 2012. godine

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