I fear for the health of the people in BiH.
If the Bosnians and Herzegovinans do not understand that they have to change this system of governing them, they will move further into a situation from which it is very difficult to get out.
Today we are talking to a famous doctor from Arizona who was born in Počitelj. It is about Mr. Esad Boškail. I have never met anyone from Počitelje. You are the first person...
- Yes, I come from that beautiful old town, and I lived there until 1994. During the war, I spent over a year in the camps in Herzegovina. Then I moved to America, where I continued my education, life, and schooling, and currently work as a professor at the Medical School in Arizona.
How often do you come to Bosnia and Herzegovina?
- Every year.
You haven't lost your accent?
- Well, maybe a little. We speak Bosnian at home. I love to write and read. I love the language and our literature, so when I come to BiH, one of my tasks is not to mix the two languages. When I speak Bosnian, I speak Bosnian. When I speak English, I speak English.
Was it difficult for you to get used to life in America after the years you spent in Bosnia and Herzegovina and everything you said happened?
- If I went to try something, to make something in my life, it would probably be more difficult for me. I left because I had to. I am an exile, and in that situation when a person has to do something, anything is possible. It was difficult, of course. It was doable. I don't regret it sometimes. One part of my life was a process that continued, which I wanted...
Now you have just confirmed what they say about you: incredibly positive regardless of everything...
-Well, it is, because one of the main elements in the process of what a man should do is the decision to do it. Motive. Our motive was strong. They took everything away from us, and then that motive was abnormally strong, which gave us the strength to succeed. The latter was Bosnian spite. We wanted to create something that was taken from us, to get it back, to show that we are nice people who can achieve a lot if the conditions are created for them.
You say we wanted to. And have we managed to create such an image of ourselves in the world?
- We are. In every American state, there are unusually successful people from Bosnia and Herzegovina. Professionals in culture, private businesses, politics, art, sports... No city in America is not marked by Bosnians.
Do you socialize with Bosnians and Herzegovinans in America?
- Of course, we hang out privately, through various events. I often travel to Bosnian communities on invitations to give lectures. I usually like to talk about health; I like to give lectures on psychology. To help people who are still struggling. Then we have Statehood Day, Independence Day, and Bosniak Days in North America. So we see each other very often.
You are well organized
- I mean those gatherings within Bosnian and Herzegovina circles. How much free time can one man have in America? - It can. We are busy, but it's about motivation. I think that in our culture it is a decision that you want to do something. Without that decision, there is nothing that man can do. I want to do it; I can try it, and then I will do it. If you sit and do nothing, there are no results.
Since you haven't lived here for a long time, but you come regularly, I'm wondering how much we've changed in the past ten to 15 years. Do you see changes, and what do we need to work on more intensively?
I see changes. There are shackles of the socio-political system that do not allow young people to express the opportunities that were given to them by birth, science, learning, and commitment. They don't let them. And for that one society, if something does not change in this system, it will not be good. I'm not talking about possible riots and conflicts. It won't be good for people's minds. People here are in a situation called "learned helplessness." This is best explained by a test with animals that were put in a cage; shocked, they tried to escape. Shocked by the electricity again, they tried the same but could not because they were locked. On the fourth day, the cage was completely opened, and the shocked animal was lying down. So, that is the current state of Bosnia and Herzegovina. This is why people do not participate in the necessary changes because they think that nothing can be changed. Everything that is made can be changed. If it doesn't work, it has to change. If the Bosnians and Herzegovinans do not understand that they have to change this system of governing them, they will move further into a situation from which it is very difficult to get out. The consequences of such a stressful society are reflected and will be reflected in physical health. Therefore, any stress - this is already my science - must, if not resolved, cause changes in physical health. Most often there is high blood pressure, arthritis, inflammation of the joints, and immune and heart diseases.
I'm afraid of that. So we have to wake up.
Thank you for your time.
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