Karadzic, my neighbour: is the sky of Vracar falling down?

As the news broke out, the sky started falling, dropping all its tears for Karadzic! All night it was heavily raining, on and on. Yet happily, I made my first morning steps. And raining it was still!

exploring my neighourhood, step by step, the first very different morning...

The idea of Karadzic enjoying his time in my city quarter, Vracar, was giving me creeps all night, wouldn’t let me sleep: the monster was just by my side, in a way, doesn’t even metter for how long! And I, his enemy, who have made large efforts to denounce him to local nationalists, to moderate democrats, and to the world, as my obligation by simply being a Serbian citizen, I who have been publicly requesting Karadzic’s capture and delivery to the Hague, I still cannot celebrate. Yes, I shead a tear of joy on the big news. Yes, a little bit of justice has just taken place by the arrest. Yes, I think of a piece of relief most probably felt by Karadzic’s victims, and some I met in person, and I share their feeling. Yet, celebrate – I cannot! For, what has changed in the minds of my neighbours, of my parents, of most Serbian citizens, same ones I named just some lines above? I would say, by protests all around town, and outside the Special court (again the place I put trust in, again place I am familiar with), nothing changed in their minds! They are just furious, feeling betrayed! Even the symbolic immage is on their side:

the internet cafee that I use is on the edge of my neighbouhood, it has huge windows and a view on one of main squares in Belgrade, Slavija

Rain, like tears… Oh, my!

Reality puts Karadzic in prison. I hope he ends as soon as possible in the Hague Tribunal, where he should have gotten long, long ago. So this morning is different. In times when I lost all hope that globalization of justice is possible, and that it will take place – most wanted war criminal got arrested. And he will be prosecuted. And will get convicted. I cannot imagine any different destiny for him, after all. So global justice I fight for is happining, way too slow in my opinion, yet happening. It will be written in history of the World. That is one important step. For way too long, Karadzic and other war criminals were not even wanted, but included in international negotiations. Mainstream broke under efforts of Bosnian women, asking for the truth on the streets of the cities where they refuged! So the international community had to move its ass on the issue. But hardly any official Serbian asses moved on it, unfortunately, ever! And mainly due to the Premier of Serbia, Vojislav Kostunica, who faithfully followed Milosevic’s politics, while at the same time building the image of a moderate democrat, honorable individual, and a good christian always in company of Serbian ortodox church priests. Serbian ortodox church is, at the first place, a strong nationalist political state sponsored body – all this due to the efforts of Kostunica’s government that provided the Church with the law that ignores and breaks the Constitution guaranteed secular character of our state! (President Tadic of Democratic party gave his Amen to it, too, by veryfying it more then 2 years ago).

St. Sava temple at the back, mainly constructed during the 90ies - years of wars and sanctions - still getting fully made up during all years of this century, swollowed up a fortune while hungry, degraded people (most of whom old and in pension) were commiting suicides as preferance to starvation! The temple is in the core of Vracar, where i live and Karadzic rested for some time.

So no metter what Serbia officials say, how proud they may claim to be about this arrest, something smells bad: AND I DO NOT TRUST THEM!

Instead, I want all their political and personal interests revealed. I want Serbian war criminals named as such in history school books in Serbia. I want this arrest to start the oppen discussion in my country on the fact that all war crimes are to be punished, and that our business is to deal with the ones who commited war crimes in our name. And not relativize it by jumping straight away to any example of any other part, regionally or worldwide! (This kind of sharade is the first refuge to the selfproclaimed patriots.)

the sky can change above us!

The sky may be crying not for Karadzic, but for all the brains that will not move forward on this occasion, or any other! I rushed to use and exploit the metaphor, before big Serbian poets, members of Serbian Academy of Science and Art, do it! A cheep metaphor, I have to say!

St. Matrco church, detailed shot in dawn/of a new age, I hope!

And I work for the day when Church will not necessarily be above the ones who chose for something else, like civic society, when irony will not play with us but we with it, when common good will be above individual priviledges, when rains will fall and sun will shine in my country as it is facing the past, present and future; when one Karadzic will not be multiplied in heads of my neighbours (one of him arround was enough!) and bells of St. Sava temple will stop threatening my small attick from being knocked down by their noise, performed way too often (every full hour) for way too long (10 loud scary minutes every noon + reverberation, which brings in something of a horror movie).

Go, Karadzic, go away from Vracar. Take your sins and dirty mind, along with your bloody hands, to prison. And live not as a myth, hero nor idea, for you have never been it. All you’ ve been is seen through. Your substance has monstrouse taste. Keep it to only yourself. Some of us will see to that, because future obligates.

Photos by Jelena Markovic, on the day/night of arrest, and today, 21st-22nd July 2008