It seems that Feđa Štukan will not be allowed into Serbia until the last citizen of Serbia learns and remembers who Feđa Štukan is. In that sense, I hope he doesn't stop trying to visit us.
Two or three years ago, I admit, I wouldn't necessarily have remembered who that man was either. An actor, now a writer, a soldier of the BiH Army in the nineties - unaccused of any war crimes - then a man with a history of being in the Institutions and a, as they say, colorful personality, one of those characters from the margins. This is neither good nor bad in itself, such people are the spice of the social scene. Sometimes angry, stubborn, unpleasant to many.
Anyway, Štukan used to be around Serbia, he published a book which, as far as I know, is more or less a bestseller; he appeared in public with opinions and attitudes that are peculiar and honorable, and everything is that for someone they are not like that - they are his and nowhere is it written that he has no right to them and to their expression, just as it is not written anywhere that non-citizens and non-citizens have the right to of the Republic of Serbia, the freedom of speech is restricted in any way while they are in Serbia, or that they must not harass the local nobles and lords, lest they be offended and forbid their future entry into your fiefdom.
And then last year, Štukan was banned from entering Serbia, unofficially, nothing black and white, with the explanation that he was assessed as a security risk for the Republic of Serbia. It would be ridiculous - if Štukan gathered a hundred more Štukan and came to the border together, they would not be able to pose a danger even for the Principality of Liechtenstein while it is on collective annual vacation - if it did not set a dangerous and toxic precedent, an exemplary expulsion of the "linguistic intruder".
A little was written about it, not that it wasn't, but nothing actually happened that would in any way disturb and shake the so-called. mode. And so these days, Štukan arrived again at the most famous airport in Srem, only to be detained there again and packed on the next plane to Sarajevo. By the way, Štukan was supposed to be a guest at the "Crocodile" literary festival. It was a long time ago when the Electric Orgasm sang The crocodiles are coming, but here it is no longer a question of whether the crocodiles are coming - they have come a long time ago, but whether we, the crocodile hostages, can still come at all.
Somewhere at the latest at this point, some Wise One always comes forward to teach us that it is the inalienable right of every state to let or not let any foreign citizen into its territory. That's true, but not entirely true. Namely, many democratic countries use this right extremely restrictively, especially when it comes to the attitude towards the citizens of the countries with which they have a free visa regime. In theory, it can e.g. America should detain any Briton, but certainly not because he, in his capacity as a "public figure", spoke "ugly" about the American president or criticized American foreign policy, or said that American Budweiser is scum and not beer. If the latter were not the case, John Oliver would never have set foot in the USA, let alone received American citizenship...
It will be said: artists and intellectuals are not, in principle, restricted in their movement because it is impossible for it to look like censorship, because it is censorship, no matter how it is disguised. And maybe something worse, if there is anything worse than censorship? Let's say personal pride, spite, arrogance, thuggery and the simpleton of power without real limits. According to Štukan, what does this palanquin lifestyle most resemble? Which by the way also acts as a trial balloon: if it goes with him without much fuss, why not hit bigger pike? Some writers from the so-called regions have already had mysterious inconveniences at the border, in the most classic GDR style. Quite strange for a country whose dignitary carries a flower on Stalin's grave.
Well, but can anything be done about it other than some columnist nagging? Of course he can. Here is a very specific proposal. Why shouldn't every art association, academic institution, theater, festival, etc., ask their future guests from all over the world to kindly ask the local authorities about the fate of Feđa Štukan? Whether in the form of an ever-growing petition or something else, remains to be discussed.
And we can continue to be silent and pretend to be dead. Only, as the wise saying of the Nyuru people of Celebes says: "If you play dead long enough, at some point you will start playing alive". But for a reason, no one will believe you anymore.
Bydway, if "ugly words and actions", and especially (this time real) "danger to public peace and security" were a real reason for ostracism towards a citizen, then we have one here who will never cross a state border again in his life he wouldn't be able to cross, even in a trunk like Gruevski. You yourself know his name... Ugh, well, I was so glad that I lasted the whole column without mentioning his name!
