A group of non-governmental organizations and activists announced that they are protesting against the public performances and promotion of singer Mirko Pajčin, better known as Baja Mali Knindža, whose songs, they claim, contain nationalistic, chauvinistic and warmongering messages that glorify war crimes and criminals and incite ethnic and religious hatred.
"His performances were banned in Croatia and the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, because the lyrics of his songs are considered hate speech," the statement said.
They point out that the announcement of Baja Mali Knindža's performance in Pljevlja is deeply concerning, especially if, as they said, the government would support it by financing it from the municipal budget.
According to them, it is unacceptable that the money of all citizens of Pljevlja, including over 4000 citizens of the Islamic faith (17 percent of the population), is used to finance a performer whose songs incite hatred towards Bosniaks and Muslims, or deeply insult all who uphold civic and anti-fascist values.
"His songs glorify Ratko Mladić and Radovan Karadžić, who were convicted of genocide and other war crimes committed during the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina. His lyrics contain open messages of ethnic and religious hatred, as they support war crimes, as confirmed by songs such as: 'I don't love you Alija because you are a Balija', 'You will remember Vukovar, the city of Knin and old Mostar, you will also be hurt by the Kupreš Gate, there are no Croats there anymore', as well as 'Srebrenica has fallen, and Žepa will fall too, Republika Srpska, but you will be beautiful'," the statement points out.
Non-governmental organizations and activists add that, for example, in the song "Oj Alija, odnejala te voda", he systematically lists the cities in which documented war crimes against Bosniaks were committed – Prijedor, Bijeljina, Brčko, Višegrad and Zvornik – in a way that celebrates these crimes.
"The reference to the Drina River is a direct allusion to the documented criminal practice of killing civilians and throwing their bodies into that river, while the verse about the 'new Sarajevo' celebrates the siege of the city that claimed more than ten thousand lives. This is an absolutely unacceptable glorification of war crimes against specific victims, whose families live not only in Bosnia and Herzegovina but also in Montenegro. A special example of such criminal discourse is found in the song 'My Dad is a War Criminal', in which the chorus 'My Dad is a War Criminal, you do your best, and convict him, there's no one f***ing to take him to court' directly mocks the judiciary and the victims of war crimes," it states.
Such content, they claim, crosses the boundaries of artistic expression and contributes to the normalization of hate speech and warmongering narratives in public space, with already known and documented tragic consequences throughout the region.
"We remind you that even the public glorification of convicted war criminals constitutes a criminal offense of inciting hatred and intolerance, punishable by imprisonment of six months to five years. In addition to the Criminal Code of Montenegro, hate speech is also prohibited by the Law on the Prohibition of Discrimination and the Law on Public Order and Peace. Pljevlja is a multiethnic city with a long tradition of mutual respect and coexistence," they said in a statement.
Therefore, they demand that: the Municipality of Pljevlja abandon now and in the future the organization of the performance of Baja Mali Knindža; the competent authorities investigate possible criminal and other liability in the event of insisting on organizing such an event; all political actors who invoke civic and European values do not allow the organization of such and similar events.
They called on the citizens of Pljevlja and Montenegro to support this protest.
"Both Pljevlja and the rest of our country need to cultivate a culture that unites instead of inciting hatred," it concludes.
The statement was signed by the Human Rights Action, the Center for Investigative Journalism of Montenegro, the Center for Civic Education, the Spektra Association, the Center for Women's and Peace Education ANIMA, the Center for Democracy and Human Rights, Ipso Facto, the Media Institute, the Association of Montenegrin Publishers, Kvir Montenegro, Eduko Plus, Antifascists Cetinje, Safe Women's House, Prima, the Montenegrin Women's Lobby, the Center for the Development of Non-Governmental Organizations, Dr Martin Schneider-Jacoby Association - MSJA, the Civic Initiative 21 May, the Štrpci Association - Against Oblivion, the Montenegrin Committee of Lawyers for the Protection of Human Rights, Juventas, the Association of LBTQ Women "Stana", SOS Podgorica, the Center for Monitoring and Transition, the Center for Women's Rights, Paula Petrićević, Dina Bajramspahić, Emir Pilav, Sabina Talović, Nikoleta Đukanović, Dušan Pajović, Milica Kankaraš Berber, Milena Bešić.
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