<http://www.jutarnji.hr/> Jutarnji List 29.09.09 (Croatia)
The Croatian daily newspaper, Jutarnji List, published an open letter to <http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/bbozanic.html> Cardinal Bozanic from the former head of the Jewish community in Zagreb, Slavko Goldstein. The letter contained praise for the cardinal's recent memorial visit to the <http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/article.php?ModuleId=10005449> Jasenovac concentration camp, which operated under the collaborationist Ustashe government of independent Croatia during WWII: Goldstein stated that this gesture "is perhaps the best way to counterbalance the indifference of the church towards the victims of Jasenovac that has lasted for too many decades." However, Goldstein objected to references in the cardinal's sermon to the equality of "victimhood" due to those soldiers of the pro-fascist forces killed at the end of the war (namely at Bleiburg) insisting on the fundamental difference between state-backed genocide and war crimes of revenge: "With that I would like to say that among the victims of Bleiburg and 'the way of the cross' [round up and march of pro-fascist forces across Yugoslavia by Tito's partisans at the end of WW II] there were not many innocent people." His comments highlight the continuing polemic in Croatian society between the political left and right and the ideological battle to write the definitive version of Croatia's recent history. It comes at a time when President Mesic has been involved in heavy public criticism of the role of the church in Croatian politics, which has in turn provoked angry reaction from some quarters of the local clergy. http://www.signandsight.com/features/1941.html
