Everything rises in the East, says Dr Mustafa Ceric

Therefore, besides tajdeed we think we should think of tasdeeq which means the confirmation and taking what is good for us today or what was good for our predecessors in the old times. There are some things that are good for us. Also because identity means continuity of memory, so we have to have this memory of our past in order to understand our present and build our future.
So, if tajdeed or taa’miq or broadens the understanding of our text of the Quran then hiah yaa uluumdin revives the morality, because religion is morality in the first place and then tasdeeq meaning that to confirm what has been proven by the history to be good.

By Abdallah Ahmed al Rubaiey and Ahmed Mohiuddin Siddiqui - Welcome to the Sultanate of Oman. Could you kindly give us your views about the symposium?
I extend my heartfelt gratitude to His Majesty and to the Sultanate of Oman for inviting me to the Ministry of Religious Affairs for the 2nd time. This conference has focused on how to look into the issue of the Fiqh which means the understanding of the Holy Quran and the Hadith. I believe that it is timely that we have this initiative from the Sultanate of Oman to look into the issues of the old texts that we have before us and also to bring new ideas and new methodologies on how to make people understand what is meant by the Quran and the sunnah as well as maintaining consensus of the ulama and by the analogy of what has been proven in the history for public good and public benefits of our religion. So, I believe that the idea of tajdeed is not for the first time. You remember even during the time of Imam Mohd al Ghazali he brought the idea of ahiyaa uluumdeen so if Mohd al Ghazali felt during 12th century that Muslims need to revive their understanding of religion, then what we can say today is that it is the same challenge for us. But when we say tajdeed renew or enliven uluumdeen. We don’t mean to start from nothing and proclaim that history starts with us. We have the huge material and references in the Muslim scholarship of over 14 centuries.
Therefore, besides tajdeed we think we should think of tasdeeq which means the confirmation and taking what is good for us today or what was good for our predecessors in the old times. There are some things that are good for us. Also because identity means continuity of memory, so we have to have this memory of our past in order to understand our present and build our future.
So, if tajdeed or taa’miq or broadens the understanding of our text of the Quran then hiah yaa uluumdin revives the morality, because religion is morality in the first place and then tasdeeq meaning that to confirm what has been proven by the history to be good. What we are doing here in Oman is basically we are reminding people of what they should know in a new way, meaning reviving the awareness of morality of faith or religion of Quran, of Hadith. So, congratulations to the Sultanate of Oman on this idea and I believe that this is the direction we should follow and support this effort by Oman and I should say I know very well that the first conference was sponsored and blessed by His Majesty Sultan Qaboos and I would like to pray for his good health in order to proceed towards serving Islam and Muslims in future, inshallah.

