Reis Kavazović: In difficult times, people of faith must not be passive

(Patria) - Bosnia and Herzegovina and Sarajevo, with their historical significance and the strength of faith in other people, should be a place from which to call for an end to wars and achieve mutual understanding – assessed today the Rais al-Ulama of the Islamic Community in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Husein-ef. Kavazović, addressing one of the panels of the conference "Call for Peace, Ending Wars and Respecting International Law", which is being held in the Gazi Husrev-beg Library in Sarajevo.

He said that the world and the times we live in today greatly need our remembrance of the Merciful God, because "the horrific suffering of innocents in Gaza, Ukraine, Sudan, and other killing fields is a call to remember God, His guidance, and His admonition, so that we may have empathy for people".

– In difficult times, people of faith must not be "paralyzed", they must not withdraw into themselves; they must be witnesses, in the name of God, for what is Truth and Justice. Believers are believers because they do not lose hope, because they rely on God, and because they believe that good will ultimately prevail over evil within us and around us – the Rais al-Ulama stated.

He also thanked the other leaders of religious communities in Bosnia and Herzegovina for their presence and determination to renew a common point of hope for exiting the path of hatred and discrimination that, unfortunately, often leads us.

– This gathering is an opportunity for us to commit ourselves and our communities to publicly reject and condemn all manifestations of antisemitism, Islamophobia, xenophobia, and other intolerance, as well as every form of racial, ethnic, religious, and national hatred. We are obliged to commit ourselves not to remain silent when men, women, and children are killed, tortured, raped, taken hostage, or targeted for destruction because of their racial, ethnic, religious, or national identity. Furthermore, this is an opportunity for us to jointly reject and condemn any glorification or attempt to rehabilitate perpetrators of such acts and the glorification of war crimes – added Rais al-Ulama Kavazović.

There is no other path than the path of unwavering commitment to protecting civilian lives, the Rais al-Ulama emphasized.

– It is up to us to support the right of leaders from our communities to freely express their concerns and views, as long as they do so in an atmosphere of mutual respect and tolerance. Such open expression is crucial for fostering understanding and will not hinder our ongoing dialogue, but rather enrich it, creating a foundation of trust and mutual respect. Our cooperation should actively include securing external support and intervention when necessary, with the main goal of protecting the innocent and vulnerable amidst conflicts, including those currently ongoing, as well as potential future conflicts – said the Rais al-Ulama.

He stressed that lessons from past dialogue crises oblige us to maintain channels of communication, regardless of the pressures we may face because of it.

– Empathy and mutual respect are key in managing and building lasting peace. We in the Islamic Community are committed to this, and we want to emphasize that the doors of interreligious dialogue must remain open, as this leaves us the possibility to seek solutions even when we do not agree on all issues. The foundation of our belief is based on God's law of diversity that He has bestowed upon the human community – stated the Rais al-Ulama.

Finally, he added that he would like a message to be sent from Sarajevo and Bosnia and Herzegovina that religious leaders will stand together in times of crisis, pooling resources, knowledge, and strategies.

– We should extend our joint efforts to crisis management, peace preservation, and reconstruction work, ensuring strong support and protection for our communities. Even today, when the evil of xenophobia, antisemitism, and anti-Muslim hatred and Islamophobia is gaining momentum in our environment and across Europe and the world, we must renew our pledge to continue to be good neighbors and watch over each other, as we have done in the past. The Bosnian experience and the Srebrenica initiative, which I signed two years ago with the esteemed Professor Menachem Rosensaft, can be our inspiration and guide – the Rais al-Ulama stated.

The conference "Call for Peace, Ending Wars and Respecting International Law" is organized by the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) and Religions for Peace (RfP), in cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the City of Sarajevo, and the Interreligious Council in BiH, with the support of the Office of the UN Resident Coordinator in BiH.

Within the program, a series of thematic sessions will address the role of faith in building trust, the key contributions of women and youth in promoting peace, and the impact of civil society in initiating transformative changes through local action.

After the Gazi Husrev-beg Library, the conference will continue with panels at the Bosniak Institute, while the closing ceremony will be held tomorrow at the City Hall.