“I simply realized that definitions do not exist, you either love your country or you don’t. You either feel it as your own country or you don’t…I think that in this country the most important thing is to be a citizen, to contribute, to educate yourself, and I was happy to be one of the 3% that had read the Agreement. Not only did I read it, but I studied it as well… I proudly posted on Facebook that as a lawyer I am at the disposal of everyone who has not read it, to clarify the controversial article 7, and I expected a debate to unfold…but the debate was going in the direction that I am not a Macedonian and I have no right to talk about Macedonia…simply, that I had no right to decide for Macedonia because I am not Macedonian, these are patriotic feelings, this is a patriotic decision, and this does not belong to me as a person of another ethnicity…” stated Mersiha Smailovik at today’s panel discussion “Patriotism – yes! Nationalism – no!”, organized by CIVIL – Center for Freedom.

She added that as a member of the Bosniak community, they told her she has no right to decide, that she is a traitor, has come as a refugee, because she works with refugees.

“It was interesting when representatives of our community in the Parliament came out with the standpoint against boycotting and were met with an applause: Now these are true Bosniaks. Nevertheless, we can have suitable and not suitable Bosniaks… October first will arrive and we will have to look each other in the eye and say let’s continue to live now…I think it will be difficult” stated Smailovik

Biljana Jordanovska
Camera: Dehran Muratov