Let’s remember a bit of history: When the High Representative removed the old flag and imposed a new one (because Croats and Serbs, through Parliament, blocked the election of any new flag), it did not take long for it to truly come alive among Bosniaks, not only as a state flag but also as a national one, while the old flag fell into the background and, for a time, even into slight oblivion. Therefore, there was a period when the new flag prevailed among Bosniaks, which was especially visible at sports and cultural events. Of course, the old flag still appeared, but in much smaller numbers. This remained the case until around 2013/14, when the situation slowly but surely began to change.

How did Croats and Serbs react to the new flag? Extremely negatively, to the point that I do not even know where to begin. They literally refused to hang it on institutions, especially where they dominate. The more radical parts of those peoples often insulted and attacked Bosniaks because of it, and even those who were not radical looked negatively upon those carrying it. In other words, from the very beginning they rejected the new flag and associated it with Bosniaks. A lot of time passed before Croats and Serbs (though somewhat more Croats) began to use it, but exclusively for institutional and state purposes, and even that could be inconsistent and still is because sometimes it is present and sometimes it is not. In short, politics accepted it because it had to, while the people did not because they did not have to. Without even looking for reasons why, the very fact that they viewed accepting it as a choice rather than something natural and logical, which would be expected of them, tells us everything we need to know. They themselves defined their relationship toward Bosnia and Herzegovina, not us. We did not take lilies and stars away from them; they themselves abandoned them and left them to us. We did not nationalize our historical Bosnian territorial-national name “Bosniak” in order to take it away from them; they abandoned it and left it to us. We did not tie Bosnia and Herzegovina to ourselves; they abandoned it and left it to us, at least in an identity and emotional sense, while keeping their political rights. Unable to accept that fact, they construct false narratives to justify their behavior and attack us for various reasons. Bosnia and Herzegovina may be their homeland, but their hearts still beat for Croatia and Serbia because they tied themselves to those two countries and peoples long ago, which makes this state merely a homeland on paper for them, something secondary at best. Honor to the brave exceptions.

Now, back to the flags. The primary reason for the increasing rejection of the new flag and return to the old one by the Bosniak people is the realization that the new flag did not justify the reason for replacing the old one. The idea behind the new flag failed. The symbolism and meanings, over time, from the Bosniak national perspective, became irrelevant because whichever flag we waved, our neighbors would view them almost the same. Perhaps Bosniaks from Bosniak-majority areas do not see it that way, but ask any Bosniak from a mixed area or a place where we are a minority and you will see what people tell you. Neither Croats nor Serbs can be persuaded or forced. Hand on heart, perhaps not even irritated anymore, considering that the lilies genuinely bother them much more. We Bosniaks truly hoped that by accepting the new flag we could maintain a sense of identification with this state completely, together with our neighbors. Not through some common national identity, but purely a state one, perhaps also a cultural-national one, without political dimensions. Unfortunately, after 30 years it turned out that despite using the new flag we remained alone, only a third of the population, just as when we used or use the old flag. My neighbors were just as indifferent or opposed to Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2014 as they are today. The only thing that changed is public expression against the state, while what they hold inside has remained almost the same. Again, honor to the exceptions.

Since that is the case, what is the point of using something we accepted in the hope that it could be different? We would rather use what we truly want and love because if we are alone, we will be alone in our own way. The very fact that we think this way tells us that we are organically beginning to reject what we no longer believe in, without rejecting what is at the center of that belief — Bosnia and Herzegovina. What we are seeing today around the national team is merely a symptom of a kind of Bosniak national awakening caused by everything that has happened since the end of the war until today, of which the previously mentioned rejection is a constituent part. This can no longer be stopped and has become a trend (for example, people take flags with lilies and remove the stars because they feel something they cannot describe), and what it will lead to remains to be seen. This qualification has definitely only inflamed national emotions and accelerated the process.

However, one thing is now certain: Croats and Serbs missed their opportunity to build Bosnia and Herzegovina with us the way it should have been built after the war because it is now more than obvious that the Bosniak people no longer wish to adapt to either side for the sake of common unity and the common good. Want proof? Just look at Bosniak celebrations regarding playoff matches and qualification campaigns and look at the flags in the stands during matches. Therefore, dear neighbors, do you want to support Bosnia and Herzegovina together with us? Adapt to us, or feel free to watch from the sidelines. We Bosniaks may be a political third in this state, but we will never accept identifying with it in the way you want and demand from us, and sometimes condition us, and more often threaten us: “because, you know, maybe there will no longer be this state if you Bosniaks are like this, if you do not do this or that,” etc. Irrelevant. We will cheer the way we want and wave the flags we want. For you, the lilies may be an ethnically Bosniak symbol, but for us they are not, and we will behave according to our own values, opinions, and wishes, not yours. You never had and do not have understanding for us; neither will we have it for you, end of story. Think what you want and be as angry as you want; it absolutely no longer concerns me, nor most Bosniaks today.

I am sorry that I have to write this this way only because of those Croats and Serbs who are with us.