
Croatia, the War, and the Future
Ina Vukic - Croatia: people, politics, history, economy, transitioning from communism to democracy
I am speechless. I am breathless from excitement!
Croatia’s Marin Cilic won his first Grand Slam title with a comprehensive straight-sets win over Kei Nishikori of Japan at the US Open Tennis Championships 2014 in New York.
“After the worry and the wait; after other years’ nerves and last year’s bitterness, it suddenly looked easy for Marin Cilic,” wrote Christopher Clarey of New York Times.
Born in the well known Medjugorje, one may be justified in thinking that perhaps “Our Lady of Medjugorje” (Heavenly Queen of Peace) watched over Marin as he played the game that has made tennis history. It’s almost a decade since a grand slam final hasn’t featured Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal or Novak Djokovic, an incredible statistic that speaks volumes about just how dominant ‘The Big Three’ have been over the last 10 years.
Marin Cilic becomes the first Croatian man to win a major tournament since Goran Ivanisevic, now his coach, took the Wimbledon Championship title in 2001.
Cilic’s victory also comes 12 months after he was forced to skip the tournament to serve out a controversial doping ban. Cilic tested positive for the banned substance nikethamide at the ATP World Tour event in Munich in April 2013 and was given a suspension in September, backdated to May 1. Cilic said he had inadvertently taken the substance in glucose tablets and appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). It was partially upheld, reducing his penalty from nine months to four, allowing him to return to competition in October 2013.
So, this time last year Marin Cilic stood at sidelines in Croatia, serving the last few months of his doping ban and evidently adding a few more revs to his serve. The burning sense of injustice he still feels has driven him to an achievement, which had appeared beyond him: he played so calmly and consistently for most of the match – as if the trophy was his destiny.
When skill, determination and faith walk together amazing things are achieved. Congratulations Marin! Ina Vukic, Prof. (Zgb); B.A., M.A.Ps. (Syd)
Welcome to my blog. Here I will bring to you a variety of topics covering the documented truth about that terrible war that Croatia had to endure during the period between 1991 and 1995 and about Croatian political history that shaped a wonderful nation of people.
Croatian people wanted independence for centuries, just as they had it until the twelfth century but fate was not on their side – others wanted their beautiful land. In late 1980′s the will to break free from Yugoslavia which suffocated freedom and self determination through harsh communist party rule finally bore the desired fruit.
In June 1991 Croatia declared its independence; soon after the aggressive war against Croatia broke out. The struggle of the Croatian people for self-determination was a just one. But I fear genuine justice has not been served as there have been, and there still exist, international covert and overt moves to equate victims with aggressors continue in attempts to change history. Truth often becomes obscured and lost and that is why I have chosen to write this blog, to concentrate on actual events and issues about Croatia – wishing it a bright and freedom-loving future.
It certainly was not easy to come out of the war that was fought on two fronts:
1. On the military front the world’s public has seen the indiscriminate bombardment of Croatian cities, towns and villages from land, sea and air; the destruction of civilian targets including homes, schools, hospitals, churches, factories and cultural monuments; the blockading and destruction of roads, bridges and ports; the blockading of power, water, food and medical supplies. What hasn’t been shown on our television sets is the forced clearing and evacuation of towns and villages, followed by looting, torture, rape and murder carried out by the Serbian forces, who were initially backed by the federal Yugoslav army that was largely constituted by Serb nationals; the transportation of multiple hundreds of innocent Croatian civilians from Croatia into concentration camps Serbia (Begejci, Stajicevo, Sremska Mitrovica... from October 1991, and later (1992) transferred into Serb-held camps in Bosnia and Herzegovina (Omarska, Keratern, Manjaca, Trnopolje).
2. The second front was the war of political propaganda centred on: misinformation about the rights of minorities in Croatia; portrayal of the Croatian people as Ustasha or Fascists; the representation of the Croatian defence forces as illegal paramilitary units; the representation of the Croatian and Slovenian republics as unreasonable secessionists who are unwilling to negotiate; a regurgitation of distorted facts about World War II.
Indeed Croatia had an absolute right to defend itself and this is often forgotten if not often denied it.
Ina has been a tireless volunteer on humanitarian aid and fundraising for victims of war in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, especially war orphans. From1991 to beginning of 1994 she contributed in lobbying for international recognition of Croatian independence and Croatia’s rights in defending its territory and people from military aggression by Serbian forces. For this dedicated voluntary work Ina was awarded two Medals of Honour by the first president of the Republic of Croatia in 1995 (Commemorative Medal of the Homeland War and Order of the Croatian Trefoil).Ina has also written hundreds articles for newspapers in Australia and Croatia on the plight of Croatian people for freedom and self-determination, developing democracy in former communist countries. She holds two graduate and one post-graduate university degrees, specialising in behaviour, clinical and political psychology and management.
Blessed Alojzije (Aloysius) Stepinac Feast Day February 10
“When they take everything from you, you’ll be left with two hands; put them together in prayer and then you’ll be the strongest.” Blessed Aloysius Stepinac (1898 – 1960)
“They could not, nor will they ever be able to kill our passion and our need to live in human dignity, in peace with ourselves and with the free nations of Europe. We have carved out that right at our first democratic elections. For this right and for our sacred land we are even ready to die” – Dr Franjo Tudjman (1922-1999) ( Addressing the Croatian nation at the moment of the start of Serbian aggression against Croatia, 16 October 1991)