“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.

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.”

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.”