Mufti Hasanović: Faith Teaches Us to Raise Our Voice for Justice and Peace

(Patria) - The President of the Mesihata of the Islamic Community in Croatia, Zagreb Mufti Academician Aziz-ef. Hasanović, stated in an Eid interview for MINA that faith teaches us to raise our voice for justice and peace.

He spoke about the messages of Ramadan that every believer should embrace, Eid and the joy of Eid, as well as current issues in both Bosnia and Herzegovina and the world.

He emphasized that Ramadan is an opportunity to cleanse the body through fasting and the soul through worship, adding that, above all, "there is no better opportunity to strengthen one's faith than by performing acts of worship while fasting".

"Thus, prayer takes on a special dimension because the experience is different. The daily recitation of the Quran contributes significantly to this, leading to a fusion with the Quran, and consequently, our perspective on the Quran and our understanding of its messages evolve, opening up new reflections and insights. Furthermore, Ramadan brings about the accumulation of family strength, which we achieve through shared Iftars, Sehurs, and prayers.

By giving Sadaqat al-Fitr, we strengthen empathy towards those in need, and by giving Zakat, we purify our wealth and strengthen the Bayt al-Mal, which protects those in need. We help those who are pursuing knowledge, as well as institutions engaged in improving educational processes within the Islamic Community," he stated.

The goal of Ramadan activities is to achieve happiness, joy, and satisfaction on both individual and collective societal levels, therefore Eid represents the pinnacle of joy that we share with those closest to us, and then with the wider public, emphasized Mufti Hasanović.

"Eid gatherings represent the largest assembly of residents of a place on the musalla, where the strength of the community, unity, mutual respect, and support are expressed. Our Eid gifts, smiles, greetings, visits, shared meals, visits to our deceased, visits to our neighbors all show the direction or path that a believer should follow throughout the year. The strength of the rows and communal prayer is a guide for the believer to direct all their efforts towards strengthening their immediate and wider community. Strength lies in the community through which the individual also finds expression," Mufti Hasanović conveyed.

Speaking about the numerous challenges and difficulties we witness around the world,
the Mufti said that they remind us of many accounts when God decided to replace one people with another.

"The insufficient reaction of those who can prevent many challenges and make it easier for the world to live as is worthy of a human being has culminated precisely in this time. Faith teaches us to raise our voice for justice and peace, to call things by their right names, to reject them with our hand, our tongue, or our heart's disdain. A feeling of helplessness has crept in, which further complicates the situation. I fear that silence and inaction will draw God's wrath upon the Ummah. We will be asked about what we have done, but also about what we have not done, and could have done," the Mufti stated.

When asked if the academic community can offer a strategy to overcome the moral and political crisis we are currently in, the Mufti emphasized that the academic community not only can, but must, offer a strategy to overcome the moral and political decline of society and the community as a whole.

"There is a feeling that those who hold the mechanisms of power (mostly politicians) are not willing to listen to the voice of the academic community. I have often heard those in power say about the educated and those who point to moral values as the foundation of societal progress, 'If they are so smart, let them run for elections. The people have given us or me their trust.' These same people forget that this trust by no means signifies meritocracy, but rather the creation of conditions or the opening of opportunities to enable the most capable to come to the fore. Unfortunately, we witness that this is not the case. Everything is guided by political affiliation, not by competence. Despite all this, the academic community must not remain silent. It is called to speak, appeal, and promote universal moral values without which everything collapses," the Mufti particularly emphasized.

He also touched upon the fact that Bosnia and Herzegovina's accession negotiations with the European Union have been approved, reflecting on what the meeting with Europe will mean for the Muslims of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

"What we need to know is that Bosnia and Herzegovina, by its cultural, geographical, and all other parameters, is part of Europe. Therefore, the meeting with Europe, as you mention it, I see only as an opportunity to progress in the segments of the rule of law, which also implies the protection and accessibility of rights, so I hope that discrimination against the Islamic Community in BiH will cease with the signing of an agreement that will regulate certain segments important for every believer, not just for the Community. The fact is that EU membership does not solve problems, but rather makes the tools for solving them more diverse," he believes.

He reminded that the Islamic Community in Bosnia and Herzegovina has been part of the European cultural and religious scene of the European Union for many years.

"The Mesihata in Croatia, Slovenia, and a large number of our communities that operate legally within the European Union best speak to the successfully completed European task. There is also the immeasurable contribution of our Community as a whole in promoting integration, accepting diversity, peace, and living together with everyone else. At the same time, whenever needed and whoever needed it, the Community and believers have been categorized into groups that would frighten Europe, and we would repeatedly forgive and prove that it is not so because we were simply raised that way. This is often taken as our weakness, but weakness is not avoiding conflict, and when it is imposed, weakness is succumbing to our ego and committing injustice," he said.

As one of the quality examples, he cited the regulation of relations between the Islamic Community in Croatia through a contract on specific relations with the state.

"The aforementioned contract summarized all the needs of the religious, educational, business, and public activities of the Islamic Community. This further guarantees religious equality before the laws of the Republic of Croatia. I see no reason why the adoption of a similar or any other contract that would satisfy the needs of Muslims in BiH should become a problem, unless someone has fascistoid intentions and unless it is aimed at continuing the policy of genocide and extermination through an attempt to erase the existence of Muslims and the Islamic Community in BiH from any documents, which is absurd. I hope that the Islamic Community in Bosnia and Herzegovina, through the wise leadership of our head Reis-ul-ulema Dr. Husein-ef. Kavazović, will succeed in reaching an agreement with the authorities in Bosnia and Herzegovina on signing a contract of mutual interest during this period of negotiations with the European Union," Mufti Aziz-ef. Hasanović stated, among other things.