A mi ipak ustajemo: Roman o genocidu u Bosni i Hercegovini

Jordan Steven Sher

Duboko lično putovanje ka pravdi i istini 

“Svojim pisanjem se trudim ljudima u Americi, mojim sugrađanima, približiti bosansku priču, kako bi imali bolje razumijevanje svega što se desilo u Bosni i Hercegovini. Ja nisam porijeklom iz BiH, ali duboko suosjećam i pronalazim veliku sličnost između historijskih događaja u Bosni i Hercegovini i onoga što bi se moglo dogoditi bilo gdje drugdje, uključujući i SAD,” kaže Jordan Sher, objašnjavajući svoju motivaciju da piše o bosanskohercegovačkim Amerikancima, njihovim životima u “novoj zemlji” i životima koje su ostavili u BiH. Iako je tokom čitavog svog profesionalnog života bio zainteresovan za pitanja socijalne pravde, Trumpova anti-imigraciona politika, porast anti-imigrantskog raspoloženja u SAD-u, zajedno sa njegovom porodičnom istorijom i imigrantskim porijeklom njegove supruge, inspirisali su Shera da dublje uđe u životno iskustvo imigranata koji dolaze u Ameriku. “Tokom moje karijere uvijek su me privlačile teme koje se tiču socijalne pravde. Otprilike u vrijeme kada je Trump došao na vlast u SAD-u i kada je počeo demonizirati imigrante tada sam odlučio da moram učiniti nešto po tom pitanju. Pisanje je bilo moj način da to i ostvarim.  Moji djedovi i bake došli su u SAD kao imigranti iz istočne Evrope, bježeći od pogroma nad Jevrejima, a moja supruga je ovdje došla kao dijete sa roditeljima iz Italije. Porodica moje supruge bila je veoma siromašna i ovdje su došli tražeći bolje ekonomske i obrazovne mogućnosti,” objašnjava Jordan. Kombinacija ova tri faktora navela je Jordana Shera da napiše svoju prvu knjigu zasnovanu na intervjuima s imigrantima iz različitih dijelova SAD -a.

Imigrantsko iskustvo u mojoj zajednici

Prva knjiga Jordana Shera “Naše komšije, njihov glas: istinite priče imigrantskog egzodusa” uključuje priče ljudi koji su došli u SAD iz Irana, Libana, Vijetnama, Indije, Njemačke i drugih zemalja. “Zajednička nit koja veže većinu priča o imigrantima je da ljudi dolaze ovamo ne zato što žele napustiti svoje zemlje, već zato što to, iz ovog ili onog razloga, moraju uraditi. Oni dolaze ovdje da izgrade bolje živote za sebe i svoje porodice i sigurno nisu tu zbog ubistava, silovanja, ili terorizma, kao što je to Trumpova retorika ili njegova zabrana ulaska u SAD za muslimane sugerisala,” objašnjava Jordan. Među ljudima s kojima je razgovarao bile su dvije žene iz BiH – Dina iz Donjeg Vakufa i Mirela iz sela u blizini Bosanskog Novog. “Njihove priče su mi zaista dotakle srce. Možda je to zbog moje lične historije, zbog toga što sam Jevrej i zato što su i članovi moje porodice stradali  u koncentracionim logorima u Njemačkoj i Poljskoj tokom Drugog svjetskog rata. Slušajući Dinine i Mireline priče je kod mene probudilo želju da saznam više o Bosni i onome što se dogodilo tokom devedesetih,” ​​dodaje on. Kako bi produbio svoje znanje, Jordan je počeo razgovarati sa ljudima koji su preživjeli genocid u BiH i nakon toga emigrirali u SAD. “Intenzivnim istraživanjem i čitanjem saznao sam o prijedorskim logorima. Osjećao sam se primoranim da pričam priče o onima koji su preživeli i onima koji su tamo ostali zauvijek izgubljeni, što me je navelo da napišem knjigu koja će uskoro biti objavljena. U pripremi je i treća knjiga zasnovana na mojim razgovorima sa ljudima u bh. dijaspori u Americi,” dodaje Jordan. 

