THE ISLAMIC COMMUNITY – SENTINEL AND PRINCIPLES

The Islamic Community of Bosnia and Herzegovina is the sole and unique community of Muslims living in Bosnia and Herzegovina, of Bosniaks living outside their homeland and other Muslims who accept this community as their own.

The Meshihat of the Islamic Community of Sandžak, the Meshihat of the Islamic Community of Croatia and the Meshihat of the Islamic Community of Slovenia are all constituents of the Islamic Community of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Autonomy

The Islamic Community of Bosnia and Herzegovina is independent in regulating its activities and managing its assets and bases this autonomy on the legality of religious institutions pertaining to Bosnian Muslims since the period of Ottoman rule in Bosnia.

The Islamic Community bases the organization of its authorities and institutions on the provisions and principles Qur'ani Qerim, the Sunnah of Muhammad salallahu alayhi wasalaam, on the Bosniak Islamic tradition and on postulates of the age.

Electoral eligibility and transparency

The activities of the Islamic Community are founded on the provisions of legality, transparency and liability and the managerial functions are subject to the provisions of electoral eligibility and limited duration

The functions of the Islamic Community can be accredited to persons who possess adequate professional expertise and who have, through their Islamic demeanour, acquired distinction in the Jamaat they operate in.

The electoral system

Every member of the Jamaat after the age of eighteen has an active electoral right.

Elections in the Islamic Community are performed by secret voting amongst several candidates. The Electoral Committee is liable to reject the candidacy of persons who do not fulfil prerequisites to be elected for the authorities of the Islamic Community.

The representative authorities can contain no more that one third of Islamic Community employees.

The term of office of members of all collegiate authorities of the Islamic Community is four years long.

The Council takes the decision on the levying of elections in the Islamic Community, whereas elections are organised and conducted according to the Electoral regulation by the by the Riyasat of the Islamic Community.

Elections in the Meshihat of the Islamic Community of Sandžak, the Meshihat of the IC of Croatia and the Meshihat of the IC in Slovenia are organised and conducted by the Meshihats themselves within the dead lines stipulated in the Constitution of the IC of Bosnia and Herzegovina and in accordance with enactments issued by the Meshihats.

The issuing and alteration of the Constitution

The Constitution is the supreme legislative document and its issuing and alteration is performed by the Islamic Community Council.

The presence of two thirds of the council members is required for the issuing and alteration of the constitution.

The Constitution of the Islamic Community can be altered entirely or by means of Constitutional Amendments. The proposal for alteration of the Constitution can be submitted by at least one third of the Islamic Community Council members or by the Islamic Community Riyasat.

Headquarters, emblems and language

The Headquarters of the Islamic Community of Bosnia and Herzegovina is in Sarajevo, the official flag is green with a white crescent and a white five-pointed star.

The emblem of the Islamic Community consists of a crescent, a five-pointed star in the centre of the crescent. In the open spaces of the crescent the word Allah is spelled out ten times.

Bosnian is the official language of the Islamic Community, and the official calendars are the Hijri calendar and the Gregorian calendar.

Mission and objectives

The objective of the Islamic Community presents an endeavour to have all its members living in accordance with Islamic norms. This objective is realised and achieved through the principles of the promotion of good and diverting from evil.

One of the fundamental missions of the Islamic Community is the preservation of veracity of Islamic norms and the ensuring of their official interpretation and application to the lives of Muslims and to the social environment in which it operates.

Performing the Ibādah Islamic duties in the Islamic Community of Bosnia and Herzegovina is founded on the application of the Hanafi Madhhabs.

Obligations and rights

The obligations of the members of the Islamic Community are: to observe Islamic norms, to protect Islamic values and preserve Islamic customs, to be acquainted with and to enforce the provisions of the Islamic Community, to make regular contributions and other benefactions for the purposes of the Islamic Community, to maintain the reputation and integrity of the Islamic Community.

The rights of the members of the Islamic Community are: to freely express their affiliation to Islam and to perform Islamic duties, to educate themselves about Islam, to utilize the Islamic Community institutions whilst performing their Islamic duties, to partake in common activities in the Jamaat, to elect Islamic Community authorities and be elected into them, to be notified on the activities of the authorities and institutions of the Islamic Community, to turn to the Islamic Community authorities for the protection of their religious rights, to make use of the property of the Islamic Community within adequate requirements.

Relations with other organisations and communities

The Islamic Community regards itself a part of the universal Islamic community of Muslims around the world, a part of the Umaah.

The Islamic Community has the right and liberty to establish and maintain cooperation with other Islamic communities, institutions and organisations around the world.

The Islamic Community of Bosnia and Herzegovina advocates establishing cooperation and implementing mutual activities with other religious communities and organisations where the said contribute to peace, justice and goodness amongst people.