Customer Reviews

The Bridge Betrayed: Religion and Genocide in Bosnia (Comparative Studies in Religion and Society , No 11)

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Unlike other accounts of the recent wars in the Balkans, Michael Sells' book does not merely chronicle the events that led to the catastrophe. The value of this fine work lies in the author's ability to present the underlying ideas, cultural constructs and religious passions that have flamed the genocide in Bosnia. The author focuses mostly on the Serb-Orthodox construct of Christoslavism, but also shows how the Western prejudices against the region have allowed genocide to occur in Europe at the end of the twentieth century. Resting on well-documented research (over fifty pages of footnotes plus appendices), it is an erudite and passionate argument for kindness and humanity towards those less fortunate than us.

Although of Serbian origin, Michael Sells offers a detailed, unbiased and honest analysis of Serbian nationalism and Christian fundamentalism. Sells argues that Christian mythology and extremism helped enable the annihilation of an entire people. Driven by an ancient hatred for the Turks which dates back to the rule of the Ottoman Empire, the Serbs have always viewed Muslims as their primary adversary. Today, many Serbian nationalists deliberately associate Bosnian Muslims with the Ottomans even though no such link exists. However, this is sophisticated propaganda, the goal of which is to mislead the Serbian people and to induce hatred in them. This strategy turned out to be very successful because it unleashed the extermination of Bosnian Muslims. Numerous testimonies offered by the survivors of the Bosnian war lend considerable support to Sells' thesis, namely that Christian extremism played a pivotal role in justifying the genocide of Bosnian Muslims. For example, many survivors reported being called "bloody Turks" by Serbs soldiers. Other similar derogatory slurs were frequently used by Serb soldiers, revealing great hatred for Muslims. Moreover, a systematic destruction of mosques and other Islamic architecture indicate that the Serbs wanted to obliterate every single trace of Islam in Bosnia. The fact that every single mosque has been destroyed in Republika Srpska speaks for itself. Conversely, many churches remain intact in the area controlled by the Bosnian government. In point of fact, only a few churches have been destroyed. It needs to be pointed out that Croats also purposely targeted historical monuments, as is evident in their destruction of Stari Most, the infamous old bridge in Mostar, the symbolic significance of which cannot be overstressed. For many years, the bridge had symbolized co-existence and a multiethnic society. By destroying the bridge, the Croat nationalists sent a clear message, namely that co-existence was not feasible. Christian fundamentalism and propaganda are also highly evident in literary works of many Christian writers. A novelist and a recipient of Nobel Prize, Ivo Andric, depicted Muslims as primitive and intransigent extremists whose principal goal was to create an Islamic state in Bosnia, clearly oblivious to the fact that Bosnia was a secularized society. Many renowned Serbian authors openly express similar views, one of which is Vuk Draskovic, known for his bigotry, parochialism and Islamophobia. Paradoxically, few attempts are made in Serbia to criticize these preposterous let alone distorted assertions, the sole purpose of which is to defame the adherents of the Islamic faith. Sells further correctly points out in his book that the Western (read Christian) world knowingly stood by and allowed for the Bosnian genocide to continue. The evidence to corroborate this claim is abundant. The imposition of the arms embargo, constant futile negotiations with a notorious war criminal Milosevic and Vance-Owens's plan to partition Bosnia into a Serb and a Croat part, leaving nothing to Bosnian Muslims, thereby rewarding the aggressor and punishing the victim. In spite of the initial collaboration with Muslims, the Croats suddenly turned their back on Muslims and began destroying them, presumably thinking that it is better to kill Muslims (the alien) than their fellow Christians- the Serbs. In point of fact, Tudjman and Milosevic had secretly agreed to divide Bosnia into a Serb and a Croat part. Sells' book lucidly divulges the crucial role of Christian fanaticism and mythology in allowing for the genocide of Bosnian Muslims to occur. This is truly a well written, well argued and thoroughly documented account of the Bosnian war. Highly recommended.

Michael Sells has written an important book that ranges the history of Bosnia from the days of the Ottoman invasion leading to the war that tore apart the Balkans. Few people have read Sells' book, but it is intensely readable and is instrumental in anyone's comprehension of what really caused the carnage of the Balkan War. He acknowledges the complexity of the region, and does not pretend to portray a comprehensive view of the war from a purely objective stance. Those who pretend to be objective, he says, are naive at best. He therefore limits his explanation of the war through the lens of religion, and the role it played as a catalyst to the outbreak of hostilities. If you cannot spend time in Bosnia, talking to the people there, seeing the mass graves that litter the countryside-- reading this book is a good beginning in developing a basic understanding of what occured there and why.

This is a unique look behind the conflict in Yugoslavia and the mythology created by Serb nationalists that fomented incredible crimes against humanity. He looks at the religious and cultural mythology created and revived by a warped interpretation of Balkan history that many nationalists used. I only wish this book was longer, it is a great read.

