US praises Reis Kavazović's sermon against Bosniaks going to battlefields in Syria!

Bosnia and Herzegovina has continued to make slow progress in increasing its counter-terrorism capabilities, with the overlap of police agency jurisdictions remaining the biggest challenge, according to the latest State Department report on counter-terrorism in BiH, released on April 30, reports the BiH news agency Patria (NAP).

- The influence of violent Islamist and extremist ideologies and regional nationalist violent extremist groups are sources of potential terrorist threats in BiH – the report states, as reported by NAP.

A special part of the report refers to the role of religious communities in the fight against radicalization and violent extremism. The joint work of all four religious communities, Islamic, Catholic, Orthodox, and Jewish, through the Interreligious Council in promoting tolerance and against violent extremism is highlighted.

- Some Muslim leaders have been particularly active in this. The Reis-ul-ulema of the Islamic Community in BiH, Husein ef. Kavazović, on August 23, 2013, in response to reports of individuals going to Syria, delivered a very notable and published sermon in which he condemned the shedding of innocent blood, all forms of violence, and threats. At the same time, he encouraged believers to critically consider whose army they are joining and whose weapons they are holding – the report states, as reported by NAP.

The Counter-Terrorism Task Force, as pointed out by State Department experts, despite budget problems, has continued to operate to improve coordination between the many security and police agencies, and BiH has remained a cooperative partner of the US in the fight against terrorism.

- The overlap of jurisdictions is particularly evident in Sarajevo, where three police agencies have a role in responding to terrorist incidents – SIPA, FUP, and the Cantonal Police. In addition, there is the Directorate for the Coordination of Police Bodies of BiH, which is responsible for securing diplomatic and public facilities. This institution does not have sufficient support from BiH authorities and international organizations – it is stated in the document for 2013, released two days ago by the US Department of State.

The BiH Ministry of Foreign Affairs has consulted with all levels of government to create a better legal framework for a more coordinated response to and prevention of possible attacks.

The law initiated by the former Minister of Security, Fahrudin Radončić, which criminalizes going to foreign battlefields, is also mentioned.

In response to the relatively large number of Bosniaks going to fight in Syria, Radončić proposed a law that punishes citizens who return to BiH after fighting in unrecognized foreign militias. Those who organize and recruit people for these missions are also punished – the State Department states. The convictions of terrorists Mevlid Jašarević and Haris Čaušević are also mentioned, and improved cooperation with Serbia and Croatia in 2013 is highlighted, reports NAP.