The Islamic Community in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) has been waiting for years for the approval of the Presidency of BiH for the final initialing of the agreement with the state of BiH.
The answer to this question, they say from the Rijaset of Islamic Community BiH, is now familiar to the member of the Presidency of BiH from the Republika Srpska (RS) entity,Milorad Dodik, who is the only one who opposes the signing of this agreement.
Sefik Dzaferovic and Zeljko Komsic, the Bosniak and Croat members of the Presidency agree and approve the signing of the mentioned agreement.
Thus, the Islamic Community in BiH is the only religious community that still does not have a contract with the state, which obliges both parties to certain obligations and rights.
It all started back in 2011 when the Council of Ministers of BiH reached a conclusion and instructed the Ministry of Human Rights and Refugees to make a proposal for the basis for conducting negotiations with the Islamic Community. After agreement at the level of expert teams in 2015, this agreement was unanimously adopted by the Council of Ministers and forwarded to the Presidency of BiH for approval. But, the problem starts from then on.
Mladen Ivanic and Dragan Covic, who voted against Bakir Izetbegovic’s proposal that the issue be discussed on the agenda of the session, also had certain objections to the consideration of the agreement.
“So far, I have repeatedly asked the BiH Presidency to adopt a state agreement with the Islamic Community. Each time the obstacle was Milorad Dodik’s opposition, without a clear and well-argued explanation. The Islamic Community has the same rights as other religious communities and cannot be held hostage by politics. There is nothing disputable in the proposed text of the Agreement and I will continue to insist on this issue until the Agreement is adopted, ” Dzaferovic told for Preporod.
“Religious issues are of particular importance in a multi-confessional country such as BiH and must be approached in the context of efforts to reconcile and freedom of religion. It is up to BiH institutions to resolve this issue and find an appropriate solution,” it was said by the Office of the High Representative (OHR) in BiH, Klix.ba writes.
E.Dz.
