Comments and discussion on the resolution "Between Men"

- Mika

Mikael Book  *  Katto-Meny  *  Tallbergink 1/39  *  FIN-00180 Helsinki
book@kaapeli.fi * Phone +358-0-6947730 * Fax +358-0-6933219 (att Mika) 

From: rapido@eskimo.com (Y Rapido)
Newsgroups: 
soc.culture.bosna-herzgvna
Subject: Re: Between Men -- The resolution
Date: Fri,
1 Sep 1995 15:02:53 GMT
Organization: Eskimo North (206) For-Ever
Message-ID: 
<DE8F4u.C25@eskimo.com>
References: <424iqe$c9v@idefix.eunet.fi>

Mikael Book 
(book@katto.kaapeli.fi) wrote:

:    
: Between Men

:    During the past three years we have to our great dismay learned of
:    systematic violence and cruelty towards unarmed women and girls in the
:    war-disrupted areas of former Yugoslavia. To our knowledge all
:    fighting parties have committed such crimes, some more than others. We
:    also know that men and boys fit for military service but without arms,
:    and old people and children, too, have been murdered. While all
:    cruelty and unnecessary violence is condemnable, the maltreatment of
:    women in connection with this war has been particularly disgusting.
:    The rapists can never be regarded as men, but cowards.
:    We shall do what we can to deliver this message to as many of the
:    people concerned as possible.
:    
:      sign. "The men of Europe"
:      
rap:  This is a carefully disguised pro-Serb propaganda.  If it is not 
propaganda, than it is stupidity and insult.  First and foremost, the 
violence of rape towards women and children has been commited by SERB 
Nazis, as a part of their well prepared, well organized and thoroughly 
executed strategy.  There are NO "all sides did some crimes, some more 
than others", here, because the numbers, the documentation and the 
independent confirmation name Serbs as the one side that engaged in such 
systematic rape campaign, with number of victims rising to tens of 
thousands of Bosnian Muslim women and children.  Serbs also commited such 
acts of cannibalism as cutting off genitalia, body parts, snuffing 
(murder after rape, or murder taped on video!) ... etc.  

Bosnian Government never planned, encouraged nor in effect commited any 
acts of violence against population of Bosnia, loyal or not loyal to the 
legitimate Government in Sarajevo.  Any such case on single violence can 
be attributed to one or couple INDIVIDUALS, who were beyond control or 
command by their superiors.  Even as such, those numbers are a tiny 
portion of overall number of criminal acts committed by Serb/Yugoslav 
army and militias, as planned in headquarters in Belgrade even during 1980's.

So, to cut a long story short, such declarations are intentional or 
non-intentional attempts towards a "whitewash" and deliberate 
equalisation of victim and criminal, in final goal of muddying up the 
issue and accusing the victim of the same crime as the criminal.  Dirty, 
dirty job here afoot ....

From news.eunet.fi!katto.kaapeli.fi!book Sat Sep 16 17:50:44 1995
Path: news.eunet.fi!katto.kaapeli.fi!book
From: book@katto.kaapeli.fi (Mikael Book)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.bosna-herzgvna
Subject: Re: Between Men -- The resolution
Date: 16 Sep 1995 14:48:54 GMT
Organization: Kaapelisolmu, Cable Factory, Helsinki, Finland
Lines: 47
Message-ID: <43eo4m$8f@idefix.eunet.fi>
NNTP-Posting-Host: hel.fi
X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.2 PL2]

As two of those responsible for the formulation of the text of
the "Between Men" resolution we must answer to the Bosnian 
Muslim friend who condemned our resolution as being either 
pro-Serb propaganda or just stupid and insulting towards the 
other fighting parties, especially the Muslims.

You say you do not accept the words: "To our knowledge all 
fighting parties have committed such crimes, some more than 
others." You say that, in reality, ONLY the Serbs have 
committed mass rape and even worse crimes.

Naturally, we do not know anything absolutely for sure, but we 
think we have received reports and evidence enough to presume 
that none of the fighting parties stands beyond blame. And 
therefore, we have made this wording exactly in order to avoid 
being easily dismissed as JUST making anti-Serb horror 
propaganda. But the rest of the sentence ("some more than 
others") quite clearly refers to the extraordinary sinister 
record of the Serbs. We couldn't believe that anybody would 
have missed our point. At the same time we also intend to 
express our resolve to find out the whole truth when it 
becomes possible.

Most important of all: the basic aim of this resolution of 
ours is NOT to attack or support , even less whitewash, any 
of the fighting parties or ethnic groups as such -- but to 
defend ANY women and girls against male cruelty and reckless 
maltreatment. We consider this our most urgent 
responsibility.

ALL crimes must be examined and judged. Agreed?

                   Ville Komsi, Mikael Book
                   Helsinki / Finland

                   fax +358-0-318421 (Ville Komsi)
                   email: book@kaapeli.fi (Mikael Book)


Note: The resolution, a form where you can sign it, a list of 
the previous signatures, and excerpts from the discussion 
around the resolution  (including the above mentioned
reaction by Y Rapido) can all be accessed at the World Wide 
Web site: 
             http://www.kaapeli.fi/mentomen/