My relatively high rating for "The Bridge Betrayed" is more a reflection of my agreement with the author's stance than praise for the strength of his arguments. The strongest aspect of this book is the keen analysis and refutation of the key arguments used by both Serb and Croat nationalists to justify their actions in Bosnia-Herzegovina (aimed primarily against the Bosnian Muslims). He correctly notes the frequent contradictions involved in such racial stereotyping and he coins a term, "Christoslavism," to denote the merger of national and religious identity among both the Serbs and Croats. Sells explains that Christoslavic Serbs and Croats found it easy to demonize the Muslim Slavs of Bosnia as apostates and traitors to their Slav race. While this argument has merit and goes some way to explaining the hatred and violence in Bosnia, it does not explain the key national conflict in the former Yugoslavia, the one that more than any other led to its collapse: the conflict between the Croats and Serbs (indeed, Sells largely ignores the 1991 war in Croatia, although it was a full-scale, bloody dress rehearsal for Bosnia, with the Yugoslav Army and Serb paramilitaries honing the methods they would "perfect" in Bosnia later). Although much ethnic and religious stereotyping is involved in the mutual animosities between these two groups, it does not fit into the Christoslavic framework, simply because it is a matter of two Christian Slavic peoples. This leads to another, more important flaw: Sells' analysis is limited as an explanation, perhaps because he limits his focus on Bosnia. For even while it explains many of the hows and whys of the war in Bosnia, i.e. why the fighting was so brutal and why so many religious/cultural monuments were destroyed, how Serbs and Croats were mobilized against the Muslims and the concept of multiethnic Bosnia, etc., but it does relatively little to explain the deeper why: why this religious nationalism or Christoslavism (re)emerged at the end of the 1980s and eventually led to Yugoslavia's break-up.

An excellent book that looks at the role of Serbian and partly Croatian church in creation of genocidal actions against Bosnia and its citizens. Excellent book. From a reader that has read hundreds of books on this topic, I would strongly recommend it as my number one choice.

The title of this book refers to the Bridge of Mostar in the city by that name in current day Bosnia. The bridge was built by the Ottomans in the 16th century and symbolized to many a bridge between East and West, Christian and Muslim etc. For hundreds of years, this area was home to a flourishing pluralistic culture that included Bosnian Muslims, Catholic Croats and Orthodox Serbs. This was all shattered when the nationalist tendencies that followed the break-up of Yugoslavia erupted in war and ethnic cleansing in the early 90s. In 1993, Croat nationalist forces destroyed the bridge in what Sells claims was a systematic campaign to eradicate Islamic culture from the region.

Contrary to the myth of the Balkans as an inherently violent place of ancient hatreds, Sells sees the conflict's origins as much more recent. He describes how the Nazis occupied Croatia and engendered ethnic strife in the entire region. But the main thrust of the book is the religious nature of the conflict and what Sells describes as out and out genocide against Bosnian Muslims. This was perpetrated by both the Catholic Croats and Orthodox Serbs, with the latter seemingly the main culprit. Sells makes the case that the Serb's fanatical "Christoslavism" (a view that sees Slavs as inherently Christian and any Slavic converts to Islam as race traitors) was the driving force behind the entire conflict and describes the horrific consequences of this fanaticism. Bosnian civilians were routinely raped, tortured, and murdered with the support of many high ranking clergy. One of the most disturbing aspects of the situation was the attitudes and actions (or lack thereof) of the UN along with the American and European governments. Sells claims they knew genocide was happening but used the excuse of perennial conflict in the region to justify their non-action.

My only complaint would be that Sells is a bit heavy on the moralizing and comes across as quite anti-Christian. He even goes so far as to place the Bosnian genocide into an alleged long line of European (and American) Christian violence against non-Christians. While there may be some truth to this view, I would call it a gross simplification to say the least. Nevertheless, this was a compelling and disturbing read.

Mr. Sells has done an invaluable service by analyzing therecent events in the balkan region and presenting it for the review ofthe interested layman like myself, who was both horrified and confusedas to how this tragedy could occur in this post- WWII holocaust ageafter we had vowed that tragedies like that would not be allowed tooccur in the future, specifically the Serbian, Croatian, and Bosnianconflict during the 1991-95 period. He has certainly done his homeworkas shown by his thorough bibliography. He is very convincing as hegoes about constructing the scenario, again supported by credibleevidence, that the recent tragedy in the Balkans required not only theactions of the Serbian populace gone mad as a result of amadman(Milosevic) and his sympathizers but required sustained supportfrom the Western European and American powers which he documents veryeffectively in this book. In effect, a gruesome Christian holy war hasoccured under our noses without even its mention in this last decadeof the 20th century. The book would have received 5 stars if it showeda bit more empathy and documentation of the sufferings of the victims,although he has not entirely left it out. Overall, an excellent andvery useful book for understanding of the Balkan region.

Perpaps no other single book does so much to be 'scared straight' about the realities of 4 critical issues: how religion (here Christianity) and abuse of history can be mainpulated to cause war and attrocities; how and why the word (and international law implications) genocide was avoided; the resulting complicity of the press and international institutions that are supposed to keep peace and stand for principles; how simple answers like 'always fighting each other' were lies and evasions by people wanting a rationalization for not getting involved and even for not caring. It will be difficult to understand the early 21st century without reading this book!

One more proof in numerous historical documents discussing the genocide and atrocities against Bosnian population. It points the finger in the right direction of the culprits. The book provides plenty of evidence that the genocide was committed by Serbian forces with blessings from Serbia and Montenegro.