Modern History of Bosnia and Herzegovina

“On May 16, 1992, some 13 of us huddled together in an apartment as exploding mortar shells riddled Sarajevo with shrapnel. Two shells hit the building in which we had gathered for safety. Though we came from Croatian, Serbian, and Bosnian backgrounds​—the same three groups that were killing one another outside—​we were united in pure worship. By dawn, when fewer shells were falling, we abandoned the apartment in search of a safer location. As we had done the night before, we cried aloud to Jehovah in prayer, and he heard us.”​—Halim Curi.

Sarajevo, which had a population of more than 400,000, was in the grip of one of the longest and most desperate sieges in modern history. How would our spiritual brothers and sisters cope with all the ethnic and religious strife that was tearing the country apart? Before we tell their story, let us get to know a little more about Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The country known as Bosnia and Herzegovina is located in the heart of the former Yugoslavia, surrounded by Croatia, Serbia, and Montenegro. Cultural and family ties are strong, and much emphasis is placed on hospitality. Sipping Turkish coffee at a neighbor’s home and lingering at the kafići (coffee bars) are popular pastimes. Although physically indistinguishable, the population of Bosnia is made up of Bosnians, Serbs, and Croatians. Many do not consider themselves very devout; yet, it is religion that has divided the people. Most Bosnians are Muslim, while Serbs belong to the Serbian Orthodox Church and Croatians to the Roman Catholic Church.

The alarming increase in religious intolerance and ethnic hatred in the early 1990’s resulted in the heartrending policy called ethnic cleansing. Advancing armies evicted civilians​—in both small villages and large cities—​to create ethnically pure areas for their own religious group. This created tests of neutrality for our brothers and sisters. In Bosnia, as in the other countries of the former Yugoslavia, most people belong to their parents’ religion, and the family name often identifies the family’s religious background. When honesthearted people become servants of Jehovah, they may be viewed as betrayers of their family and their tradition. Yet, our brothers have learned that loyalty to Jehovah serves as a protection.

A CITY UNDER SIEGE

As we have seen, the Yugoslav brothers were deeply moved by the love and unity displayed at the 1991 “Lovers of Godly Freedom” convention in Zagreb, Croatia. This unforgettable convention fortified them for the ordeals ahead. One moment, Bosnians, Serbs, and Croatians were living together peacefully in Sarajevo. The next moment, an army surrounded that city and everyone was trapped​—including our brothers. Although the political situation was turbulent, no one anticipated just how long the strife would last.

“People are starving,” reported Halim Curi, an elder in Sarajevo. “Each month they are supplied only a few pounds of flour, four ounces [100 g] of sugar, and one pint [.5 l] of oil. Any available land in the city is used to plant vegetables. People cut down the trees of Sarajevo for firewood. When the trees are gone, they strip the parquet flooring from their apartments to use as fuel for cooking and heating. They use anything that will burn, even old shoes.”

When Sarajevo was besieged, Ljiljana Ninković and her husband Nenad found themselves trapped and separated from their two daughters. “We were a normal family with two children, an apartment, and a car,” says Ljiljana. “And then suddenly everything changed.”

But they often experienced Jehovah’s protective hand. “Twice our apartment was bombed just moments after we left it,” Ljiljana continues. “Despite the hardships, we found joy in the simple things. For example, we were happy to go to the park and pick some dandelion leaves for a salad so that we could have more than just white rice to eat. We learned to be satisfied with what we had and not to take anything for granted.”

FINDING PHYSICAL AND SPIRITUAL PROVISIONS

One of the biggest problems was obtaining water. Rarely was there running water in the houses. People had to walk as far as three miles [5 km] through areas targeted by snipers to get water. At the water collection point, people had to stand in line for hours waiting to fill their containers, and then they had to trudge home with their liquid burden.

“The test came when we heard that there would be water in the homes for a short time,” reports Halim. “Then everyone would have to take a shower, wash the clothes, and collect and store water in as many containers as possible. But what if this long-awaited moment was at the same time as our congregation meeting? We would have to decide​—either we go to the meeting or we stay at home to collect water.”

While physical provisions were necessary, the brothers appreciated how essential the spiritual provisions were. At the meetings the brothers received not only spiritual food but also details on who was imprisoned, who had been injured, or even who had been killed. “We were like a family,” relates Milutin Pajić, who serves as a congregation elder. “When we gathered for the meetings, we did not want to leave. After most meetings, we stayed for hours talking about the truth.”

