Queer Sarajevo Festival ended early
After a tumultuous beginning, the members of Organization Q, the NGO running the Festival, decided to end the event early. For those who don't know about the QSF, and what has been going on in Sarajevo regarding it, here's a not-so-brief synopsis.
At the end of August, Organization Q (Bosnia and Herzegovina's first LGBT organization) announced that the first Queer Sarajevo Festival would be taking place from September 24-27 of this year. By coincidence only, the dates of the festival also happened to fall during the Musilim holy month of Ramadan. Sarajevo has been predominantly Muslim since the end of the Bosnian War in 1995. A day after the announcement concerning the Festival dates, and outcry of indignation was heard from the Muslim community. Comments, such as the following, were quoted throughout the news.
"Such an event dangerously threatens our religious feelings. It is not appropriate to hold it during the Ramadan," said Ezher Beganovic, a journalist with the Islamic magazine Saff.
In the week following, posters began to appear around the city proclaiming "Death to Gays". Imams spoke out against the Festival, and one Muslim politician in Bosnia criticised the country's gay community for holding an LGBT event that coincides with his religion's observance of Ramadan.
Organization Q released a public notice. The bulk of the statement follows:
"QSF is a Festival of art and culture which includes exhibitions, performances, public discussions and films (mainly documentaries). Preparation of the Festival has started at the end of August last year when the time frame (September 24-28) was chosen in order not to overlap with other festivals of similar character in Sarajevo and the region.
QSF and Organization Q have no intention to provoke, but to work in accordance with its activities and BiH legislation. We do respect identities and beliefs of others, and we do regret that the Festival itself has been seen as provocation of the Muslim holy holiday. Nevertheless, we would like to emphasize that each individual has a right to public action, gathering and organizing.
At the same time, we would like to appeal for respect of the identities and orientations of the LGBTIQ population, and to remind everyone that Bosnia and Herzegovina is a secular state, in which different activities and events cannot be synchronized with different religious calendars.
We ask of media to sustain from provocations and tension rising, because violence in this state is unacceptable. We also ask you to convey correct and full information from Organization Q to the public. We have always been open for dialogue and communication since we believe that this is the only possible way to decrease fear and prejudice concerning these and other issues, with the aim of reducing possibility of any kind of violence.
Furthermore, we would like to remind the politicians, the representatives of the institutions, and medical professionals that Bosnia and Herzegovina has adopted the Gender Equality Law four years ago. Article 2 of this law forbids discrimination based on sex and sexual orientation. Article 14 of the European Convention on Human Rights and its Protocol 12 forbids discrimination on any ground. In addition, please be reminded that homosexuality has been removed from the list of mental disorders of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders in 1973.
Therefore, we appeal to you all to obey the laws of BiH as well as professional standards, and to sustain from usage of hate speech in public which encourages discrimination and violence against members of LGBTIQ population."
To sum things up, Organization Q received death threats, hate mail, and were publicly mauraded right up to the date the Festival began. The first day of QSF did not go well. The events and exhibits were held inside the Academy of Fine Arts. At least eight people were injured, along with one police officer, when dozens of hooded men attacked Festival-goers in front of the Academy. Many attendees were dragged from their cars into the street, and beaten. After this despicable showing of intolerance, the organizers of the Festival decided to take it underground, meaning that it would be closed to the general public and only those with appropriate accreditation would be allowed to attend.
This strategy lasted for one day before the organizers were forced to completely cancel the event a day early. In the last two days, a video was posted on Youtube (recently removed) portraying a decapitation and implying that that's what they would like to do to Svetlana, Organization Q's President. In addition, various reports confirm that other Organization members and Festival participants are being followed around Sarajevo by the Wahhabi Muslim group and face immediate danger.
I was very sad to hear that the Festival was shut down early because of this religious intolerance. I hope that next year, there will be an outpouring of support, and these events will not be repeated. I commend and admire the people at Organization Q. They are truly brave.
If you want to know more about Organization Q, and their fight for sexual equality and tolerance in Bosnia & Herzegovina, there website is:
http://www.queer.ba/udruzenjeq/en/udruzenje.htm
They need all the support they can get, and certainly deserve every bit of help they receive.
