Bosnia’s Islamic leader calls for ‘force’ against extremists
uslims make up about 40 percent of Bosnia’s 3.8 million people
Bosnia’s Islamic spiritual leader said Friday that authorities should stop extremists “by force” after two of members of the country’s military were gunned down in a suspected “terrorist act.”
The military men were killed on Wednesday night when a man attacked them with automatic weapons near a barracks in Sarajevo before blowing himself up.
“I urge the authorities to stop by force (the actions of) those who spread hatred and call for terror,” said Grand Mufti Husein Kavazovic in a sermon delivered before hundreds of faithful in the main mosque in Sarajevo.
“The villains do not represent anyone of faith and above all they do not belong to our community of goodness and peace. Having compassion for them is a sin,” he said.
“It is now necessary that we all rise up and do not allow evil to conquer us.”
Authorities have said that the perpetrator of Wednesday night’s killings had links to extremist circles and that the attack was almost certainly a “terrorist act.”
Muslims make up about 40 percent of Bosnia’s 3.8 million people while the rest of the Balkan country is mostly Serb Orthodox or Catholic.
The vast majority of Bosnian Muslims are moderates but a tiny minority openly support radical Wahhabism.
After the deadly Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) attacks in Paris a week ago, Kavazovic urged Europe’s Muslims to keep the peace, saying the killings were a “sin towards God.”
-
Pope Francis in Bosnia with peace message
The trip to Sarajevo comes 20 years after the end of a 1992-95 war that ripped the Balkan state apart World News -
Man who fought in Syria detained in Bosnia over police killing
The assailant, 24-year-old Muslim Bosniak Nerdin Ibric, was killed in an exchange of fire as he stormed into the police station World News -
Gunman kills Bosnian policeman in apparent Islamist attack
Gunman attacks police station in eastern Bosnia in "the worst terrorism attack that could happen in the Serb Republic." World News -
Muslim family carves chair for Pope Francis’ Bosnia visit
Hajdarovac, 61, and his 33-year-old son Edin, both devout Muslims, started working on the chair on Monday in their little workshop Variety -
EU reopens Bosnia’s path toward eventual membership
The implementation of the agreement entails increased EU assistance to Bosnia World News -
Bosnia donates 500 tons of ammunition to Iraq
Bosnia’s tripartite presidency agreed the donation on a U.S. request that Bosnia join the coalition against ISIS World News -
Bosnia arrests suspected militants on way to Syria
Some suspects were arrested at Sarajevo airport, the others were stopped at border crossings Middle East -
Bosnia’s Muslim top cleric slams Mohammed cartoon
Kavazovic last week condemned the deadly attack January 7 against the French weekly that left 12 people dead World News -
Bosnian indicted over recruiting militants for Syria and Iraq
Husein Bosnic, known as an unofficial leader of the ultra-conservative Salafist movement in Bosnia, was arrested in September World News