Ahmed-beg Salihbegović Mosque in Bijeljina Inaugurated: 'This is a Return of Dignity, Identity and Hope'

(Patria) - On the site where for years only an illegally set-up market and painful memories stood, today the beauty of Bijeljina stands again - the Ahmed-beg Salihbegović Mosque.



Built in the mid-19th century, and destroyed in the whirlwind of aggression against Bosnia and Herzegovina on March 13, 1993, this mosque was for decades a symbol of the uprooted identity of the Bosniak people in Semberija.

Its reconstruction and ceremonial opening today mark the return of justice and the return of the spiritual and cultural identity of Bosniaks in this part of Bosnia and Herzegovina.



Minister for Human Rights and Refugees of Bosnia and Herzegovina Sevlid Hurtić attended this significant event and addressed those present on that occasion.

- The reconstruction of the Ahmed-beg Salihbegović Mosque is not just an architectural work, it is an act of returning dignity, identity and hope. This mosque is a witness that even after destruction, exile and attempts at erasure, life and truth always return.



Today we send a message that return and coexistence are possible, that it is our duty to nurture peace, respect and a shared future in Bosnia and Herzegovina - said Hurtić.

The Ahmed-beg Salihbegović Mosque is the third restored mosque in Bijeljina, continuing the process of restoring the cultural and historical heritage of the Bosniak people in Semberija, but also strengthening trust and reconciliation among all citizens.



The return of this mosque, after more than three decades of exile, represents a symbol of the strength of faith, unity and perseverance to build a society in Bosnia and Herzegovina where all peoples and traditions have their place and respect.