Bosnia is the biggest victim of the dissolution of Yugoslavia, in which the media played a key role, Svetlana Broz, the granddaughter of late Yugoslav leader Josip Broz 'Tito', told N1.
“The media have, unfortunately played an ugly and sad role even before Yugoslavia’s dissolution and they still do,” Broz said.
The young generation is being served a false narrative about Tito and the entire period of World War II, she said.
“Today we have seven different histories in seven countries,” Broz explained, referring to the seven new countries that emerged after the breakup of Yugoslavia.
The way this period of history is being taught is “beyond any reason,” and “deprived of facts,” she said.
“How can the youth then know the truth? We are more prone to myths and irrational versions than to true education,” she said. “Not to mention the manipulations of historical facts and the reincarnation of fascist co-conspirators…it’s all turned upside down,” she added.
Many describe him as a criminal today but Broz said that Tito can be described this way only if Churchill and Roosevelt are as well.
The older generation is often nostalgic about the Tito times and Broz said she believes this is because “back then people lived a decent life.”
“Bosnia and Herzegovina is the biggest victim of the criminals who destroyed Yugoslavia after Tito’s death. I remember a poignant moment during one of the anniversaries of the Srebrenica genocide when one of the mothers (of the victims) approached me, hugged me and said: ‘if Tito would had been alive, my son would still be alive’,” Broz said.
More than 700.000 people watched and 200 foreign delegations attended the funeral of the late Yugoslav leader 38 years ago.
“This was a glorious funeral of a man who deserved it,” Broz said, adding that none of today's leaders in former Yugoslavia can expect to match it.