We would like to know about our brothers in Bosnia and their religious performance
Our story is now known because at the end of last century we were exposed to genocide, not for any other reason but for continuing to be Muslims. Now we are experiencing post-war recovery or post-peace recovery. As you know God neither sent prophets nor holy books to  Europe. All these came from the East and even the sun is rising from the East. All religions that came from heaven from Judaism to Christianity and Islam have originated here in the East, so I have come to the East to get more notes from here to deliver to the west, so we are all equal — Jews, Christians and Muslims. Some of us Europeans have chosen Christianity, some Islam. I am proud that my grandfathers have chosen Islam and we feel very good. We are not guests in Europe, we are the hosts, we celebrated recently 600 years of Islam, we hope inshallah to continue and of course we look to what’s happening in the East because your strength in the East is our strength in the West. So may God help you and us for the better.
What is the role of Sharia in Bosnian Muslims’ lives?
First of all we should know what is Sharia. Sharia is a broad term or a broad view of each and every Muslim’s way of life who believes in the revelation of Quran and Prophet Muhammad. So, the Muslims in Bosnia-Herzegovina have this idea of Sharia in their hearts. They know what is Islam and its five pillars. They also know what is Iman. They know what is Ehsaan — to be a good and righteous person morally. So, the Muslims in that sense are aware of the meaning and significance of the Sharia.
What schools of Fiqh are followed in Bosnia?
We are all aware of the Maturudi School of Theology and of the Hanafi School of Fiqh.
Why was the international envoy to Bosnia Valentin Inzko not in agreement with your views on religious education?
Well, he is of a Catholic background. I don’t think that his opinion on that subject is relevant for us. What is relevant is that we have the right to teach our children our faith in a traditional way and the state has the obligation by law to provide us this opportunity for our children. There are, of course, some people who are still nostalgic about communism in the past. They are kind of rejecting or trying to impose their views but I think at the moment Muslims are the majority and they will prevail.
How do you reconcile the differences among Muslims and other communities like the Serbs and the Croats in Bosnia?
Well, Bosnia is made to be a multi-religious, multi-national, multi-ethnical and we know how to live without differences. We know how to keep our identity and we are not afraid of any different cultures or religions. Unfortunately, we are witnessing, especially after 9/11, what happened in Madrid in March 2004 and on 7/7 in London and many other acts or incidents of terrorism which were associated with Muslims and because of that, unfortunately we have media and political propaganda which is very much of a kind of Islamophobia, meaning that they are spreading the fear against Islam and Muslims. But you see we Bosnian Muslims are the victims of genocide and we are not afraid to live with them even though they have committed genocide against us and why are they afraid of us, I don’t know.
How does an Islamic Bosnia fit into a secular European Union and in the heart of Europe?
Well Bosnia-Herzegovina will be part of Europe, Inshallah, because it belongs to the continent of Europe. It will be by the fact of geography and also by the fact that we can handle the requirements of the EU standards and you know the EU is based on one single principle which is the principle of reconciliation, meaning keeping the peace and security in Europe together with the political stability and the economical prosperity.
What do you have to say about the stand taken by former Education Minister of Canton Sarajevo Emir Suljagic that religious education should be optional?
Well, this is his personal view. I mean its typical of these people. Unfortunately, he was first a religious extremist and then he became an unparalleled religious extremist. So, this is exactly what we want to say that those people who don’t have a chance to learn about religion in a regular and traditional way later on they become extremists. So, the former Eden Minister of Canton Sarajevo is just a good or bad example of how we should not take religion and we should not listen to what he says.
Which universities in Bosnia teach jurisprudence?
We have our Islamic College or Islamic faculty in Sarajevo in which we are teaching Islamic jurisprudence but also at the Sarajevo University, Faculty of Law, teaches the history of law of the Islamic jurisprudence.
Who teaches Islamic studies in the University of Sarajevo — Muslims or non Muslims?
At the moment, there is a Muslim Professor — a Bosnian (who used to teach at the International University in Kuala Lumpur.)
How do you harmonise the gender differences in Bosnia?
I don’t think the issue of different genders is a problem for us, Muslims. Everyone should take his or her place in society and in our minds. I have my mother, my wife, my children and my daughters. I have to respect them and respect comes in two ways. You have to respect in order to be respected. We are different. Man and woman are different and how we establish a decent kind of relationship is the question not only of religion, but also of custom, of our education. I appeal to all the Muslims, specially the males to take care of our sisters and our sisters should take care of us. Therefore, we should be proud of being respected by each other.
You have majority Hanafi Madhab in Bosnia and which other madhabs do you have?
Basically we have only Hanafi madhhab in Bosnia. There are some others. Hanafi is the official madhhab. This is the madhhab in prayers and in our fatwas. We have some other individuals or small groups also.
What is the Iranian influence on Bosnia?
Well, Iran has an embassy in Sarajevo. Iran played a very important role in our defence against the besiege of Sarajevo and Bosnia-Herzegovina. We have very good relationship with Iran. I don’t see that Iran is doing anything except to be with us and to support us in our efforts to survive.
In January 2012, you visited Germany at the inauguration of the Centre for Islamic Theology in the University of Tubingen. What are the challenges faced by Muslims in Germany and the future of Islam  in Germany?
The Muslims in Germany face the same challenges as the Muslims in other parts of the world — meaning that 21st century is going to be the century of spiritual revolutions and Muslims are going to play a very important role if not the main and key role in it. I am glad that Germany started thinking in a very constructive way to provide for Muslims the space for educating their future imams, teachers and to naturalise Islam in Germany and then to spread Islam all over Europe, Inshallah.
What is your take on Islamophobia?
Islamophobia is a sign of weakness of Europe because those who tell that they are afraid of you are showing that they are insecure. Because my experience in Bosnia is that intolerance comes as a result of your weakness and tolerance is a sign of your strength. So, unfortunately, Europe is going through a difficult time to accept those who are different from majority of the people. So, I think the Islamophobia and anti-Semitism are the signs of weakness. I hope that Europe will overcome this weakness and realise that to be confident you should have tolerance towards others wherever they are.
How do you explain the 20 years of Bosnian tragedy? How is the situation now?
Well, 20 years of memories of the siege of Sarajevo and the genocide that my people survived were exposed to something that makes you feel, on the one hand, very sad and on the other hand, when you go through these experiences you become stronger. This is why, there is a saying that — ‘If they don’t kill you, they make you stronger’. This is what happened in Bosnia. They tried to kill us. They tried to eliminate us but instead they made us stronger. We are stronger than ever before because of this experience.
What are your expectations from the International community?
To be honest with you I have never cursed anybody. But if I were in a position to curse somebody, I would tell him, may the International community come and make peace in your country. International community is a necessary good. I wouldn’t say evil but International Community is such a vague concept that you don’t know what you are talking about. Anyway, International community failed in my country to protect my people from genocide and this is why in Europe we had 20th century to represent the bloodiest century in the history of mankind because that 20th century witnessed all the atrocities that humans had never witnessed before like Kulard of Soviet Union, like this La Roughe, and also fascism, anti-semitism and genocide in my country. The jews have suffered in Europe and we Bosnians have suffered genocide. So, this ‘cry never again’ failed in Bosnia. You and everyone should be aware of that. For the future, we have to educate people about the holocaust and genocide. We should fight those who deny the evil. You know what the difference is when Habil killed Qabil. He didn’t know how to bury his brother. So, he saw a crow burying his brother. He realised he made a mistake. Bravic who killed people in Oslo said he did a noble deed. This is why Milorad Dodic is behaving like Bravic. He is not recognising the mistake and sin. It is not that somebody does evil and something but it is harder when somebody denies the evil that he has committed. “How can you ask me to forgive the one who has committed the crime but does not ask for forgiveness. This is very difficult. But anyway I am hopeful and I believe in the future of my people and I believe that 21st century will be different from the 20th century, Inshallah.”
Is there any strong Muslim leader in Bosnia now like the former president Alijah Izzetbegovic?
Probably not like Alyah Izzatbegovic. But, our people are aware of our national and state identity. So, hopefully things will be better, Inshallah.