Borba protiv poricanja genocida i fokus na oporavak 

A mi ipak ustajemo: Roman o genocidu u Bosni” naziv je Jordanove predstojeće knjige, koja bi trebala biti objavljena ove jeseni u izdanju Atmosphere Pressa. Naslov nosi dvije najvažnije poruke romana: snažan stav protiv poricanja genocida i naglasak na oporavak nakon što su se desili zaista užasni događaji. “Nisam mogao vjerovati da je poricanje genocida još uvijek stvarnost u Bosni i Hercegovini, čak i sa svim dostupnim dokumentarnim dokazima, s presudama Međunarodnog krivičnog suda i nebrojenim svjedočenjima očevidaca koji potvrđuju da se genocid zaista dogodio. Suočavanje s prošlošću i realnosti genocida se može odvijati paralelno sa razvijanjem vizije za bolju budućnost, što uključuje obnovu, oporavak i regeneraciju. To mi se čini kao put naprijed, “ je Jordanovo razmišljanje o dualnom odnosu između prošlosti i budućnosti, koji se ogleda u naslovu njegovog romana. Često se poziva na naučni rad Genevieve Parent, koja iznosi sličnu tezu kada elaborira retraumatizirajuće učinke poricanja genocida na žrtve i potrebu za odgovarajućim priznanjem zločina iz prošlosti kao postavljanjem temelja za održivi i trajni mir. “Drugi dio naslova ponovo potvrđuje da je genocid jedini istiniti opis onoga što se dogodilo u Bosni i Hercegovini tokom rata. Trauma tog dešavanja će zauvijek biti prisutna u životima žrtava. Međutim, prvi dio naslova predstavlja nadu, nadu da se stvara otklon od dalje viktimizacije i da žrtve ipak ustaju ka boljoj budućnosti. Jer žrtve ne samo da su preživjele, već i dalje napreduju i razvijaju svoje živote,” on zaključuje.  

Od Prijedora do Utice: Putovanje jedne porodice iznova otkrivajući smisao

Roman je zasnovan na stvarnim događajima u periodu od proljeća 1992. do početka 2000-ih, prateći životnu putanju porodice Kovačević. Početne scene knjige odvijaju se u Prijedoru, gdje Kovačevići žive udobnim životom jugoslovenske svakodnevnice sa mnogo porodičnih izleta, fudbalskih turnira i zajedničkih trenutaka provedenih sa komšijama Srbima.  Sa početkom rata, oni bivaju izbačeni iz realnosti svojih normalnih života u brutalnu kampanju etničkog čišćenja područja Prijedora od njegovih nesrpskih građana. Otac Elvir i njihov petnaestogodišnji sin Amir, poslani su u koncentracioni logor Omarska, dok je Hajra, majka, zatvorena u Trnopolju, zajedno sa dvoje mlađe djece, Halimom i Danisom. Elvirov brat, Tarik, odveden je u Keraterm, prebačen u Trnopolje, nakon čega mu se gubi svaki trag i nestaje u logoru zajedno sa mnogim drugim. Nakon što su pušteni iz logora, Elvir, Hajra i njihova djeca se pridružuju Tarikovoj ožalošćenoj supruzi Merjemi i njenoj djeci. Svi skupa odlaze  kao izbjeglice prvo u Hrvatsku, zatim u Njemačku, a kasnije u SAD. Roman prati priču o porodici Kovačević dok prevazilaze mnogobrojne prepreke na svom putu, pokušavajući pronaći novi smisao svojih razorenih života, tugujući za gubicima i prilagođavajući se svom  novostvorenom domu. Kako objašnjava Jordan, „oporavak od užasnih trauma i pronalaženje nove nade utkani su u cijelu priču. Hajra je silovana u Trnopolju i to je  zaista užasno iskustvo. Ona se dugo sama bori sa tim kako se nositi sa ovom traumom, ali kasnije shvaća da mora potražiti pomoć kako bi pronašla put ka izlječenju. Otvoreno raspravljanje o događajima iz prošlosti kako bi se pronašla utjeha i ozdravljenje još je jedan element koji sam želio prikazati, jer često postoji društvena stigma vezana za ovu vrstu traume. Htio sam čitateljima svog djela otvoriti put da kažu ‘znate šta možda to neću moći učiniti sam ili sama. Ako želim naći izlječenje, dalje napredovati i izgrađivati sebe, možda će mi usput trebati podrška i to je u redu.’ Ovo je još jedan dio odgovora na pitanje kako prevladati bol, gubitak i tugu. Ljudi se uvijek suočavaju sa značajnim izazovima – to je sigurno. Svaki od likova nailazi na prepreke, ali oni također pronalaze način ili su u procesu pronalaženja načina da se uzdignu iznad ovih izazova najbolje što mogu, shvaćajući da će se i dalje nastavljati suočavati sa traumom onoga što se dogodilo,” kaže Sher.  

