Post by Bozur on Oct 29, 2008 1:59:45 GMT -5
Muslims call for new unity efforts in Balkans
Chief muftis of Balkan countries agreed that Balkan Muslims were made orphans after the retreat of the Ottomans, underlining new unity efforts must be speeded up.
Monday, 27 October 2008 17:08
The IHH-organized Balkan Symposium that focused on envisioning future in the Balkans lasted for two days.
Chief muftis of nine Balkan countries who for the first gathered together discussed significant issues. The chief muftis said ideologies that prioritize ethnic and religious differences are problematic and the restoration of the Ottoman model that was based on peace and tolerance would contribute to peace in the region.
Problems and future of Balkan Muslims was discussed during Balkan Symposium that was held at Istanbul Grand Cevahir Hotel. Chief muftis of Bosnia-Herzegovina, Serbia, Albania, Macedonia, Bulgaria and Greece gathered together at the IHH-organized symposium after long years.
Delivering the opening speech, IHH President Bülent Yıldırım said Turkey should strengthen its historical and cultural relations with Muslims in the Balkans again to reassert itself in the region. Yıldırım stated Balkan Muslims have long been neglected and said the symposium aimed to bring up the situation of the Balkans and Balkan Muslims.
Global actors are trying to carry out various scenarios in the Balkans, Yıldırım said, adding "Turkey has the potential to prevent global games being played in the Balkans. It could contribute to peace in the region. This is what 12 million Muslims in the Balkans want."
The first session was headed by Professor Mehmet Görmez, deputy president of the Turkish Directorate of Religious Affairs. Guest muftis stated Balkan Muslims were made orphans after the retreat of the Ottomans from the region and suffered much damage during the rule of the Communist Yugoslavia. Clerics recalled numerous mosques, madrasahs and schools were destroyed in the past and said they could only begin recovering after the collapse of Yugoslavia. They stressed the significance of improving political, economic and cultural relations with Turkey and asked for Turkey's help to recover.
Mustafa Çeriç, chief mufti of Bosnia-Herzegovina, said Bosnians were accused of extremism after they converted to Islam. "The stronger and freer Turkey becomes the stronger and freer we become. Turkey is like a mother to us, though we are not aware of it," Çeriç said. The chief mufti suggested founding a joint council with Turkey to research Ottoman cultural legacy and problems of Balkan Muslims. "We might have mistakes in the past; we want to be forgiven and we have to admit our mistakes," he added.
Çeriç drew attention to the function of Turkish colleges in the Balkans and suggested establishment of Gazi Hüsrev University. Çeriç stated the university would contribute to the settlement of problems of Balkan Muslims.
Ottoman Empire: a liberal power in the Balkans
Selim Muça, head of the Albania Muslim Community, said nobody was forcefully Islamized or Ottomanized during the Ottoman reign and the Ottoman Empire pursued a liberal and tolerant policy. However, Muslims were subjected to assimilation, Islamic monuments were destroyed and tolerant policies were replaced by tyranny during the Communist rule of Yugoslavia, Muça said, adding "The tolerant period in the Balkans and eastern Europe that lasted for five centuries was a good example of the Islamic lifestyle. The presence of followers of different religions and members of different ethnic groups was a distinguishing feature of the Ottoman Empire from the Medieval Age Europe. However, everything started to change after the withdrawal of the Ottomans from the Balkans. Anti-religion practices of the communist regime put enormous pressure on Muslim people. Even Islamic monuments suffered extensive damage in the communist era. Figures of the Albania Muslim Community show that there were 1667 mosques and masjids that were built in the Ottoman period in Albania until 1939. Communist administrations destroyed or altered some of these structures. A certain number of them were spared to be displayed as cultural monument."
Balkan Muslims lost their guardian
Muammer Zukorliç, chief mufti of Serbia, said "After the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, Balkan Muslims faced constant genocide and oppression, and were deprived of their human rights particularly in the countries where they were in minority. The Islamic identity and five-century long Ottoman legacy were the main reasons why Balkan Muslims faced discrimination. Srebrenica massacre was the most violent crime committed against Muslims. Leader of the forces that perpetrated the massacre General Ratko Mladic confessed, saying 'This is a revenge on Turks.' This is show of animosity. Balkan Muslims are forced to flee their own country more than ever."
Clash of civilizations unacceptable
Peace in the Balkans could only be achieved through dialogue, Zukorliç said, adding "Balkan lands, which have been a scene for battles for long centuries, could become a platform for coexistence. It is the will and wish of local actors that could make this transformation. Why not turning the Balkans into a place where different religions, culture and nations coexist, and interests of all reconcile? We should put into effect the Balkan model of the Ottomans. Modern man cannot accept allegations of Francis Fukuyama and Samuel Huntington who claim civilizations are helpless against clashes. Many people believe social life and harmony among people could only be achieved through dialogue. Therefore, today everyone calls for dialogue."
Balkan Muslims a bridge between the East and the West
Zukorliç stated Balkan Muslims could be a bridge between the East and the West, and added, "Therefore, Muslim Balkan communities and particularly their representatives should be aware of this responsibility. Because the quality of religious organizations and relations they form will have influential results in regards to the future of Muslims and Islam in Europe. The century-long organization experience of Islamic communities of the Balkans has shown that the Islamic lifestyle and institutions are establishing foundations for the protection of the Muslim identity. Strong Islamic institutions are significant to minority Muslim communities, particularly to Muslim people who do not have their own nation states."
