For returnees and local breeders, 'Qurban Action' is a big boost

(Patria) - The Islamic Community (IZ) in Bosnia and Herzegovina is carrying out this year's 'Qurban Action' under the motto 'Your Qurban, Our Responsibility', striving to send a message about the Community's responsible approach to what has been entrusted to it.

'With this slogan, the Islamic Community wished to send a clear message to its members, both in the homeland and in the diaspora, that it takes responsibility for their qurban and their obligation to God. This is a message that means a lot to people, and they place their trust in the Community year after year. The Islamic Community makes the necessary efforts and improves its standards every year, responding to all challenges encountered in the action. It is our trust, we are aware of it, and we will do everything in our power to be responsible for what has been entrusted to us,' said Bilal Memišević, head of the Qurban Department at the Directorate for Economic and Financial Affairs of the Riyaset of the Islamic Community, for the MINA Agency.

The action is carried out in strict compliance with Sharia norms and involves a large number of people. Preparations are already underway to ensure the most successful implementation during the Bayram days.

'The Qurban Action is a huge process that involves many people. Our imams and medžlisi are the backbone of this action. They and the infrastructure that the Islamic Community has at its disposal and which has been mobilized for a month are key. Preparations are already being made, and during Bayram, this team of people will be working on implementation, primarily to satisfy God, and then to satisfy all other standards,' explained Memišević.

The action is organized throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina, but primarily in returnee communities and medžlisi, with the aim of directly supporting local breeders for whom livestock farming is the primary source of income.

'For returnees, as well as for all local breeders in Bosnia and Herzegovina, this action is a big boost. Often, as a Community, we are not aware of the effects of this action in terms of supporting domestic production, domestic breeding, and breeders, domestic producers,' he emphasized. He cited data that in the past eight years, since the action has been carried out in this way, more than 43,000 qurbans have been purchased in the areas of the Muftiates of Tuzla and Goražde alone.

'When we multiply this number by the price of a qurban, it shows how much liquid cash we have injected into these areas through the action, to people for whom it means a lot. I really don't see a more concrete project at the state level that invests more and more concretely in this branch of the economy. It is important that this information reaches every person, every Muslim, a member of the Islamic Community, both in the homeland and in the diaspora,' said Memišević.

He particularly emphasized the fact that the Islamic Community is the only one that implements the effects of qurban throughout the year.

'Others implement it for five days, while the Community is actively involved for the other 360 days. In the past four or five years alone, the Community, in cooperation with partners, has processed and provided through its infrastructure to individuals and organizations, those in need, products worth nearly four million KM,' he said. Namely, during Bayram itself, a large part of the meat is distributed to various social, humanitarian, health, and educational institutions. In addition to one-time distributions, the Islamic Community distributes processed meat to institutions and individuals in need throughout the year.

'The results, in terms of how many beneficiaries there are, from the youngest to the oldest, in their third age, speak volumes about the action. We never withdraw qurban meat from returnee areas for processing. All qurbans purchased in returnee areas are sacrificed in those areas, and people who earn daily wages are involved in the sacrifice process. Then, based on information about needs, the Islamic Community meets everyone's needs and provides available quantities of meat,' emphasized Memišević.

The Islamic Community's Qurban Action is one of the most significant forms of support for domestic production and the returnee population.