MEMBERS OF THE RIYASAT OF THE ISLAMIC COMMUNITY IN BiH

Main office of the Riyasat:

Sarajevo, Zelenih beretki 17

Phone number: 033/ 533-172

Fax: 033/441-537

Riyasat of the Islamic Community in BiH is the highest religious and administrative body in the Islamic Community. The head of the Riyasat is Reis-ul-Ulama.

There are 14 (fourteen) members in Riyasat besides Reis-ul-Ulama. Members of the Riyasat have ranks as follows: Deputy of the Reis-ul-Ulama, General Secretary of the Riyasat, Chairmen of the Meshihats and Director of the Waqf Fund.

Other members of the Riyasat are chosen by the Council of the Islamic Community as follows: four members among muftis, two members among deans and directors of the educational institutions and two members among prominent members of the Islamic Community, who are not employed by the Islamic Community.

Members of the Riyasat in ranks:

Husein ef. Kavazović, Reis-ul-Ulama

Husein ef. Smajić, vice Reis-ul-ulema

Razim ef. Čolić

Ismail ef. Smajlović

Mensur ef. Karadža

Zejnil ef. Rebihić.

The Riyasat of the Islamic Community is the highest Islamic religious and administrative organ of the Islamic Community.

The head of the Riyasat is the Raisu-l-ulama.

Including the Raisu-l-ulama, the Riyasat is consisted of 7 members.

Article L

The mandate of the members of the Riyasat is four years.

The areas of activity of the Riyasat of the Islamic Community are:
-    the organization of Islamic religious life;
-    Islamic education (ma'arifi affairs);
-    the construction and maintenance of premises of the Islamic Community;
-    the organization and activities of the organs and institutions of the Islamic Community in the Bosniak diaspora;
-    the cooperation with Islamic organizations and institutions world-wide;
-    administrative and legal affairs; and
-    economic and financial affairs of the Islamic Community.

The responsibilities of the Riyasat of the Islamic Community are:

-    to take care of the entirety of Islamic religious life and to ensure that all activities within the Islamic Community are based on the principles of the Shari'ah Law;
-    to supervise the work of the executive organs and institutions within the Islamic Community;
-    to appoint, transfer and dismiss the Grand Imams, the Imams, the Khatibs and the Muallims;
-    to appoint and dismiss the deans and principles of Islamic educational institutions;
-    to approve the curricula of Islamic educational institutions as well as curricula and textbooks for Islamic studies in state schools;
-    to assure the protection of the religious rights of Muslims;
-    to rule on the dress and symbols of religious representatives of the Islamic Community;
-    to supervise the collection of Zakat and the Sadakatu-l-fitr, and to administer the Fund of the Baitu-l-mal;
-    to approve the establishment of the new Waqfs for religious purposes;
-    to make decisions about exchange of the Waqf property;
-    to establish and maintain direct relations with Islamic Communities around the world;
-    to hand down decisions concerning registrations in Islamic educational institutions;
-    to certifiy the selection of teachers/professors made by the academic councils of the Faculty of Islamic Sciences and the Teachers' Academies;
-    to establish contacts with other religious communities.

The Riyasat of the Islamic Community may establish permanent and temporary commissions.

The Riyasat of the Islamic Community submits report of its activities to the Council of the Islamic Community.

Dr. Nedžad ef. Grabus was born in Travnik, BiH. He finished his high school studies from Gazi Husref-bey's madrasa in Sarajevo, he graduated at the Faculty of Islamic Studies, Sarajevo, where he earned his Masters' degree as well. He worked for religious-educational service of the Riyaset of the Islamic Community in BiH, and was a lecturer at the Faculty of Islamic Studies - subject Akaid. He also worked as a reporter and the producer for the Radio BiH and was an editor of the religious program on the national radio station BH Radio 1. In the year 2006 he was appointed the mufti of Ljubljana and after that was elected the chairman of the Meshihat of the Islamic Community in Slovenia. He wrote various articles and translated many texts. He was an active participant of numerous round tables and seminars.

Ševko ef. Omerbašić was born in Ustikolina on 9th June 1945, BiH. After he finished his high school studies from Gazi Husref-bey's madrassa in Sarajevo, he graduated from the Faculty for Arabic language and Islamic studies, department for theology, program for missionary work and advertising at the Benghazi University in Beyda, in Libya.

He worked as imam in Rudo, the head imam in Ustikolina, BiH, and since 1975 as the head imam in Zagreb as well. Since 1988 he worked as the head imam for the Islamic Community in Croatia and Slovenia. He was also the first chairman of the Meshihat of the Islamic Community for Croatia and Slovenia and after the Islamic Community of Slovenia became independent at the end of 1994, he was elected the chairman of the Meshihat of the Islamic Community in Croatia. In 1999 he was appointed the mufti of Zagreb, and the mufti of the Islamic Community in Croatia.