Only Muslims suffered from communism
Süleyman Recebi, head of the Macedonia Islamic Union, said Islam was the key to problems of the modern world. He said, "Macedonian religious life is well-organized and is smoothly progressing. The removal of anti-religion pressure and propaganda that was widespread during the old communist period has brought about positive changes in thoughts of Muslims. The new democratic conditions have generated the opportunity to prove to the modern man who continuously degenerates that Islam is the only way out from his impasse. Drug use, alcohol addiction, prostitution, trafficking in human, homosexuality, etc are some of the global dangers facing the modern world. As Muslims we should make good use of this opportunity."
Aliş: Balkan Muslims made orphan by the fall of the Ottomans
Mustafa Aliş, chief mufti of Bulgaria, said Bulgarian Muslims were the first Muslim community made orphan by the withdrawal of the Ottoman Empire from the Balkans. "The population of the Bulgarian Muslim community is about 1.5 million. There are over 1,200 mosques and 200 masjids in Bulgaria. The policy of the Bulgarian government is to force Muslims to migrate from urban centers to rural regions and cut rural Muslim population's access to education. Thus, majority of Muslims reside in villages and live on farming and livestock breeding. A small number of Muslims founded businesses after the communist regime ended. The government's refusal to return properties of Muslim foundations is one of the most serious problems of the Bulgarian Muslim community. Muslims are not allowed to use a large number of mosques and madrasahs. The Bulgarian government has declared them state property. Followers of the Protestant Christian denominations such as Evangelism, Methodism and Jehovah's Witnesses are active in Bulgaria. They particularly target Muslim Roma people. The unofficial population of Roma people in Bulgaria is estimated to be around one million people. The majority of them were Muslim until a decade ago; however, the majority is believed to be Christian today."
Problems of the Balkans should be brought up
Speaking during the session, Murat Mercan, head of the foreign affairs commission at the Turkish parliament, said "We should put problems of the Balkans on the world and European agendas."
Mercan stated all works done to this end are important and thanked the IHH for organizing the Balkan Symposium.
"Nobody in Turkey was well aware of the developments in the Balkans until a few years ago. Bosnian mufti Mustafa Çeriç asked us yesterday 'where we were.' Not only Bosnians but also other Balkans peoples are asking this question. We should establish stronger bridges with the Balkans," he said.
Nationalism caused break-up in Islamic world
Speaking after Mercan, head of Macedonia's Clemency Association Adnan İsmaili said nationalism caused decomposition and break-up in the Islamic world. He said "Muslim society was poisoned by the nation state building process. We have yet to find a solution to this problem that we have been discussing and writing about for over two centuries. Cultural and political harmony was disrupted by the rise of nationalism in the Islamic world. The disruption of economic life served as an obstacle to the development of Muslim countries."
İsmaili stressed the significance of influence of caliphate to bring together the Islamic world and recalled Balkan Muslims were deprived of a significant source of moral and spiritual support with the abolishment of the caliphate.
Islam should be the unifying element among Muslims
Former mufti of Zenitsa Halil Mehti, stated Christians, after the retreat of the Ottomans, resorted to any means including massacre to remove Muslims from the Balkans, but failed due to fierce resistance from the Muslims.
Mehtiç highlighted the importance of cooperation among Muslims communities and added, "Islam, which is the primary and essential unifying element among ethnic groups with different origins and languages, should be the foundation of cooperation among Muslim communities. Such cooperation model could serve as an ideal vehicle to bring together Balkan peoples."
Turkey should establish television station for the Balkans
Mehdiç suggested Turkey could establish a television station that will broadcast in Balkan languages. He stated the station would contribute to the education and rapprochement among Balkan peoples.
Head of the Union of Turkish Civil Society Organizations in Macedonia Süleymen Baki said the Ottoman notion of foundation (waqf) in the Balkans should be revisited. He added "After the Ottoman established their rule in the Balkans following 1389, they started to build Turkish-Islamic culture and protected the existing cultures. They brought the culture of foundation to the Balkans. There are over 300,000 documents in Turkish prime ministry archives concerning foundation and problems of foundations in Skopje. Muslims communities of the Balkans perpetuated the culture of foundation and association even after the Ottoman retreated from the region in 1921."
Communist reign cut ties with historical legacy
Head of Albania's Admeria Association Tahir Zenelhasani said Albanian youths lost their ties with historical legacy and Islam during the Communist reign that followed the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, and added work should be done in every field to win back the youth.
"The loss of the historical bond with the Islamic legacy is the most serious problem facing the building of a Muslim community in Albania and communication with the entire population. The disengagement came as a result of the banning of religion during the Communist period and the adoption of modernist ideas and tendencies by the Albanian culture elites after the withdrawal of the Ottomans from the Balkans. The disregard for the Islamic legacy resulted in the loss of religious identity inherited from ancestors and brought forth a chaotic situation that prevents the formation of a religious identity even today. This situation has cut the ties with the quarter of the society that still has ties with the Islamic legacy," Zenelhasani said.
The symposium ended with papers presented on the second day and participants were given books containing the papers presented during the symposium.
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