Grand mufti Cerić asks responses from Bosnian presidency and high judicial and prosecutorial council

Sarajevo, 5. August 2011. (MINA) - The grand Mufti of Bosnia and Herzegovina dr. Mustafa Cerić sent yesterday a letter in which He asks responses from state institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina regarding offending and outrageous statements about Muslims by some of Bosnian politicians and warned international representatives and human rights organizations.

In His letter sent to members of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina Mr Bakir Izetbegović, Mr Željko Komšić and Mr Nebojša Radmanović, as well as to chief prosecutor Mrs Jadranka Lokmic-Misiraca, on behalf of Islamic Community in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and upon request of large number of Muslims Bosniaks, as well as according to His official duty of Reisu-l-Ulama or Chief Mufty of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Grand Mufti Cerić drew attention to anxiety among Muslims Bosniaks that is continiously spread by disturbing statements about Muslims from high ranking representatives of political power in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

In His letter Grand Mufti Cerić gave notice on rhetoric that Milorad Dodik, the President of Republika Srpska entity uses about Muslim judges as well as his most recent statements in which he stated that he "doesn't believe in good intentions of Muslims", stated in very racist and discriminatory tone, by which great prejudices against Bosniaks are spread on the basis of their religion. The same rhetoric was used by sentenced war criminal Biljana Plavšić during pre-genocide phase when she talked about Muslims as «genetically defective material», which resulted in genocide that was carried out by Serb forces against non-Serb peoples.

"Discriminatory statements of Milorad Dodik about members of one religious community, i.e., about Muslims as such, represent preparation and motivation for new extremists for attacking Muslims Bosniaks. In the time of globalization, the spread of prejudices and discrimination on the basis of faith can recruit extremists and terrorists in various parts of the world,» says the letter of Grand Mufti Cerić. Furthermore, the letter says that recent terrorist attack in Norway and confession of perpetrator Andres Behring Breivik about hatred against Muslims as well as the quotes from his "Manifesto" that his exemplars and role models were Serb politicians and military commanders additionally implies on numerous dangers which Milorad Dodik's inflammatory statements can cause not just in Bosnia and Herzegovina but in Europe and wider world.

The letter underlines that this kind of rhetoric can produce new conflicts in Bosnia and Herzegovina and in the region of Balkans, and it reminds that these statements and stances can become motivation to extremists and terrorists for committing mass- murders and attacking innocent people. The letter accentuate indifference of state institutions as well as international scene towards such a public promotion of prejudices and hatred against Muslims which motivates extremists and terrorists and spreads fear especially among returnees, mainly Bosniaks.

Apart from asking the Presidency to take a stand and unequivocally condemn the spread of prejudices against Bosniaks, the letter asks from the Presidency to initiate that Parliament of Bosnia and Herzegovina on the basis of internationally relevant verdicts on genocide, as well as the Resolution of European Parliament on proclaiming July 11th as European Day of commemoration of genocide in Srebrenica, pass the law on sanctioning any case of denying genocide and take all necessary measures which state must do to protect its citizens from discrimination on faith basis.