Kavazović: We are sure that the people of the Emirates are with us, this is a matter of political misunderstanding

(Patria) - The Rais al-ulama of the Islamic Community in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Husein ef. Kavazović, has in the past few days received several inquiries from members of the Community, as well as from Bosnian-Herzegovinian media, asking for his stance or explanation on the fact that the United Arab Emirates sent aid in the fight against coronavirus to neighboring Croatia, Serbia, and Montenegro, but not to Bosnia and Herzegovina.

On this occasion, the Rais al-ulama told the MINA agency that he is convinced that this is not the stance of the people of the United Arab Emirates, who were, and still are, along with numerous governmental and non-governmental organizations, with Bosnia and Herzegovina. Even today, we have announcements that such assistance will not be lacking from several humanitarian organizations from the UAE with whom the Islamic Community in Bosnia and Herzegovina has already established contact in this regard. We ourselves were surprised by this situation.

We are aware that the aid arriving in neighboring countries is often symbolic in nature and that ultimately everyone, including us in Bosnia and Herzegovina, will have to rely on their own resources and knowledge, but all the more so we understand the dissatisfaction of a large part of the Bosnian-Herzegovinian public who saw this as a bad message from the fraternal and friendly Emirates. We believe that this is a consequence of mutual political misunderstanding and that this crisis is the best opportunity to overcome this situation.

The Rais al-ulama once again called on everyone in Bosnia and Herzegovina, including members and affiliates of the Islamic Community, to rely primarily on God, and then on their own resources, emphasizing that Bosnia and Herzegovina has enough friends in the world who have announced their real and symbolic assistance in this crisis and that it has always been, as our people say, that "heroes are known in hardship," but also friends.

"What must not happen is that any hostile sentiment towards our brothers from the Emirates, or any other nation, begins to spread among the citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina, especially among Bosniaks. Politics are politics, and they must not be allowed to damage good relations between peoples" - is the statement of the Rais al-ulama, as reported by the MINA news agency.