Extreme Ultranationalism: The Bosnian Genocide

Nationalism has been a potent force for change since the development of human civilization. However, opinion about the extent to which nationalism may be appropriately pursued is highly diverse, a factor that has led to immense tragedy and suffering in countless regions worldwide. While it is both appropriate and sometimes encouraged to take pride in being part of a nation, it is of the utmost importance that it is done without harming or subjugating people of another. Uniting a people by force and potentially eliminating or destroying those who may oppose it or not belong to it is unacceptable ethically, morally, and socially.

The source presented is unmistakably from an extreme ultranationalist perspective. Mention of “destiny”, “rightful

place in history” and “subjugate” give an acute preliminary stance to the speaker, marking him or her as a potent ultranationalist who may have been indoctrinated into believing such things, due to the presence of vocabulary and language commonly found in propaganda or nationalist speech. Furthermore, the words “proud, strong people” dramatically echoes those of Hitler’s Appeal to the nation in 1932. Another interpretation of the source given relates to the literal meaning of the speaker’s words. The speaker is calling for a unification of their people, wherever they might be, in order to leave a lasting legacy. However, there is a darker undertone to their words - they are also calling for the subjugation of any opposition to their motives, implying that nothing will stop them from accomplishing their goal.

Being proud of one’s nation is not an illegal act.

In fact, sometimes it is actively encouraged as part of preserving the culture and the traditional aspects of the nation in question; for example, routine celebrations of national holiday and the wearing of cultural clothing demonstrate moderate forms of nationalism. However, it is when extreme pride in one’s nation leads to acts that contravene common decency that the forces of nationalism become dangerous. A historical example of such an event was the Bosnian war and the resulting Bosnian genocide that occurred shortly after the partition of Yugoslavia in the early 1990’s. In this event, extreme Serbian nationalism called for the unity of the Serbian peoples in Bosnia-Herzegovina - an event that echoes the words of the source. Serbian leaders and followers believed that their culture and people were superior to that of the neighbouring ethnic groups - the Bosniaks and the Croatians - and thought that they needed to be eliminated because of the potential threat they posed to the establishment of an autonomous Serbian Republic, or “Greater Serbia”. In the course of the war, and the ethnic cleansing that followed, more than 100,000 Bosniaks and Croatians were to be killed in a mass act of genocide. This appalling and gruesome figure shows the extent to which extreme nationalism is unacceptable and how unification of a people by force is both detrimental and wrong on all

dimensions.

Sadly enough, the detrimental effects of extreme nationalism and the effort to unify peoples by force still persist in our present-day world.

A current example of this would be the ongoing Darfur genocide. Sudanese troops and Arab Janjaweed militia have been accused of causing the deaths of more than 250,000 ethnic Fur, Masala, and Zhagwa in the Darfur region of Sudan. While religious factors have been cited as part of a reason for this conflict, one of the main factors of the genocide reside in the Arab desire to settle people of their own ethnicity and religion in areas currently occupied by largely Christian ethnic groups. The Arab-controlled government of Sudan has been accused of practicing Arab-apartheid, favoring their own people over the other non-Arab groups of Sudan. In doing so, many ethnic Arab Sudanese may now believe that they are the superior ethnic group in Sudan, leading them to think that such atrocities are acceptable or necessary for the establishment of a purely Arab territory in Darfur - a way of thinking that is on the verge of exploding into extreme nationalism. By attempting to take over the Darfur region by force and eliminating those who may pose a threat or oppose this scheme, Arab peoples in Sudan are putting the effects of extreme nationalism into their actions. These unacceptable acts demonstrate how uniting a people by force and subjecting or eliminating the opposition is appalling to the utmost - and how extreme nationalism is both

detrimental and injurious.

In summary, nationalism has proven itself to be a powerful force throughout human history. The many ways in which it has manifested itself have shown it to be fickle in its ways of manipulating populations and people of power. However, one thing must be established; like all other societal forces, nationalism is a force which should not be allowed to cause harm to others. Taking moderate pride in being part of a nation is an act which can establish solidarity within that nation, something that can be a positive benefit of nationalism. But it is when people believe that it is acceptable to forcefully unite their people and eliminate those who oppose them that nationalism becomes a powerful force for evil. Events such as the Bosnian Genocide and the ongoing Darfur genocide demonstrate this fact. Therefore, it can be concluded that as itself, moderate nationalism may be acceptable and encouraged within a nation, but extreme nationalism as presented in the source which has the capacity to cause harm to others is unacceptable ethically, morally, and socially.