Jordan Steven Sher je u toku svoje profesionalne karijere bio klinički socijalni radnik i srednjoškolski nastavnik. Kao što sam kaže, njegovo pisanje okrenuto je ka razumijevanju ljudskog duha, uključujući i sposobnost da drugome nanese veliku bol, ali i da pokaže nevjerovatan otpor i izdržljivost. Nova knjiga Jordana Shera bit će objavljena 1. novembra, a može se unaprijed poručiti na njegovoj web stranici: jordanstevensher.com. Također će biti dostupna na web stranici Atmosphere Press i svugdje gdje se knjige prodaju u SAD-u. Jordan Sher živi sa suprugom u Sjevernoj Kaliforniji, SAD.

And Still We Rise: A Novel about the Genocide in Bosnia

by Jordan Steven Sher

A deeply personal journey towards justice and truth 

“With my writing, I try to bring greater awareness and understanding of the Bosnian story in America for the many that are unfamiliar with it. I am not Bosnian myself, but I empathize deeply, finding great similarity with what happened in Bosnia to what could happen anywhere else, including the U.S,” says Sher, explaining his motivation to write aboutBosnian-Americans, their lives in the “new country” and the lives they left behind in BiH. Although interested in social justice in various capacities during his entire professional life, it was Trump’s anti-immigration policies, the rise of anti-immigrant sentiment in the US, together with his own family history and his wife’s immigrant background that inspired Sher to delve deeper into the life experiences of immigrants coming to America. “Throughout my career, I was always drawn to causes related to social justice. Around the time that Trump came to power in the United States and he began demonizing immigrants, it hardened my determination to do something about it, and writing was the way I wanted to do it.” My own grandparents came to the US as immigrants from Eastern Europe, escaping the pogroms against Jews, and my wife came here as a child with her parents from Italy. My wife’s family was very poor and looking for better economic and educational opportunities here.” The combination of these three factors led Jordan to write his first book based on interviews with immigrants from living in different parts of the US.

The immigrant experience in my community

Jordan Sher’s first book, “Our neighbors, their voices: true stories of immigrant exodus” included stories of people coming to the U.S. from Iran, Lebanon, Vietnam, India, Germany and other countries. “The common thread tying most of the immigrant stories is that people come here not because they want to leave their countries, but because they have to leave their countries. They come here to build better lives for themselves and their families and were certainly not here to murder, rape, and terrorize, as Trump’s rhetoric, or his travel ban on Muslims indicated,” Jordan explains. Among the people he interviewed were two women from BiH – Dina from Donji Vakuf and Mirela from a village close to Bosanski Novi. “Their stories just touched my heart. Perhaps this is because of my own history, of being Jewish and having family members who were killed in concentration camps in Germany and Poland during WWII. Listening to Dina’s and Mirela’s stories made me curious to learn more about Bosnia and what happened during the 1990s,” he adds. To deepen his knowledge, Jordan started interviewing more genocide survivors, who have emigrated to the U.S. from Bosnia and Herzegovina. “With intensive research and reading, I learned about the camps of Prijedor. I felt compelled to tell the stories of those who survived, and those who were lost there, which led me to write the book that is about to be released. A third book with those interviewed in the BiH diaspora in America is in the works, as well,” Jordan explains. 