He is the incumbent in several projects of the Islamic Community. Moreover, he played a very important role in having the Zagreb Mosque constructed, where he organized and established various activities. He is the author of several books, and, in the last few decades, he has dedicated himself to the research, study and writing about the Islam and Muslims in Croatia and the region. On this topic he wrote much appreciated work „Islam and Muslims in Croatia".

Muamer ef. Zukorlić was born on 15th February 1970. in Tutin, Sandžak. He finished his high school studies from Gazi Husref-bey's madrassa in Sarajevo and graduated from Islamic Faculty, department of Sharia law in Constantine, Algeria. He was elected the first chairman of the Meshihat of the Islamic Community in Sandžak and mufti of Sandžak in 1993, he continued in this service until the present day. He also served as Dean of the Islamic Pedagogy Academy in Novi Pazar and as a Rector of the University in Novi Pazar.

Nezim ef. Halilović was born on 15th March, 1965 in Žepa. He finished his high school studies from Gazi Husref-bey's madrassa in Sarajevo, and graduated from Faculty for Arabic language, department for literature, at Al-Azhar University in Cairo.

He was the head imam in Konjic, and during the period of aggression against BiH he was the commander of the 4. Muslimanska slavna brigada (4^th Muslim Glorious Brigade). During the war he was wounded two times and won the greatest war medals Zlatni ljiljan" (the Golden lily) and „Zlatni grb sa mačevima" (the Golden coat of arms with swords).

Also, he was the member of the BiH Parliament, and since 1997 he has been the director of  the Waqf Directorate in Sarajevo.

Muhamed Salkić was born in Izbod, Breza, on 6th November, 1949. He finished his high school studies from Gazi Husref-bey's madrassa and graduated from Faculty of Law in Sarajevo. He was employed as imam in Višegrad, and then preformed the duty of the Secretary of the Committee of the Islamic Community in Sarajevo, and then that of the manager of the Legal office of the Supreme office of the Islamic Community for BiH, Croatia and Slovenia. On 28th April 1993 he was elected a secretary of the Assembly of the Islamic Community in BiH, and in October in 1994 he was appointed the General Secretary of the Riyaset of the Islamic Community in BiH.

Dr. Mustafa Ceric is the Raisu-l-Ulama of Islamic Community in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Grand Mufti of Bosnia since 1993. He is also the Grand Mufti of Sanjak, Croatia and Slovenia. He is reelected at the position of Raisu-l-Ulama 2005.

He was born in Visoko, Bosnia-Herzegovina in 1952.

He graduated from Madrasah in Sarajevo as well as the Faculty of Arabic Language and Literature at the Al-Azhar University in Cairo. In 1987 received his Ph.D. in Islamic studies from the University of Chicago, where he studied under the late Dr. Fazlur Rahman.

He served as an imam (Islamic Cultural Center, Chicago and Islamic Center of Zagreb, Croatia) and professor in Bosnia (Faculty of Islamic Schiences), Malaysia (International Institute for Islamic Thought and Civilization, Kulalulumpur) and the United States (American Islamic College, Chicago).

He is the co-recipient of the 2003 UNESCO Felix Houphoet Boigny Peace Prize for Contribution to World Peace and recipient of the International Council of Christians and Jews Annual Sir Sternberg Award for exceptional contribution to interfaith understanding. Further more, Dr Ceric was the co-recepient of the award  "Religion and integration in Europe"  Theodor-Heuss  for 2007 and recipient of 2007 Lifetime Achievement Award from AMSS UK.

Dr. Ceric is a member of several local and international scientific organizations and societies, including the Interreligious Council of Bosnia-Herzegovina, the Foundation of Srebrenica-Potočari Memorial and Cemetery,
the Council of 100 Leadres of the World Economic Forum, the European Council for Fatwas and Research, World Conference of Religions for Peace, the Executive Committee of the European Council of Religious Leaders, the Board of Trustees of International Islamic University Islamabad, the Sharia'h Board of Bosnia Bank International, the Fiqh Academy in Mecca, Aal Albayt Foundation for Islamic Thought in Jordan, the World Council of Religions  for Peace, International Commission for Peace Research chaired by dr. Henry Kissinger, UNESCO and Executive Council of World Forum of Ulama,

He has delivered numerous lectures and led several workshops on interreligious and interfaith issues at local and international conferences.

He authored «Roots of Synthetic Theology in Islam»; «A Choice Between War and Peace», and «European Muslim Declaration» among other numerous publications in Bosnian as «Religion, Nation and Homeland”.

He speaks fluently Arabic and English.