Imam and Priest Organize Joint Work Action

SARAJEVO, )Patria) - The youth association "Sitnica" from Bileća and the Youth Network of the Mostar Mufti participated in a joint action to clean the Hasan-paša Predojević mosque. They are also planning to clean the church that Hasan-paša built for his mother soon. They also cleaned the waqf plots next to the mosque.

"Today's gesture by our friends from the "Sitnica" Youth Association and the Youth Network of the Mostar Mufti has delighted the Bosniaks of Bileća in the diaspora and homeland, as it comes before our great holiday of Eid al-Adha. I can draw a parallel between the period from the first years of return until today. The situation cannot be compared; great progress has been made. Religious communities have played a big role in this, where religious leaders met and talked outside of public view, beyond direct daily political interests. The most has been done at this local level through unobtrusive communication. This gesture is the best indicator," said Sadet efendija Bilalić.

He stated that unity between Serbian and Bosniak children should be established.

"We have a situation where, after the war, a Serbian child has not seen a Bosniak child, and vice versa. These artificial, political barriers need to be broken. Today, Miloš and Huso played and socialized, like all children in the world. My colleagues from the Serbian Orthodox Church and I are not building peace on grand, metaphysical stories but on simple, ordinary, and human ones, like this event today," stated Sadet efendija Bilalić. 

Priest Aleksandar Grčić also expressed his happiness about this act.

"It is wonderful that the Islamic Community decided to help, and they also contributed to the renovation of the stadium. People voluntarily organized a cleaning action, which is a wonderful gesture from both sides. When they invited me to come and told me that the efendija would also be present, I was pleased. When my colleague later told me that our people from the settlement had initiated this, I was even happier. It is nice and humane to act this way," said priest Grčić.