Sultan Selimov Mosque has always been 100% owned by the Islamic Community

(Patria) - Prompted by unfounded reactions from a segment of the public, the Majlis of the Islamic Community in Mostar feels obliged to argue for 100% ownership of the Sultan Selimov Mosque, located in the immediate vicinity of the Old Bridge.

The facility was built as a mosque, a place of worship, as can be seen, and its interior features three characteristic architectural elements of pronounced sacredness: a mihrab, a minbar, and a mahfil, from which it can be further inferred what purpose that space served.

– Although the Islamic Community was not in a position to use this facility in the two previous state-legal arrangements, in accordance with its own normative acts, the facility has always been registered in the land registries of Mostar as 1/1 property of the Islamic Community and has never changed owners. Informed by the experience that the public does not tend to question this, we consider it important to remind once again of the fact, which anyone who wishes can verify, that in terms of property rights, the facility is still categorized as such today – states the press release from the Majlis of Mostar.

In this regard, the Majlis reminds the public of the provisions of the valid Law on Real Rights, Article 17, Paragraph 1, which states: "Ownership is a real right that gives the owner the authority to freely possess, use, and dispose of the thing according to their will, and to exclude everyone else from this right within the limits defined by law". ("Official Gazette of the Federation of BiH", No. 66/13 (28.8.2013) and Law Amending the Law on Real Rights of FBiH "Official Gazette of the Federation of BiH", No. 100/13 (18.12.2013))

– Furthermore, we believe that through a press release, which we have done due to the specifics of the administrative dispute, we have the right to remind members of the Islamic Community of the provisions of the Sharia legal solution of the fetva-i-emin, as a norm of Islamic moral criteria, by which we have in no way subordinated Sharia law to state laws and the secular nature of the constitutional order of Bosnia and Herzegovina, which individuals on social networks or political groups tend to attribute to us without success, trying to gain cheap political points in this way.

Reminding members of the Islamic Community of the provisions of the fatwa, in relation to the laws of the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina, is nothing more than a reminder of the regulated code of conduct and action of its members. This fact is self-evident and known to every socially responsible citizen of this country – the statement adds.

It is also stated that the position of the Islamic Community in BiH on the secular, civic order of the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina is a constant that is equally binding in the work and operations of each of its bodies or legal entities.

Moreover, the Islamic Community persistently insists on signing an agreement with the state, which has not happened despite decades of effort.

– In the process of reactivating the Sultan Selimov Mosque, all valid laws of Bosnia and Herzegovina and provisions are on the side of the Majlis of the Islamic Community Mostar, and there is no "case" here. It is merely a slightly more specific administrative dispute with an unauthorized user and nothing more. Along with the press release, we are attaching the land registry extract (ZK) issued by the Land Registry Office in Mostar on September 3, 2005 – the press release states.