Islamic Community: Sacrifice price set for 2024

(Patria) - The Islamic Community (IZ) in Bosnia and Herzegovina is once again offering the possibility of sacrificing sacrifices for believers who are unable to perform this ritual personally within their households.

Through the "Kurbani 2024" campaign, the competent institutions of the Islamic Community will carry out organized procurement and provide sacrifices for humanitarian needs and the needs of educational institutions in our country, at a uniform price of 490.00 KM.

"The 'Kurbani' campaign, organized by the Rijaset of the Islamic Community, lasts 365 days.
We know that its realization takes three days, and for the remaining 362 days, the Islamic Community continuously works on preparation. This is the reason why, year after year, we successfully and timely respond to all challenges and obligations that this campaign presents to us, and justify the trust that members of the Islamic Community, both at home and in the diaspora, continuously place in us.

We are making the necessary efforts to respond to all challenges and to fulfill the trust placed in us in the best possible way," stated Dr. Bilal Memišević, head of the Department for Sacrifices of the Rijaset of the Islamic Community.

As he stated, preparations have been largely completed, and they are in daily communication with partners, as well as with medžlis (local community councils), chief imams, who are the bearers of this activity in the field.

"By going into the field, the Administration for Economic and Financial Affairs – Department for Sacrifices, has intensively researched the market in the past three months, talked, negotiated with breeders, processors, butchers, with everyone who directly and indirectly participates in the realization of this campaign. We have concluded that the price of live-weight livestock, both in Bosnia and Herzegovina and in the region, has significantly changed, and for these reasons, the Administration for Economic and Financial Affairs, after research, proposed a uniform price for this year to the Rijaset," he explained.

At yesterday's session, the Rijaset of the Islamic Community accepted the proposal of the Administration that the price of sacrifices for 2024 will be 490 KM.

"We wish the price could have remained at last year's level, or could have been lower, however, the market and the environment in which we live, work, and in which we need to realize this campaign, have forced us to set this price. We still have concerns about whether and how we will succeed in realizing it, considering the prices and daily increases in livestock prices," stated Memišević.

He also reminded of the importance of this campaign, emphasizing that it is a great economic driver and incentive for domestic production and domestic breeders.

"Last year, we concluded the campaign with slightly more than 30,000 sacrifices. If we consider that the absolute majority of sacrifices were procured from domestic producers, breeders, that it was realized by domestic labor, domestic executors of this work, that domestic capacities with halal certificates issued by the Islamic Community were engaged, it leads us to believe that this campaign, in a broader sense, has a great, significant role in the economic, social, and societal aspect of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the Bosniak people," emphasized Memišević.

Sacrifice meat is distributed to the most needy, and besides returnees and socially vulnerable people in the returnee areas of Bosnia and Herzegovina, sacrifice meat also reaches various institutions. During Bayram itself, a large part of the meat is distributed to various social, humanitarian, health, and educational institutions.

In addition to one-time distributions, the Islamic Community distributes processed meat to institutions and individuals in need throughout the year.

"Most of the meat is processed and made available to people in need, both individuals and legal entities. This is a campaign that, in my humble opinion, has no alternative in the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina when it comes to stimulating domestic production and domestic products," said Memišević.

He addressed the members of the Islamic Community, both at home and in the diaspora, urging them not to hesitate when it comes to performing this act of worship.

"The Islamic Community will justify their trust in the best way, taking into account Sharia norms, and together with the competent institutions, ensuring that all veterinary and sanitary norms, conditions, and standards are met. If we add to that the fact that it is a significant financial injection into our economic, livestock, breeding, and meat processing sectors in Bosnia and Herzegovina, then that should be another reason for believers, members of the Islamic Community, to be a part of this campaign again this year," concluded Memišević.