Fighting genocide denial and emphasizing recovery 

And still we rise – A novel about the genocide in Bosnia”  is the title of Jordan’s forthcoming book, due for publication this fall with Atmosphere Press. The title carries the novel’s two most poignant messages: a strong stance against genocide denial and an emphasis on recovery after the occurrence of truly horrendous events. “I could not believe that genocide denial was still a reality in Bosnia and Herzegovina, even with all the documentary evidence widely available, with verdicts of the international criminal tribunal and countless eyewitness testimonies confirming that genocide actually happened. Coming to terms with the past and the reality of genocide, in parallel with looking to the future, which ultimately involves rebuilding, recovery and renewal, seems to be the way forward,” is Jordan’s reflection on the dual relation between the past and future reflected in the title of his novel. He often refers to the scholarly work of Genevieve Parent, who makes a similar point when elaborating on the retraumatizing effects of genocide denial on the victims and the need for proper acknowledgement of past atrocities as setting the foundations for a sustainable and durable peace. “The second part of the title re-affirms genocide, as the truthful description of what happened in Bosnia and Herzegovina during the war. The trauma of what happened is there and it will forever inform the lives of the victims. However, the first part of the title represents hope, the hope of moving beyond further victimization and still rising to a better future. Because, not only did the victims survive, but they continue to thrive,” he concludes. 

From Prijedor to Utica: One family’s journey of rediscovering meaning

The novel is based on real-life events from the spring of 1992 until the early 2000s, tracing the life trajectory of the Kovačević family. The opening scenes of the book take place in Prijedor, where the Kovačević’s are living a comfortable, middle-class life replete with family picnics, soccer tournaments and shared experiences with their Serb neighbors. They are jolted from the reality of their normal lives to the brutal campaign of ethnically cleansing the Prijedor area from its non-Serb citizens. The father, Elvir and their fifteen-year-old son Amir, are sent to the Omarska concentration camp, while Hajra, the mother, is imprisoned in Trnopolje, together with their two younger children, Halima and Danis. Elvir’s brother, Tarik is brutalized in Keraterm, transferred to Trnopolje, never to be seen again, after disappearing from the camp with many others. Once released from the camps, Elvir, Hajra, and their children eventually join Tarik’s bereaved wife, Merjem, and her children as refugees, first to Croatia, then Germany and later to the United States. The novel follows the story of the Kovačević family as they navigate the many obstacles they come across on their path as they try to find new meaning in their shattered lives, grieving their losses and placing roots in their newly created home. As Jordan elaborates, “recovery from horrible trauma and finding new hope is woven throughout the story. Hajra was raped in Trnopolje and obviously, this is a horrific experience. She wrestles with how to cope with the trauma for a long time, but later understands that she needs to seek counselling to find a path towards healing. Openly discussing events from the past in order to find solace and healing is another element I wanted to portray, as there is often social stigma around talking about this type of trauma. I wanted to give permission to the readers of my work to say ‘you know I may not be able to do this on my own. If I am to thrive, I might need some support along the way and it’s okay.’ This is another piece of answering the question of how to overcome pain, loss, and grief. People always run into significant challenges – that is for sure. Each one of the characters run into roadblocks, but they find a way, or are in the process of finding a way to rise above it as best they can, understanding that in varying degrees, they will be confronted by the trauma of what happened,” says Sher. 

Jordan Steven Sher – Jordan was a clinical social worker, and middle school teacher. His writing has been informed by an understanding of the human spirit including its capacity to do harm, but also for its ability to find resilience. His new book will be published on November 1, but it can be pre-ordered on his website: jordanstevensher.com. It will also be available on the Atmosphere Press website, and wherever books are sold. He lives with his wife in Northern California, USA.


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