An image and a comment one of Bosnia’s former international administrators, Swedish diplomat Carl Bildt, posted on Twitter sparked outrage among Bosnian social media users.
He posted on Thursday an image of Old Town Sarajevo which he wrote was captured about a century ago. It showed four women, wearing hijabs, crossing a bridge, with a man in traditional Bosnian outfit walking in the background.
“There is progress in our world. This was Sarajevo a century or so ago,” wrote Bosnia’s first post-war High Representative who oversaw the implementation of the Dayton Peace Agreement between 1995 and 1997.
There is progress in our world. This was Sarajevo a century or so ago. pic.twitter.com/kxIJUuOfWN
— Carl Bildt (@carlbildt) January 3, 2019
The comment inspired Emir Ramic, the director of the Institute for Research of Genocide in Canada (IGC), to write an open letter to Bildt. He accused Bildt of running a “continuous anti-Bosnian campaign.”
Bosnia and Herzegovina proved that it could live with the diversities within it for centuries, Ramic wrote, adding that the Bosnia will confront everybody who is working “against a European country whose social modus the EU took to built its common existence.”
A barrage of criticism also came from social media users:
Deeply hurtful, offensive and disappointing comment from an individual of your professionalism and character. This is Sarajevo half a century ago too: https://t.co/kjTTw83iV7
— Amina Agovic (LLD) (@aagovic) January 4, 2019
Yes, indeed.
The King and Queen of Austria at the funeral of his father. The Queen is veiled from head to foot, 1916. pic.twitter.com/QDQGmdyPRO
— Resul Mehmedović (@ResulMehmedovic) January 3, 2019
Indeed, this is how it was in Sweeden in ca. 1930s. pic.twitter.com/OQnNMvlgMP
— Mirnes Kovac (@MirnesKovac) January 4, 2019
Progress is not about clothes.its about respecting other poeple and there freedom to choose their system of believes
— ahmad mahmood (@greycloud89) January 4, 2019
