Bosnian War survivors empathize with Syrian baby Karim

By Talha Ozturk

BELGRADE, Serbia (AA) - Mothers of Srebrenica genocide victims on Wednesday expressed their solidarity with a two-month-old baby who lost his mother in a Syrian regime attack and the people of the Eastern Ghouta suburb of Damascus.

Karim, who lost his left eye last month in the besieged Eastern Ghouta suburb, on the outskirts of the Syrian capital, has become a symbol of resistance to Bashar al-Assad's regime.

The vice president of the Mothers of the Srebrenica and Zepa Enclaves group, Kada Hotic, called on the world to help all mothers.

"I beg the world, help all mothers. Syria is a big country and the loss there is even bigger. Every tragedy and pain is the same for all mothers," said Hotic.

"Let's save the people we can save," Hotic said, her message to the world.

Podrinje and Bratunac Women's Association President Suhra Sinanovic said Bosnian war survivors could empathy with the Syrian people.

Sinanovic is a mother who lost 23 family members, including her husband, during the Srebrenica genocide in 1995.

"I am afraid and sorry for the every single one of them in Syria. I feel Karim as my own child," Sinanovic said. "This child will no longer know what the mother's love is; I have two children and they do not know what the father's love is. I can put myself in their place," Sinanovic said.

Eastern Ghouta has remained under siege by Syrian regime forces since late 2012.

The ongoing blockade has left the district’s roughly 400,000 residents struggling with malnutrition and has paralyzed local healthcare facilities.

Meanwhile, an outpour of support for Karim was seen on social media.

Twitter users across the world posted their pictures with their hand clasping their left eye shut. “#BabyKarim I see you” and "#EasternGhouta siege must end,” became a Twitter trend on Monday.