European Muslim-Jewish Council Assembly in Strasbourg: Mufti Grabus presented a copy of the Sarajevo Haggadah to Rabbi Goldschmidt

(Patria) - Sarajevo Mufti Prof. Dr. Nedžad-ef. Grabus and Mufti for Western Europe Senad-ef. Kobilica participated in the Assembly of the European Muslim-Jewish Council, which was held on February 9 and 10 in Strasbourg.

Sessions discussed administrative, project, and current issues important for the council's work, with a special focus on Islamophobia, antisemitism, and how Jewish and Muslim organizations in Europe respond to discrimination, the growing challenge of societal polarization, and the narrowing of religious rights and freedoms.

In his address, Mufti Kobilica particularly emphasized the importance of maintaining continuous contact at the local level and in situations where interlocutors do not agree on all issues.

He cited the example of Norway, where contact was maintained through various programs even during difficult periods and crisis situations.

Mufti Grabus spoke about the importance of clear differentiation in advocating for religious rights, the rule of law, and respecting diverse expressions of religiosity, as well as the problem of populism and the implications of geopolitical changes on the global stage for issues concerning Islamophobia and antisemitism.

On this occasion, Mufti Grabus presented Chief Rabbi Pinchas Goldschmidt with a copy of the Sarajevo Haggadah as a symbol of shared Jewish-Muslim heritage in Europe.

In cooperation with the Mayor of Strasbourg, Ms. Jeanne Barseghian, and the Deputy Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Mr. Bjorn Berge, the European Muslim-Jewish Council organized a panel discussion on February 10, 2026, on the topic "Shared Responsibilities: Local Government and Religious Leadership in Combating Hate Speech in Europe".

In this panel, Mufti Grabus presented the problem of hate speech manifested through political action, the denial of the committed genocide in Srebrenica, and the increased problem of Islamophobia.

He emphasized that minority groups and the indigenous European Muslim community in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which has survived genocide, are particularly vulnerable, and underscored the importance of the continuous fight against Islamophobia and antisemitism as a shared obligation of the Islamic Community and the Jewish Community in Europe.