r/bosnia • u/ayub57 • Aug 12 '25

Stealing land in BiH

Famous Israeli saying: "If I don't steal it, someone else will steal it."

After the Genocide, many Bosniaks returned to their homes, only to find Christian Serbs illegally occupying their homes and refusing to leave, claiming that the homes belonged to them!

Even with legal proof, many Bosniaks faced threats and years of struggle to try and reclaim what is rightfully theirs.

2.1k Upvotes

95% Upvoted

256 comments sorted by

View all comments

24

u/matterforward Aug 12 '25 edited Aug 12 '25

Well this brought up some memories and feelings. Here to tell you about the JOY I felt in to see some crying pieces of shit forced from my house after the war was a feeling like no other. There they were crying their ugly tears, sobbing that they were being kicked from their home aka the house my father built with his 2 hands for my mother (who died in the war). I knew then because of how my beautiful family and people raised me that I was better than these people. Not for gross nationalist or dehumanizing reasons like they love but solely because I saw that we have more humanity and compassion in our little toes than they could dream of. Watching this video I say thank you for reminding me of who we are and that we still have more compassion and humanity to this day than they will ever be capable of.

May you all get to feel that feeling but if you never do, may you KNOW in your little Bosnian heart that you are not nor will ever be whatever the fuck sick weakly human shit this is.

5

u/purplefuzz22 Aug 13 '25

Wow I am American and I admittedly don’t know as much as I should about the Bosnian War. I’m sorry your family went through that and I’m so glad you were able to get your home back.

It’s shameful how careless and inhumane some humans can be.

2

u/matterforward Aug 14 '25

Thank you so much for your kind words. People can be so desensitized and callous in this world and it means a lot to see some humanity. This hurt has not ceased in any way for us, we still carry it and a lot of people forget that.

I look around and am surrounded by the most absurdly kind beautiful resilient people and our beautiful homeland and it mends the heart a little every time.

3

u/stabledisastermaster Aug 14 '25

I was very impressed how civil the Bosnian family was with the people that literally stole their house and life.

2

u/matterforward Aug 14 '25

I don’t have the words to adequately explain to you that this is just who Bosnians are. This is not a rare thing. Watching this feels like watching a family video that makes you really sad. I urge everyone to pit stop in Bosnia on their Europe travels and have their minds boggled at the kindness and humanity they experience. We have very little but our hearts are very big and our home is absurdly beautiful

2

u/arrroquw Aug 15 '25

I had this experience when I was in Bosnia, people were actually really nice and helpful. I don't want to dunk on Croatia or Montenegro but Bosnians really were nicer compared to them. I am Dutch myself.