‘Days of Waqf in BiH’ and ‘Days of Mawlid and Dhikr’ officially opened in Mostar

(Patria) - Two traditional events of exceptional importance for the Islamic Community in Bosnia and Herzegovina - ‘Days of Waqf in BiH’ and ‘Days of Mawlid and Dhikr’ were officially opened tonight in Mostar.

These events, among other things, announced the ceremonial openings of the renovated Hadži Balina Mosque and Opijačeva Tekke in Mostar, and a mawlid at the Buna Spring, in front of the Blagaj Tekke.

Their multidimensional significance was discussed by the Director of the Waqf Directorate of the Islamic Community in BiH, Dr. Senaid Zajimović, and the Mufti of Mostar, Dr. Salem-ef. Dedović.

The commitment and perseverance of the Islamic Community in Mostar over the past decades in rebuilding destroyed religious buildings, returning waqf property, improving waqf assets and adapting them to the needs of modern society, as Mufti Dedović stated, have resulted in a qualitative shift in its missionary work and organisation.

- Today's role of waqf in Mostar can be compared to the role of waqf in all other periods of this city's development, and it is reflected in its contribution to social superstructure in various spheres of the spiritual, educational, cultural, social, and even economic life of the Muslim community - said the Mufti.

The renovated Hadži Balina Mosque and the Opijačeva Tekke complex, which were almost erased from the memory of Mostar's residents, will also be used for these purposes.

- It should be noted that the city of Mostar itself, during the period of Socialist Yugoslavia, suffered a terrible urbicide and cultural genocide when it comes to Islamic heritage and legacy - nine mosques, three masjids, and all buildings of Mostar's madrasas, except for the Karađoz-bey Mosque, were brutally demolished.

However, Mostar rose like a phoenix from the ashes and showed that its Bosniak, Muslim, and civic patriotic spirit is unbreakable and invincible. It showed this in the 1990s of the last century, and it shows it today, when the current generation of its Bosniaks and all other justice-loving people decides to persistently fight for dignity and equality - says the Mufti.

In a similar way, the value and function of waqf were interpreted by Director Zajimović, who said that speaking about waqfs does not mean speaking only about buildings and archives, but about values that endure, about a legacy that obliges.

- We are talking about faith turned into deed, about a bridge between the present and eternity, about the invisible traces of those who believed that what is given – remains. We are especially pleased that we are opening the event here, in Herzegovina, where waqf awareness is deeply embedded in the fabric of the social community.

Herzegovina has, over the centuries, produced exceptional waqifs - people who built mosques, inns, bridges, madrasas, tekkes, and fountains - said Zajimović.

He added that in today's time of sensitive social and political circumstances, the renewal and presence of the Islamic Community in Herzegovina is not only a cultural obligation but also a strategic task.

- Our dedication is not symbolic; it is both visible and concrete, rooted and directed towards the future. In the past years, and through this year's event, we witness this through the renovation of the Opijačeva Tekke in Mostar, through the re-erection of the Hadži Balina Mosque, and through the renovation of the Dugalića Mosque in Nevesinje – a waqf from the 17th century, which represents a pillar of the spiritual presence of Muslims in eastern Herzegovina - said Zajimović.

The mentioned buildings, as he stated, are not just structures but also visible signs of identity, memory, shared responsibility, messages of survival, dignity, and faith that does not disappear even when attempts are made to erase it.

He announced that, as part of the program of this year's event ‘Days of Waqf in BiH’, the restored Behram-beg Mosque in Tuzla will be officially opened, the reconstruction of the clock tower in Banja Luka and the masjid in Galčići will begin, followed by the restoration of the monumental Ali Pasha Mosque in Sarajevo.

- In this process, we must not forget our friends either. We owe exceptional gratitude to the General Directorate of Waqfs of the Republic of Turkey, which has for years consistently and generously supported the restoration and preservation of waqf heritage in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Their support is not only an expression of institutional partnership but also a sign of deep spiritual and historical connection – a shared awareness of the values that have shaped us - Zajimović emphasised.

The announced ceremonial opening of the Opijačeva Tekke has beautifully adorned the programs of the jubilee 50th religious-cultural event ‘Days of Mawlid and Dhikr’, from the reactivation of the tradition of reciting mawlid at the Tekke on the Buna Spring and the gathering of believers at the large traditional prayer gathering of Bosnian-Herzegovinian Muslims.

- The prayer gathering at the Buna Spring, in Blagaj, for Bosniaks in Herzegovina, who have carried the burden of terrible aggression on their shoulders, but still endure enormous pressures in all segments of their lives and organisation, when rigid hegemonic policies in this area seek to limit their freedoms and rights, represents a unique annual assembly that gives them enthusiasm and inspiration to continue persistently developing all forms of their rich identity and devising long-term programs for their survival - Mufti Dedović emphasised in his concluding remarks.

Both of these events, at the ceremony attended by numerous officials from religious, political, cultural, and public life in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and a delegation from the Republic of Turkey led by the General Director of the General Directorate of Waqfs, Sinan Aksu, were officially opened by the Reis-ul-ulema of the Islamic Community in BiH, Dr. Husein-ef. Kavazović.