Blaming the victim

It dawned upon years ago that there was a specific campaign being conducted with the purpose of viciously branding BiH Croats as "fascists," "xenophobes," and the remnants of an "ustasa-dinaric civilization" intent on destroying Croatian society, being incompatible with Croatia's, let's call it, EU ambitions. Much has been said and written since 1991 about the role of BiH Croats in the Republic of Croatia, particularly about Croats from Herzegovina. Most of it being quite unflattering. In the eyes of many, Croats from those two historical regions became the scapegoat of all that went wrong during the war-years and the aftermath. From the criminal privatization executed by communist cadres, to the surge in popularity of Serbian "turbo-folk" music, BiH Croats are to blame. To back up their wicked agenda, the accusers pointed out the disproportionate amount of Herzegovinian Croats in positions of power. While it is true that many Croats from BiH are quite successful, influential and affluent, the majority of these Croats share the same realities with the average Croat from any region. Be it Dalmacija, Slavonija or Istra. Are BiH Croats to blame for a tribal approach to all aspects of life? Anybody that is familiar with Croats, knows that they are no more tribal or clannish than the Croats from Dalmacija or Istra. So where is the problem? What is this accused part of the Croatian nation guilty of? The answer lay in a staunch national identity and consciousness that the overwhelming majority of them share. Do they share it with Croatians from other regions? Absolutely. Particularly with those from regions of Dalmatinska zagora, who have suffered the same chauvinistic trashing from Croatian political and media elites. While they are quick to lay blame on BiH Croats, these same members of the elite ignore the disproportionate contribution that these people gave - in blood - to the cause of Croatian independence. That, of course, makes sense, because it is evident that Croatian nationhood, statehood and identity, as a whole, are the real targets of their malicious attacks.

Tudjman, Susak and the Norval conspiracy

It would be interesting to survey Canadian-Croats, many of who are Herzegovci, to gather whether or not they are aware of the attention the little Toronto suburb of Norval receives in Croatia. The proponents of Balkanization and Neo-Yugoslavism masquerading as Euro-philes, are the propagators of the myth that in the late 1980s extremist Croats from North-America, combined with Croatian Franciscan Friars, installed Tito's ex-general Franjo Tudjman to do their bidding for a revival of the Independent State of Croatia in the little town of Norval. To mention that the mythmakers are the remnants or descendents of influential Yugoslav cadres is superfluous. According to the myth, the conspirators, under the direction of Franciscan Father Krasic and Gojko Susak, came to the conclusion that the lustration of Serbs in Croatian society would be conducted while Croatian communists would gain amnesty. How destructive is this myth? It purposely hides the fact that Serbs in Croatia during the time of Yugoslavia held disproportionate amounts of office, title, positions and clout. To the tune of 70% of the police force. Not bad for a people that made up only 12% of Croatia's pre-war population. When Croatia became independent and the ethnic composition of the state's structure would be revamped accordingly, the propagators cried: "Genocide!" They had a lot of practice. For these same proponents are guilty of the black myth concocted and spread about the "murder" of 700,000 Serbs during WW2 by the ustasa regime. All the while, continuing to this day, criminalizing Croatia's God-given right to independence and statehood. Forget the fact that Croatia's Serbian population was instrumentalized by Belgrade to carve out a Greater-Serbia. Forget SANU's memorandum. Forget Dobrica Cosic and Slobodan Milosevic. Forget the 20,000 Croatian dead and the innocence of the Homeland War. Let's talk about Tudjman, Norval and the genocidal conspiracy! According to the myth, Tudjman, Susak & co. purged Serbs from Croatian national life and installed Croatians - from Herzegovina. That was the "true" raison d'etre and modus operandi behind the entire Homeland war. Which of course Tudjman "incited," as the script goes. As if that weren't enough, the Croatians of Bosna and Hercegovina have been blamed for Croatia's poor standing in the international community because of the "crime" of national defense in those lands, which they present as Zagreb's culpability in the division of Bosna.

Croatia's "sin" in Bosna - And the opportunity for national healing

Now is the time, when HVO General Slobodan Praljak, along with five other Croats from BiH are on trial in the Hague, for new awareness and national healing. Praljak has literally taken it upon himself to defend Croatia's valiant role in the wartime defense of herself, BiH Croats and BiH, with a brilliant multi-media presentation. Facing the injustices of world-elites, the same that have recognized and rewarded the Greater-Serbian genocidal endeavor of "Republika Srpska;" facing the Balkanite pundits and ideologues in Zagreb and Sarajevo, who are quick to ignore the plight of Croatians everywhere and more than willing to fester divisiveness, rehabilitate Serbs and lay guilt upon the Croatian nation once again-- the time is to follow Praljak's example. Zagreb was not the aggressor in Bosna and Herzegovina. Bosnian Croats did not conduct criminal enterprise in BiH. The Croatian people of Bosna and Herzegovina, just like their brothers and sisters in the Republic of Croatia, are not to blame for the aggression, murder and destruction perpetrated against them by the true aggressors and villains - the Serbs. The truth is Croatians led a joint-enterprise of defense both in The Republic of Croatia and the Republic of Bosna and Herzegovina. Croatians are too small a people to become the prey of predators intent on destroying our identity. The outlook is bleak, but there is still hope that on the ground and in everyday life, Croatians, whether they hail from Zagreb, Split or Mostar, will salvage their fraternity, defend their brothers and sisters across the border, and say -no more- to the destruction of our unity and nationhood. Let us not point fingers on the basis of regional differences that our enemies love to prey upon. That is the least we can do.

Frano Budimlic
New York