Đurašković: There are moments when "No" is worth more than a thousand applause, medals and silence,

There are moments when "No" is worth more than a thousand applause, medals and silence, and when truth, honor and defiance are the highest recognitions a man can bear, said the Mayor of Cetinje and member of the SDP Presidency, Nikola Đurašković, in a press release, reacting to Miloš Karadaglić's decision to refuse the Thirteenth of July Award.

"While the foundations of Montenegrin statehood, freedom and identity are repeatedly exposed to attempts at relativization and systematic degradation, the act of the world-renowned artist, our great Miloš Karadaglić, represents a strong expression of artistic and human integrity, showing that there are still Montenegrins who do not agree to humiliation, to the rewriting of history, identity and our anti-fascist heritage," Đurašković added.

According to the Mayor of Cetinje, with his gesture, Karadaglić demonstrated what is woven into the historical and moral being of Montenegro - that dignity is not for sale, that ideals are not negotiable, and that one must not remain silent when the values ​​of anti-fascism and state integrity are trampled on for the sake of political and ideological experiments that have no basis in either truth or justice.

"That is why Cetinje, as the historical and cultural center of Montenegro, but above all a city of centuries-old resistance, defiance and freedom, recognizes and supports Mr. Karadaglić's decision as a reflection of his moral integrity, but also as a call to all of us to wake up, gather ourselves and resist any attempt to weaken, reshape or annul what makes Montenegro a state with its own name, its own language, its own culture and its own memory," he emphasized.

The July 13th Award, adds Đurašković, born from the heroic anti-fascist uprising, cannot and must not serve as a means of rewarding those who are on the opposite side of that historical commitment.

"Because rewarding those whose actions deny the values ​​from which the award originated means not only its humiliation, but also the moral failure of all who sign and defend such a decision. Especially not rewarding those who falsify and fabricate, those who deny the Montenegrin nation," the statement states.