Statement of the Islamic Community
- Published in
- Category: LATEST NEWS
Due to the continuing Serb propaganda and media manipulations whose instruments are becoming members of European Parliament, the Islamic Community in Bosnia and Herzegovina issued following statement:
- The Islamic Community in Bosnia and Herzegovina firmly believes that Serb propaganda with its deceitful methods is trying to involve some members of European Parliament in the project of spreading of fear from Islam and Muslims of Bosnia and Herzegovina - Bosniaks, as a native European people.
Spreading of fabrications and devising alleged threats from Muslims in Bosnia is well known and documented tactic of nationalistic Serb propaganda that preceded the most notorious crimes against humanity in the Balkans that culminated in Srebrenica genocide. We remind European public that an array of accusations and labeling such were "Islamic fundamentalism", "Islamic terrorism", "Turkish guilt" were all applied in the context of Bosnian Muslims. The most horrifying concept of "revenge against Turks", a phrase that Serb general Ratko Mladic openly used to describe the capture of then UN Safe Zone of Srebrenica was a prelude to systematic executions of Muslims in Srebrenica by Serb forces. This largest crime committed on the European soil after Second World war was characterized by international institutions of justice (International Tribunal for Justice and ICTY) as genocide. The most recent construct of the Serb propaganda is the attempt to attach the "guilt of wahhabism" to Muslims in Bosnia and Herzegovina in the context of some security incidents and terrorist attacks that occur today in every corner of the world.
Though Muslims Bosniaks are the most unprotected people in the Balkans, the people who do not have their national state to protect and care about them as opposed to the case of other peoples of the region, there is now rising tendency from some European institutions to put them under special political focus and accusations on the basis of their religion.
The discussion and stance of the members of EP Doris Pack and Bastian Belder who proposed that draft resolution of Foreign Committee of EP (AFET) include a call to the Islamic Community to "clearly negatively distance itself from the rise of wahhabism" - can only be understood as unwittingly being deceived by above mentioned political propaganda. This media manipulation is completely obscuring the truth, intentionally neglecting the facts and ignoring the essence and nature of relations in the Balkans.
Whatever is the background of this campaign, it is obvious that Doris Pack and Bastian Belder do not have real facts and insights into what Islamic Community had been doing and what is done by now in fighting against hatred and violence. From the spectrum of many responsible steps that Islamic Community undertook we remind Doris Pack and Bastian Belder about khuthbas (Friday and Eid sermons) in which the highest authority of Islam in Bosnia, HE Grand Mufti Mustafa Ceric, strongly condemned violence and spread of hatred by some individuals and groups. Both khutbas were read in all mosques in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Bosniak's diaspora on November 4th 2011, and subsequently on November 6th 2011 during Eid which was broadcasted on main public broadcasting services.
We also use this opportunity to remind the public about the efforts of HE Grand Mufti Raisu-l-ulama Mustafa Ceric who is the author of renowned Declaration of European Muslims , a special document written after 9/11/2011 terrorist attacks in New York, 3/11/2004 in Madrid and 7/7/2005 in London. In that document he clearly and unequivocally condemned terrorism in the name of faith and suggested series of activities that Muslims should do in fighting violence. All responsible institutions and individuals in Europe should be aware of the great efforts that Islamic Community undertook in post-war period in Bosnia and Herzegovina especially in the field of preventing revenge and working on reconciliation between peoples. These are only few irrefutable facts.
It should also be mentioned that Islamic Community organized numerous seminars and panels in order to tackle this and similar issues. However, everyone is entitled to choose whether to listen to lies and prejudices or to search for the facts and truths. In that manner, both Doris Pack and Bastian Balder can choose whether their source of information would be Serb propaganda or whether they and other credible institutions will seek to get the real facts and information on the ground. The Islamic Community is open to any kind of consultation and discussion on all issues concerning its work and activity.
Having all this in mind and in order to get the real facts and truths about the situation on the ground we call on the institutions of European Union to form a special commission and teams that will examine this and similar issues. We believe that this kind of approach will also include European institutions for Human Rights to be involved to inspect the cases where these campaigns are used as pretext for breaking basic human rights on the basis of religion, and especially of the returnees in the entity of Republika Srpska.
In order to get full insight into most recent steps and appeals of the Islamic Community we attach English translations of the two khutbas that were delivered immediately after terrorist attack on the Embassy of United States in Sarajevu October 28th, 2011.
- Friday khutbah: Condemning terrorism and violence (November 4th)