SARAJEVO, Bosnia (August 19,2008) - The non-governmental organization of the Croatians living in Bosnia "the Croatia Libertas NGO" stated yesterday that the decision to paint the sidewalks green in the Bosnian capital Sarajevo is "a pure provocation".“This is a message of intolerance and a perfidious scene of 'ethnic cleansing' that was preconceived by Bosnians as a way to drive away people of other ethnicities and religions living in Sarajevo,” said NGO President Leo Pločkinić.
Pločkinić said that nowhere in the world were streets and sidewalks painted green,the color traditionally linked with Islam,not even in Tehran.
Bosnian workers painting sidewalks green in Sarajevo
“It is clear that Sarajevo wants to be a greater Tehran than the capital city of the Islamic Republic of Iran itself,” Pločkinić surmised.
Sarajevo Mayor Semiha Borovac said that painting the sidewalks and streets green is good for the city, simply because the city lacked greenery.
However,Miro Lazović,one of the leaders of the Bosnian Social-Democratic Union, said that this should not be regarded as provocation, and that the move has been misinterpreted.
“The green sidewalks were meant to mark the 14th Sarajevo Film Festival, and in that context I believe that those who draw some other connotations from the green sidewalks have a political agenda of their own,” he said.
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