NATIONAL MUSEUM’S MONSTROUS IDEA TO USE THE SARAJEVO HAGGADAH FOR IDEOLOGICAL AND PROPAGANDA PURPOSES

EAST SARAJEVO, AUGUST 2 /SRNA/ – The idea of the National Museum to use the Sarajevo Haggadah – a national monument of exceptional importance to the Jewish people – for ideological and propaganda purposes against the people who created it is by far the most monstrous one to come from Sarajevo’s so-called “protectors” in recent years, Anđelina Ošap-Gaćanović, member of the Commission preserving national monuments of BiH from Republika Srpska, cited in SRNA statement.

“It is simply unbelievable that the administration of the National Museum could even come up with such an idea, especially given their awareness of the immense value of this artifact to the global Jewish community,” Gaćanović emphasized, responding to the Museum's decision to donate proceeds from the sale of Sarajevo Haggadah publications as “support for Palestine,” claiming that Israel is conducting “systematic cold-blooded terror.” She pointed out that the Sarajevo Haggadah has been declared a national monument of exceptional significance to the Jewish people and is therefore protected by all international conventions on cultural heritage protection, as well as all provisions against the use of cultural property for political, ideological, or propaganda purposes. According to her, BiH is a signatory to these international conventions, and the activities undertaken by the National Museum could easily be characterized as criminal offenses. “Annex 8 of the Dayton Peace Agreement enabled all peoples in BiH to protect their cultural assets under their own ethnic identity, and the Commission preserving national monuments declared this item protected back in 2003,” Gaćanović stated. She recalled that the Commission has cooperated with the National Museum on several occasions, including in the implementation of museum restoration projects worth around two million BAM and said it is shocking that such an institution – entrusted with safeguarding the most important cultural heritage of all the peoples living in BiH – could take such a step, especially since it knows firsthand that this cultural asset is under a special protection regime. Gaćanović asked whether this institution, which should protect, respect and promote the diversity and beauty of the cultures of various peoples creating heritage in BiH, is now sending the message that it may start using each people’s cultural property in BiH to ideologically or politically harm or attack them. She described the behaviour of the National Museum as unacceptable and called on the institution to immediately abandon political propaganda and stop insulting Jewish culture in BiH. “I sincerely hope this idiocy will be stopped immediately before it gains international attention and before it becomes too late to impose sanctions in line with international acts,” Gaćanović emphasized.