Rolling Stones Contribute to World Peace

Never underestimate the power of the Stones.

Croats, Muslims unite for Rolling Stones concert

BELGRADE, Serbia-Montenegro, Jul. 16, 2007 (IPS/GIN) -- Belgrade and a northern Serbian city called Novi Sad became multiethnic centers during the past five days, while hosting the EXIT music festival and a Rolling Stones concert. . .

The disintegration of former Yugoslavia 16 years ago did not mean just the bloody wars that took at least 100,000 lives. It meant also the cutting of all ties between the former republics, including direct telephone lines. A ban on travel was also imposed. Suspicion, fear and hatred prevailed for years, but relations improved after 2000 with the departure of the leaders who led the fighting. . .

Trajan Ionescu, 25, from Romania and Stojan Bordzev, 22, from Bulgaria shared a tent with two young Englishmen who introduced themselves simply as "Rory and Adrian from Oxford." Rory and Adrian were expecting their friends from New Zealand, as well. . .

The concert of the rock legends Saturday evening brought the mix to Belgrade. Crowds of Bosniaks, Croats, Slovenes and Macedonians started roaming the streets of their once-single capital in the early hours on Saturday.

"This is something I never thought I'd do," said Senad Smajcevic, 46, from the Bosnian capital of Sarajevo. Senad survived the savage three-and-a-half-year siege of his hometown under Bosnian Serbs in the 1990s.

"Belgrade was the word I hated most for years. But I gave up when I heard the Stones are coming over."