SARAJEVO, SEPTEMBER 19 (ONASA) – The Association of Scholars of the Islamic Community (IZ) in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which brings together imams, muallims, employees of the Islamic Community, and religious teachers, muderris and professors of Islamic faculties, is celebrating its 111th anniversary in September and October with a series of activities of existence and operation, reports MINA.
As the president of the Nesib-ef Association stated for the MINA Agency. Hadžić, the creation of this association in 1912 was the need and expression of the then imams, religious teachers, Sharia kadis, to unite in order to articulate their views, aspirations and problems they had.
“Already then, they understood that they had to unite in order to make their voice heard, so that they could express some needs and express certain attitudes towards third parties. Especially to make their voice heard against the current government. With the arrival of Austria-Hungary, imams were still in a certain transition area. The environment in which the imams worked changed significantly with the departure of the Turkish government. “The Ilmijje Association has included in its statutory tasks that it will fight for the rights of imams, religious teachers, kadis, and all those who were members of the Association at the time,” said Hadžić.
The Ilmijje Association had different roles in different periods, Hadžić added, because the political and social circumstances were different, and the environment in which they worked shaped the work of the Association.
“There were different ways of acting, but it is certain that the Ilmija Association was dedicated to providing support to imams and other members in their missionary work. There were periods when the Association did not work at full capacity, there were name changes, but the idea, the essence, remained the same. I especially want to emphasize that the statutory tasks determined at the first assembly of the Association of Scientists in 1912 are still such, because they are universal, they have a universal message related to the class that we represent”, said Hadžić.
He also spoke about the role of the Ilmije Association in the time we live in today.
“The Association of Scholars of the Islamic Community is set up in a different way today compared to earlier periods, precisely because of what I said earlier – because society, as a living process, traces the work of the Association in a certain way. Today, the Association operates in a free, democratic society, it is positioned within the Islamic community, but completely free, it has its own structure, its own committees, its own bodies. We have a partnership relationship with the Islamic community, because we are part of the Islamic community. But this liberal, free relationship contributes to the emergence of creative ideas through the Association, which resulted in various projects”, he stressed.
He added that by appointment they are there, both throughout history and today, to point out the problems of imams and other members, and to give suggestions on how to solve them.
“Through its activities, the ilmija association has the opportunity to investigate problems, to work in a more sensitive way on the education of imams and their preparation for new challenges, which are many, and to propose certain solutions to the Rijaset of the Islamic Community,” he said.
Nesib-ef. Hadžić also announced that the first activity in the framework of the 111th anniversary celebration is the promotion of the book “The Imams of Srebrenica 1992-1995 – memorization as a vow and admonition” by the author Alija Efendije Jusić, which will be held tomorrow, September 20, in Gazi Husrev-bey’s library in Sarajevo, starting at 14:30.
“This year, we are starting a little earlier, with the promotion of this important book. Alija-ef. Jusić was an imam in Srebrenica during that period, later a military imam, currently retired. Together with the Institute for Social and Religious Research and the Gazi Husrev-bey Library, we have prepared a slightly different promotion, which will be done with narrators, actors, we will show some clips from that period in Srebrenica. It will be pleasant to follow this promotion and I invite everyone who wants to hear the story of the imams of Srebrenica to attend,” said Hadžić.
After the promotion of the book in Sarajevo, a series of other activities will follow in several locations.
“I am glad that every year we have more and more content within the framework of celebrating the anniversary of the Association. This year we will have about seven or eight activities, which deserve a little more attention. I am glad that our committees on the ground organize certain contents and point to the fact that it is the 111th anniversary, but also that we are expanding activities at the level of the Main Committee, because the Association certainly has something to say and show”, concluded Nesib-ef. Hadzic.
The ceremonial academy on the occasion of the 111th anniversary of the Association of Scholars of the Islamic Community will be held on September 28 in Gazi Husrev-bey’s library, starting at 14:00. (end)