In the pain of Srebrenica, remembering the power of one woman's life
News came today that Hatidža Mehmedović, who survived the war in Bosnia and led the Association of the Mothers of Srebrenica, had died in a hospital in Sarajevo.
I met Hatidža four years ago when I visited the Srebrenica Memorial, where the victims of the genocide -- the worst massacre on European soil since the Holocaust -- are buried. I remember it vividly. Sitting in a circle of other bereaved and widowed mothers of Srebrenica, quietly and with the utmost dignity, she told her story.
(Angelina Jolie visits the memorial center of Potocari near the eastern Bosnian town of Srebrenica in 2014.)
She painted a picture of life before the war, with her husband Abdullah and their two sons Azmir and Almir, who were 21 and 18 years old. She described the terrible days in July 1995, when they were forcibly separated from her and sent to their deaths, along with at least 8,000 other innocent men and boys. As well as her husband and sons, Hatidža lost her father, her two brothers, and scores of her extended family members.
Those who carried out the genocide went to considerable lengths to conceal or destroy the bodies of the victims. For 15 years, Hatidža searched for the remains of her family. She was one of the first survivors to return to Srebrenica. She lived bereaved and alone, facing threats and intimidation, in a climate of persistent attempts to deny the genocide.
She told me that when they finally found the remains of her husband and two sons, all she received to bury of Almir, her youngest, were two small leg bones. Instead of dwelling on the heartrending pain of that moment, she simply told me that she was fortunate. Many mothers, she said, still lacked even that small consolation.
(Hatidza Mehmedovic at the Potocari memorial center near Srebrenica.)
In many ways, Hatidža Mehmedović reminded me of the other Bosnian women I have met who survived the war, for the way she combined deep strength and resilience with tolerance and humility and a refusal to succumb to hate.
But Hatidža was also exceptional. For 23 years she was a tireless seeker of truth and justice. She never claimed any special status, but spoke on behalf of all the Mothers of Srebrenica. She did not distinguish between the victims, but regarded them as all equally worthy of dignity and recognition. Even as her health failed, she worked to organize aid convoys to take food and medicine to refugees in Syria. She died before her time, at just 65 years old, her death no doubt sadly hastened by all she had endured.
It is testimony to the depth of Bosnia's wounds that Hatidža did not live to see the end of the fight for justice and security for the survivors of Srebrenica. Others must take forward the burden she carried for so many years. But her example will live on, in the memories of all who knew her, and in the stories that we should all tell, wherever we live, so that the memory of Srebrenica never fades.
While her death fills me with sadness and regret for all the victims of the war in Bosnia-Herzegovina, I am sure that I am not alone in remembering Hatidža with gratitude and awe.
There are times to dwell on the many lessons of the Srebrenica genocide, and where violent hatred toward any group or people can lead. But as Hatidža is laid to rest and mourned by her country, it feels like a moment to reflect on the power of a single individual life.
Hatidža Mehmedović lived an honest life. She never allowed anyone to frighten her or to corrupt her sense of truth and fairness. We too may never see justice in our lifetimes, but we cannot go wrong if we follow her example.
Editor's Note : Angelina Jolie is an actor, director, special envoy for the UN Refugee Agency and co-founder of the Preventing Sexual Violence Initiative.
courtesy : cnn.com
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False claims about former NDTV director Prannoy Roy’s ‘real identity’ as a Muslim resurface
Fact check by BOOM found that the CBI’s press release from 2017 does not mention Prannoy Roy’s full name, his father’s name, or his birthplace.
CLAIM: CBI has revealed secrets about Prannoy Roy, including his real name as Parvez Raja, born in Karachi, and NDTV’s full form as “Nawajud Din Taufiq Venture.
FACT CHECK: BOOM found that these claims about the CBI raid on Prannoy Roy are false and have been circulating since 2017. CBI's press note does not mention Prannoy Roy’s real name, his father’s name or his birthplace.
New Delhi: A viral social media post claims that during a 2017 CBI raid on former NDTV director and promoter Prannoy Roy, it was "revealed" that his real name was allegedly 'Parvez Raja' and that he was born in Karachi, Pakistan.
2017 CBI case against Prannoy Roy and Radhika Roy
The CBI on October 1, 2024, had submitted a closure report in a Delhi court in a case alleging cheating against former NDTV promoters and directors Prannoy Roy and Radhika Roy stating that there was "insufficient legally admissible evidence". The 2017 case was regarding Rs 48 crore loss suffered by ICICI Bank during a loan settlement in 2009.
Posts viral with false claims about Prannoy Roy
Posts are being shared on Facebook claiming that NDTV’s full form is actually ‘Nawajud Din Taufiq Venture’ and alleging that it is also the ‘real’ name of Prannoy Roy’s father. The posts further claim that Roy’s wife Radhika's ‘real name’ is Rahila and that the CBI found a dartboard with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s face in Roy’s bedroom.
These claims are being shared on Facebook with a photo of the couple.
Fact-Check: 2017 CBI press note about raid on Prannoy Roy does not mention details claimed in viral post
BOOM found that the claims made in the viral post about the 2017 CBI raid on Prannoy Roy are false.
What does the 2017 CBI Press note mention?
We checked CBI’s official website and found a press release from June 6, 2017, detailing the searches conducted at Roy’s residence.
However, the release did not mention any of the claims made in the viral post, such as Prannoy Roy’s real name, his father’s name, his birthplace, or the original full form of NDTV.
“Reports in sections of the media have raised certain issues and the statement issued by NDTV has leveled certain allegations against the CBI investigation in the case relating to the promoters of NDTV and others. It is clarified that searches have been carried out at the premises of the promoters and their offices based on search warrants issued by the Competent Court. CBI has not conducted any search of the registered office of NDTV, media studio, news room or premises connected with media operations. CBI fully respects the freedom of press and is committed to the free functioning of news operations,” the press note stated.
In June 2017, the CBI had raided several residences and offices connected to Prannoy and Radhika Roy. The raids were in connection with an alleged loss of around Rs. 50 crores caused to ICICI Bank by NDTV.
In 2008, ICICI Bank gave a ₹375 crore loan to the NDTV promoters, using their 61% shareholding in NDTV as collateral. It was alleged that the bank later allowed them to repay the loan at a much lower interest rate (reduced from 19% to 9.5%), as per news reports. This reduction allegedly caused a ₹48 crore loss to ICICI Bank and benefited the promoters. The CBI looked into these claims, filed as a case in 2017 based on a complaint by Sanjay Dutt of Quantum Securities Ltd.
However, in November 2024, CBI closed the case on finding no wrongdoing by ICICI officials. Their closure report concluded that it was a standard transaction and there was no violation of law or criminal conspiracy involved.
Similar false claims on Roy viral in 2017
BOOM had debunked similar false claims that were circulating on WhatsApp about Roy's religion after the CBI raid at his residence in 2017.
The WhatsApp forwards had falsely claimed that Roy, born to a Bengali Hindu father and an Irish mother, was a member of the Redemption Cathedral in New Delhi. However, the office of The Cathedral Church of the Redemption had firmly denied these claims, stating that Roy was not a member.
(This story was originally published by boom, and republished by english.varthabharati.in as part of the Shakti Collective)