Life was not easy, and the brothers often feared for their lives. Still, they put spiritual interests first. While the war ripped the country apart, Jehovah’s people were drawn closer to one another and closer to their heavenly Father. Children observed their parents’ loyalty and cultivated their own unshakable loyalty to Jehovah.

The town of Bihać, located near the Croatian border, was isolated for nearly four years. People there could not get out, and relief supplies could not get in. “It was hardest at the beginning of the war,” relates Osman Šaćirbegović, the only brother in this town, “not so much because of the difficult situation but because we were dealing with something new, something we had never experienced before. Amazingly, when the shelling started, the tension eased because we soon realized that not every grenade causes death. Some grenades don’t even explode.”

Because no one could anticipate how long the fighting would last, the Bethels in Zagreb, Croatia, and in Vienna, Austria, coordinated an arrangement for storing humanitarian supplies in Kingdom Halls and Witness homes in Sarajevo, Zenica, Tuzla, Mostar, Travnik, and Bihać. As the fighting raged on, cities would suddenly be surrounded and isolated. With supply lines unexpectedly cut off, provisions would quickly be depleted. Nevertheless, although various towns in Bosnia were cut off from the rest of the world, the brotherly unity of Jehovah’s Witnesses remained unbreakable. That provided a dramatic contrast with the inferno of ethnic and religious hatred sweeping through the land.

ZEALOUS YET CAUTIOUS

Along with the challenges of finding daily necessities, there was danger from snipers stationed around Sarajevo, who would pick off innocent citizens at random. Mortar attacks continued to rain down death from the skies. At times it was dangerous to move around in towns under siege. People lived in a state of dread. Yet, balancing wisdom with courage, our brothers did not stop sharing the good news of the Kingdom with people who desperately needed comfort.

“During one of the heavier attacks on Sarajevo,” relates one elder, “thousands of shells exploded in just one day. On that Saturday morning, the brothers phoned the elders and asked, ‘Where will the meeting for field service be?’”

“I saw that people desperately needed the truth,” says one sister. “This is precisely what helped me not just to endure but to have joy under difficult circumstances.”

Many local residents realized that they needed the Bible’s hope. “People are looking for us in order to get spiritual help,” said one brother, “instead of us having to look for them. They just show up at the Kingdom Hall and ask for a study.”

Much of the success of the preaching work during the war was the result of the unity of our Christian brotherhood, which people could not fail to notice. “It was a great witness,” relates Nada Bešker, a sister who has been serving as a special pioneer for many years. “Many would see Bosnian and Serbian brothers working together in the ministry. And when they saw a Croatian sister and a sister who was formerly a Muslim together studying with a Serb, they just had to know that we were different.”

The results of our brothers’ zeal can be seen to this day because many who now serve Jehovah accepted the truth during the war. For example, the congregation in Banja Luka doubled, even though a hundred publishers moved to other congregations.

A FAITHFUL FAMILY

Our brothers were always very cautious. Still, some fell victim to “time and unpredictable occurrence” when they were unavoidably in the wrong place at the wrong time. (Eccl. 9:11, footnote) Božo Ðorem, of Serbian background, was baptized at the international convention in Zagreb in 1991. After he returned to Sarajevo, he was sent to prison several times, where he was treated badly because of his neutral stand. In 1994 he was sentenced to prison for 14 months. His greatest hardship was that he could not be with his wife, Hena, and their five-year-old daughter, Magdalena.

Shortly after Božo was set free from prison, tragedy struck. One quiet afternoon, the three of them went to conduct a Bible study near their home. On their way, the silence was suddenly shattered by the explosion of an artillery shell. Hena and Magdalena were killed instantly, and Božo died later in the hospital.

CHRISTIAN NEUTRALITY

With prejudice running high, there was little if any tolerance for neutrality. In Banja Luka, the congregation was mainly made up of young brothers whom the military wanted to use for the war. Because they remained neutral, they were beaten.

“The police,” recalls Osman Šaćirbegović, “would often interrogate us and call us cowards for not defending our families.”

Osman would reason with the police this way: “Your gun is a protection for you, is it not?”

“Sure,” the policemen replied.

“Would you exchange it for a cannon to get more protection?”

“Yes.”

“Would you exchange a cannon for a tank?”

“Of course.”

“All this you would do to get more powerful protection,” Osman would say. “My protection comes from Jehovah, the almighty God, Creator of the universe. What better protection can I have than that?” The point was clear, and the police would leave him alone.

