The capital of Bosnia-Herzegovina has held its first ever gay pride event amid heavy security. The event was dubbed "Ima Izac!," which roughly translates as "Coming out."
Image: picture alliance/AP Photo/D. Bandic
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Hundreds of people in Sarajevo on Sunday defied threats of violence to march, sing and wave rainbow flags in the first gay pride event in the predominately Muslim city, with about 1,000 police officers deployed along the parade route.
Bosnia is the last of the countries of former Yugoslavia to hold a pride event. Many lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people, along with their families and friends, hope the event will help put an end to discrimination against LGBT people in the city.
Lejla Huremagic, who helped organize the event, said its message was one of solidarity and support for a society without the violence and discrimination that she said LGBT people face in Bosnia.
"If there was no violence I wouldn't be here today," she said in a speech. "This gives us strength and faith that prejudice against us will start to wane and that it will become better for all of us."
Refugees in Greece concerned about state of EU
Thousands of refugees and migrants make a new start in the EU every year. After the recent European elections, Marianna Karakoulaki spoke to some of those who have made Greece their home about the problems they see.
Image: DW/Marianna Karakoulaki
'There is no life for LGBT refugees'
Pedro, an actor and LGBT activist, fled Lebanon due to safety concerns. He doesn’t see much hope in Greece. "I left because Lebanon was not safe for me as an LGBT and [being] HIV positive. But Greece isn’t much different," he told DW. But his biggest concern is the future: "Even if I get asylum in Greece life will not be good, because there are no jobs, the language is difficult."
Image: DW/Marianna Karakoulaki
Fighting for their rights
Manar fled Syria in 2016 and now learns Greek and works as an interpreter with the Greek NGO Solidarity Now. "In Greece you have to count on yourself to support yourself and your family," she told DW. "If I look at the future of the Greek children, I can't find a very bright future for them so for sure I can't find any future for mine."
Image: DW/Marianna Karakoulaki
Combating nationalism and climate crisis
Foivos has been in Greece since the 1980s when he fled the Syrian regime and came to study law. He now works as an interpreter at the Refugee Day Center Alkyone, and was a candidate in Thessaloniki's local elections. "The two biggest issues that Europe has to face now is the rise of nationalism and climate change," he told DW. "Poverty and misery leads to nationalism."
Image: DW/Marianna Karakoulaki
A Europe for everyone
Since Suhaib fled Iraqi Kurdistan 18 months ago, he has been active in volunteer groups as a way to give something back to those who first helped him. "Fascists in the past killed millions, but after World War II Europeans volunteered in order to rebuild Europe," he says. "My message for European leaders would be to try to make a Europe for everyone."
Image: DW/Marianna Karakoulaki
Losing its meaning
Fahima from Afghanistan has been in Greece since 2004, and now works as an interpreter for the Refugee Day Center Alkyone. Her biggest fear is the rise of fascism. "During the Greek government of 2012-2014 fascists became stronger. For this reason we had to leave Athens," she said. "Things in Europe will become worse from now on because of the far right. It now seems to be losing its meaning."
Image: DW/Marianna Karakoulaki
Uncertain future
Malaz (not his real name) came to Greece in 2016 with his family. His sons started speaking Greek soon after they arrived, so they decided to stay in the country. "I am afraid of the rise of the far right," he told DW. "Things will become very difficult for Greece. If the EU wants to help refugees they should create jobs and offer education."
Image: DW/Marianna Karakoulaki
EU is not doing enough
Bagher, who works as an assistant kindergarten facilitator, arrived in Greece in 2015 and was stuck in the country due to the EU's policies. "In the beginning Greece was a door but people got stuck here," he said. "But people need jobs and housing. Greeks don't even have jobs, how will we?" Even though Bagher remains optimistic, he doesn't think the EU is willing to help refugees.
Image: DW/Marianna Karakoulaki
Europe's societies at risk
Mojtaba has been in Greece for over three years. He's currently at a Greek school and dreams of becoming a footballer or a dentist. He sees the rise of fascism as one of Europe's biggest problems, but not the only one. "Right-wing parties rise and this is not good for societies," he said. "The extreme right will destroy the face of Europe."
Image: DW/Marianna Karakoulaki
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Values test
Ambassadors from the US and other Western countries took part in the march. The event has been seen as a test of whether the country can embrace values that could enable the membership in the European Union to which it aspires.
Two days before the event, the Council of Europe's commissioner for human rights called on Bosnian authorities to ensure the march could take place in safety.
No violent incidents were reported connected with the march. Two queer events in Sarajevo have come under attack from extremists and hooligans in the past.
About 1,000 police officers were deployed along Sunday's parade route Image: picture alliance/AP Photo/D. Bandic
Counterprotests
About a mile from the parade route, dozens of followers of a conservative Islamic group earlier held a rally against Sunday's event. They described the pride march as a "sin" and "humiliation" for Sarajevo.
Another protesting group — the Svjetlost (Light) — called on people to rally against "un-values propagated by the LGBT community.
The event's message is one of solidarity and support for a society without violence and discriminationImage: picture alliance/AP Photo/D. Bandic
Bosnia is a deeply conservative country where Muslim Bosniaks, Orthodox Serbs and Catholic Croats maintain an uneasy peace, 24 years after Yugoslavia's civil war ended with an effective partition of Bosnia along ethnic lines.
LGBT people in Bosnia complain about widespread harassment and attacks that are rarely prosecuted.
