After five years of legal fighting, the International Criminal Tribunal in The Hague has convicted Radovan Karadžić of 10 of the 11 war crimes he was charged with. He got a 40 year sentence.
Wait. What? Forty years? For the massacre of somewhere between 6,000 to 8,000 men and boys in his efforts to ethnically cleanse the Balkans? Sure, he'll die in prison. But even a token sentencing of 6,000 years of prison would feel more appropriate.
You won't find this on CNN today, or much of anywhere. The Guardian carried the article below, but it was one of the few outlets that did. The media has a short-term memory problem.
Today is hugely significant, as it took five years and the research of thousands and testimony of hundreds to both catch him and convict him. People who knew better than to forget the horrors he imposed on humankind kept the investigation moving forward.
The story of his manhunt is found in Julian Borger's new book, The Butcher's Trail: The Secret History of the Balkan Manhunt for Europe's Most-Wanted War Criminals. Borger works for the Guardian as well, and lends his gravitas to the novel-like story of the investigation of three of the worst war criminals in our time. Ratko Mladic, Slobodan Milosevic, and Karadzic all participated in the brutality unforgotten by citizens of the the region.
Milosevic's lawyer was quoted in the book, "I thought [to] myself that Milosevic, Karadzic, and Mladic should all have committed suicide. They would have gone into history. Thousands of people died for them, and if you are sending people's children to their death, you should know how to leave yourself" (Borger 223).
A startling fact was relayed in the foreword: "Two civilians were killed for every three soldiers who died in battle. The whole conflict was characterized by random brutality. Psychopaths were made masters of the life and death or their former neighbors" (Borger xxv).
From the Guardian, source beneath:----------------------------------
Number of dead or disappeared by ethnicity in the 1992-95 Bosnian war
It's on this basis that the novel The Reluctant Mullah makes its case. In it, Musa has just thirty days to find a wife that he actually likes, or else he's stuck with the one chosen for him. He fears who will be selected for him, as it goes against every romantic bone in his body. Thus, he begins searching on his own. It's not simple, as Muslim tradition makes getting to know any woman a near impossibility. He's aided (and thwarted) by friends more bent on the humor of the situation than by real concern for his future.
Musa himself is intriguing. Besides his romantic nature, he has a sense of humor not expected from a Westerner's perspective. For example, he sings Sinatra music, "My Way", but changes the words: "And now the end is near, and so I face the final cousin. My friend, I'll say it clear. I'll state my case of which I'm certain. I've been to muslimbrides, I've travelled to each fa-mi-ly. But more, much more than this, I did it my way." It's his irreverance mixed with a shocking amount of modern humor that makes him an extremely likable character.
The novel makes a fascinating read because it discusses Muslim culture without delving into political or religious polarities. Instead, it focuses on the social life and complications of people dealing with both tradition and outside influence, all in a modern world. I appreciated that the women in the story do not appear to be slavish nor repressed, but rather amusing and sassy and quite capable of taking care of themselves. In fact, what surprised me most was how close family ties were, especially with aunts and uncles all concerned and involved in each other's lives. Sure, Musa finds it a bit obnoxious as he seeks true love, but the unity and reliability on each other is inspiring.
In all, this was an amusing novel that still had a share of deeper complexities. Because, despite the humor and ridiculous situations that Musa finds himself in, a darker side of tradition will still assail him. He finds love, but he finds heartbreak as well. This is what makes the novel both timeless and appropriate for anyone: affairs of the heart know no national, political, or religious boundaries.
Special thanks to Martine of Halban Publishers, UK for the review copy.