HUMANITARIAN AID ARRIVES

Although brothers in nearby countries knew that Bosnian Witnesses were suffering, for some time it was not possible to transport relief supplies to the needy brothers. Then, in October 1993, the authorities indicated that it might be feasible to take in relief supplies. Despite the dangers, our brothers decided to make the most of this opportunity. On October 26, five trucks left for Bosnia from Vienna, Austria, loaded with 16 tons of food and firewood. How would the convoy pass through the many areas where there was still heavy fighting?c

There were times on the trip when the brothers were in grave danger. “I had a late start that morning,” recalls one of the drivers, “and found myself behind several other trucks delivering humanitarian goods. As I approached one of the checkpoint stations, all the trucks stopped while the officers checked papers. Suddenly I heard the sound of a sniper’s rifle, and we saw that a non-Witness driver had been hit.”

Only drivers were allowed to enter Sarajevo with their trucks, so the other brothers who had accompanied the trucks had to wait outside the city. Still intent on encouraging the local brothers, they found a telephone, put a call through to the Sarajevo publishers, and delivered a much-needed encouraging public talk. Many times during the war, traveling overseers, Bethelites, and members of the Country Committee risked their lives to help their brothers survive physically and spiritually.

For nearly four years, it was not possible for shipments to reach our brothers in Bihać. Although physical food did not cross the barricades that isolated the town, our brothers were able to receive some spiritual food. How? They gained access to a telephone line and a fax machine, which enabled them periodically to receive Our Kingdom Ministry and copies of The Watchtower. They retyped the literature and provided one copy per family. When the war started, there was just a small group of three baptized publishers. With them were 12 unbaptized publishers who anxiously waited two years for an appropriate occasion to symbolize their dedication to Jehovah by water baptism.

Being isolated for so many years was a challenge. “My Bible students had never been to a convention or had the visit of a circuit overseer,” relates Osman. “We frequently talked about a time when we would be able to enjoy our brotherhood.”

Imagine the brothers’ delight on August 11, 1995, when two vehicles boldly marked “Jehovah’s Witnesses Relief Supplies” rolled into Bihać. These were the first private vehicles to bring in humanitarian aid since the city was besieged! And they arrived just when the brothers felt as if they were near their breaking point​—physically and mentally.

Neighbors in Bihać observed how the brothers cared for one another, such as by repairing broken windows. “This impressed my neighbors,” says Osman, “as they knew we had no money. It was a great witness that they still talk about.” Bihać now has a zealous congregation with 34 publishers and 5 pioneers.

A TRIP TO REMEMBER!

Repeatedly, our brothers risked their lives to take food and literature to the war-torn towns of Bosnia. But the trip of June 7, 1994, would be different. A convoy of three trucks carrying members of the Country Committee and additional workers set out from Zagreb, Croatia, early that morning. The goal was to deliver relief supplies and to present an abbreviated special assembly day program, the first in three years!

One location for this special program was the city of Tuzla. At the start of the war, there were only about 20 baptized publishers in the congregation. What a surprise to see over 200 gathered to listen to the assembly program! Thirty were baptized. Today, Tuzla has three congregations and more than 300 publishers.

In Zenica, the brothers found a suitable gathering place, yet they had difficulty finding an appropriate pool for the baptism. Finally, after much searching, they found a barrel that could be used. The only problem was the smell​—the barrel had been used to hold fish! However, the baptismal candidates, who had accepted Jesus’ invitation to become “fishers of men,” were undeterred. (Matt. 4:19) Herbert Frenzel, now a member of the Croatia Branch Committee, was present to deliver the baptism talk. “The candidates had waited so long to get baptized,” he reports, “that nothing was going to stop them! After their baptism they felt victorious!” Today Zenica has a zealous congregation with 68 publishers.

In Sarajevo the program could only be held near an intersection that was fired upon by snipers. Once the brothers arrived safely at the assembly, they faced the dilemma of finding not only a place for the baptism but also a means to conserve the precious water. To ensure that there would be enough water for all the candidates to get baptized, they were lined up by size and baptized from the smallest to the largest!

What a delightful time our brothers and sisters had that day! They did not allow any of the horrendous events around them to overshadow their irrepressible joy of worshipping together. Today Sarajevo has three thriving congregations.

