Will the Islamic Community in Bosnia and Herzegovina sign an agreement with BiH?

The Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina will consider at its session tomorrow the Draft Basic Agreement between Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Islamic Community in Bosnia and Herzegovina, proposed by the Ministry for Human Rights and Refugees, reports the Bosnian news agency Patria.

The agreement with the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina, which guarantees the rights to free expression of religious feelings of its members, was signed by the Catholic Church, i.e., the Holy See as the universal authority of that church in April 2006, and by the Serbian Orthodox Church in December 2007.

Incidentally, the Council of Ministers has not considered the Draft of this agreement so far.

The Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina, together with the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, must confirm and approve the agreement, and the Parliament of Bosnia and Herzegovina must adopt it.

As previously reported by Dnevni list, it was agreed that the agreement with the state should specify the specifics important for the Islamic Community, i.e., that certain rights for Muslims be included in the agreement – for halal food in the public and private sector, for breaks and space for performing prayers, for leave from work on Fridays during Jumu'ah prayer, for unpaid leave from work at least once a year for performing Hajj, for wearing clothing that is in accordance with religious regulations...

Resolving this issue was also highlighted during the meeting of the Chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Dragan Čović, with the Reis-ul-ulema of the Islamic Community in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Husein ef. Kavazović, in February this year, who said that "we are only asking that certain specifics for Muslims be respected in that agreement."

Also, the Council of Ministers will consider the Draft Law on non-working days during religious holidays in Bosnia and Herzegovina, proposed by the Ministry of Civil Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina.