Picture a nonagenarian woman standing her ground against the weight of the world. That's Fata Orlović, a Bosnian Muslim and a symbol of resilience, who took matters into her own hands when the post-war landscape of Bosnia and Herzegovina presented an overreach into her family land. When, in the chaotic wake of the Bosnian War, a Serbian Orthodox Church was built unlawfully on her property in the village of Konjević Polje, Fata stood up not just for herself, but for the idea of individual rights. This tale is not just about religion, land rights, or nationalism; it's about the broader struggle against the might being mistaken for right.
While liberals might label this as a case of religious intolerance, they miss the point. It's not about religion; it's about ownership, justice, and the principle of having what’s yours returned. After the Dayton Peace Agreement redefined the borders, Fata and her family returned to find a church brazenly struck in the middle of her land. From 2000, she relentlessly pursued legal justice through the courts, seeking the relocation of the church that stood as an unwelcome neighbor for over 20 years. Her struggle is nothing short of heroic, one woman's pursuit of justice in a system ordered to weigh more heavily towards the powerful.
At the European Court of Human Rights, her steadfastness bore fruit when, in 2019, it was ruled that Bosnia and Herzegovina must remove the church and compensate Fata for the violation of her property rights. Any attempt to depict this struggle as petty or insignificant is an affront to the notion of personal rights and justice—the very values western society loves to trumpet.
Fata Orlović's story is a litmus test for conservative values—a David versus Goliath tale where the little guy faces overwhelmingly stacked odds yet fights on. Those on the left often preach the importance of social justice but seem curiously silent when it comes to celebrating stories like Fata's. Perhaps it’s because it doesn’t fit neatly within their prescribed narrative of victimhood and oppression? Fata, with her indomitable spirit, fought against genuine oppression, not the imagined slights and grievances often claimed by liberal elites.
For years, Fata tolerated the disregard of her rightful ownership. Her endeavor was long and arduous, meeting bureaucratic thorns at every turn, yet she pressed on. With her nonconformist spirit, she rallied widespread attention to her cause, turning her private battle into a national issue demanding clarity and justice.
The removal of the church was delayed time and again, sparking debates around religious persecution. Yet, how could reclaiming rightful land be persecution? This wasn’t an act against a religion; it was an act for justice—justice that transcends creed and color. The real persecution here was the decades-long denial of basic rights to a woman from whom property was wrongfully taken.
As a torchbearer of resolve, Fata did not falter in personifying the strength and tenacity required to prosper in less-than-ideal circumstances. Her success is a hallmark of conservative triumph, a victory achieved by sticking to relentless determination, method, and rules, not by bending them around one's whims.
It's imperative to look beyond the more sensationalistic portrayals and see the heart of what was at stake: a personal fight for property rights, justice, and fairness. Fata's bold actions reaffirm that property rights are sacred and unalienable. This triumph wasn't just for her; it was for all who value justice over coercion, irrespective of how the powers operate in transformed political environments.
Her journey also underscores the critical importance of juridical processes facilitating individual right claims in post-conflict territories where justice and land ownership might otherwise be swallowed whole by collective political agendas. It highlights the conservative principle that the law should protect the rights of the individual over the willful domination of the mighty.
Fata Orlović, now a beacon of persistent activism, leaves us a vital lesson: Every property should be safeguarded against unwarranted incursions. Her narrative is one of triumphing against pronounced adversities—a reverberating call to holding onto what's dear amidst a tide of change. Let us recognize and champion such conservative ideals that ultimately enshrine the sovereignty of individuals over arbitrary encroachments.