AFTER THE STORM

As supply lines reopened, in certain respects life became a little easier for our brothers and sisters. However, ethnic cleansing, with its forced evictions, continued. Ivica Arabadžić, an elder serving in Croatia, remembers being forced from his family’s home in Banja Luka. “A man came with a gun and told us to leave, saying that this was now his house. He had been forced to leave his house in Šibenik, Croatia, because he was Serbian. Now he wanted us to leave. An army police officer with whom I studied stepped in to help us. Although it was not possible to keep our house, we were able to make a trade​—our house for the Serb’s house. It was difficult to leave our home and the congregation that had helped us to learn the truth, but we had little choice. Taking very few items with us, we set off to relocate to our ‘new’ house in Croatia. However, when we arrived in Šibenik, someone had already moved into the empty house that now belonged to us. What could we do? Our brothers immediately welcomed us, and an elder allowed us to live in his house for a year until our housing problem was resolved.”

Political instability exists to this day, yet the truth is flourishing in Bosnia and Herzegovina, where almost 40 percent of the population profess the Muslim faith. Since the end of the war, our brothers have constructed new Kingdom Halls. One in particular, located in Banja Luka, is more than just a sorely needed meeting place. It represents a legal victory. For years our brothers tried to obtain permission to build a Kingdom Hall in this area where the Serbian Orthodox Church wields strong influence. After the war, although legal recognition had been given to our brothers in Bosnia, they were denied permission to build a Kingdom Hall in Banja Luka. Finally, after much prayer and diligent effort, the brothers obtained the needed documentation. This victory sets a legal precedent for future Kingdom Halls in that part of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The freedom to worship has opened the way for 32 special pioneers, many of whom are from other countries, to assist in areas where there is a greater need. Their zeal for the ministry as well as their loyal adherence to theocratic procedures has been a real blessing.

Sarajevo, where our brothers routinely came under sniper fire only a decade ago, now peacefully hosts conventions for delegates from all parts of the former Yugoslavia. While the wars of the past century have shattered this beautiful mountainous country, Jehovah’s people have been drawn ever closer in a bond of “unhypocritical brotherly affection.” (1 Pet. 1:22) Today, 16 congregations with 1,163 publishers in Bosnia and Herzegovina unitedly bring praise to the true God, Jehovah.

[Box/​Picture on page 195, 196]

We Promised to Return

HALIM CURI

BORN 1968

BAPTIZED 1988

PROFILE He helped organize and distribute humanitarian aid in Sarajevo. Now he serves as an elder, a Hospital Liaison Committee member, and a legal representative of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

IN 1992 the city of Sarajevo was under siege. When there were no literature shipments, we studied older magazines. Using an old typewriter, the brothers typed copies of available study articles. Although there were only 52 publishers, we had more than 200 at our meetings, and we conducted about 240 Bible studies.

In November 1993, during the worst of the war, our daughter, Arijana, was born. It was a difficult time to bring a child into the world. We had no running water or electricity for weeks at a time. We used furniture as fuel, and our trips to the meetings took us through dangerous areas. Snipers fired indiscriminately, so we had to run to cross certain streets and barricades.

One quiet day, my wife, our baby, Brother Dražen Radišić, and I were on our way home from the meeting when machine-gun fire suddenly erupted. We lay down on the street, but a bullet hit me in the stomach. The pain was intense. Many people saw what happened from their windows, and some courageous young men came running out of the houses to take us to safety. I was rushed to a hospital, where they urgently wanted to administer a blood transfusion. I explained to the doctor that my conscience would not allow me to take a blood transfusion. They pressured me to reconsider; but I was determined, and I was prepared to face the consequences. They operated anyway, for two and a half hours, and I recovered without having a blood transfusion.

After the surgery, I needed to rest, which was impossible because of the war. We decided to visit our family in Austria. However, the only way to leave Sarajevo was through a tunnel under the airport. The tunnel was a half mile [900 m] long and about four feet [120 cm] high. My wife carried the baby, and I tried to carry the luggage. But because of the surgery, she had to help me.

We can hardly describe the joy our stay in Austria brought us. When we left Sarajevo, we had made a promise to our brothers and to our Creator that we would return. It was very hard to leave our family in Austria, especially my mother. We explained, though, that we had promised God we would return to Sarajevo if he helped us to get out and get a bit of rest. How could we now say to God: “Thank you for helping us to come here. We really enjoy being here, and now we would like to stay”? Also, the brothers in Sarajevo needed us. In all of this, my wife, Amra, was a great support.

So in December 1994, we arrived at the tunnel in Sarajevo. This time we were going into Sarajevo from the outside. Seeing us return through the tunnel, people asked: “What are you doing? Everybody wants to get out, and you are returning to the besieged city?” I cannot find words to describe the wonderful reunion we had with our brothers at the Sarajevo Kingdom Hall. We have never regretted that we returned.