Muhamed O. TASLAMAN

MUHAMED TASLAMAN called HAMA and BEG, son of OMER, born on July 20, 1920, in Mostar, carpenter, member of the League of Communist Youth of Yugoslavia (SKOJ) since 1940, and the Communist Party of Yugoslavia (KPJ) since 1941. Arrested after the September demonstrations in Mostar in 1940. Joined the Battalion in September 1941 as a fighter and killed in Bijela near Konjic in June 1942 during the Chetnik coup.

EXCERPTS FROM LITERATURE:

Anticipating an attack, the partisans held a meeting:

“At the beginning of June, a party meeting was held in the squad’s economic unit. The meeting sparked a heated debate about the situation within the squad. We presented the facts that the political situation was not good, that there were divisions and groupings originating from the locals. Hama Taslaman, a carpenter, always spoke frankly, openly, without hesitation to express even the harshest words. Stevan Andrić (leader of the conspiracy) claimed that the situation within the squad was not as bad as some comrades were portraying it. At that moment, Hama Taslaman opposed Andrić. I remember that at one point, he got heated and said, ‘Comrades, I don’t trust the majority of our squad, and the situation is such that I would post a guard against our own squad while we hold this meeting.’ This further intensified the discussion, which concluded with the understanding that mutual distrust and suspicion among fighters must be overcome, and good interpersonal relationships must be fostered, especially among worker fighters, students, and peasants (…)”

Regarding the death of Muhamed Taslaman a few days later, the following was recorded:

“On the night of June 14/15, after the concluded gathering, the Chetniks executed their prepared plan and initiated the coup after midnight. First, they disarmed our fighters at the positions and killed them silently with knives to avoid raising an alarm at the school. Thanks to their scattered presence in the forest, around ten comrades managed to evade the Chetnik capture. The following comrades were killed at the positions: HIVZIJA BRKIĆ BAUK, a student from Mostar, SULJO CILIĆ, a student from the village of Djevar near Jablanica, the first secretary of the party cell during the formation of the squad in Bijela, REMZIJA ĆIŠIĆ, a worker from Mostar, IBRO DIZDAREVIĆ, a worker from Mostar, AHMET GRČIĆ, a student from Konjic, MEHO HINDIĆ, a peasant from Jablanica, MUJO HUBANA, a peasant from Humilišani near Mostar, MEHMED ŠAPUH, a worker from Mostar, and MUHAMED TASLAMAN BEG, a worker from Mostar.”

“Brkić and Taslaman, were disarmed and killed near the school, after they managed to escape from their positions during the disarming of their comrades and were on their way to the school to inform the Squad Command about the events at the positions. When the Chetniks opened fire, Ismet Dilberović and Asim Džumhur Hadžija rushed out of the school and, protected by darkness, managed to make their way to the forest and separately reach the Battalion. Jusuf Mehmedbašić also broke through. Orhan Mujić, finding himself outside the school, hid in the bushes and observed the events around the school throughout the day, and during the night, he escaped to Crno Polje. He told his comrades that the Chetniks turned Taslaman on his stomach and shoved a potato into his mouth to make him look like a ‘Christmas pig.’”