Honored guests,
Truly we live in a very sensitive time to cohabit with many ethnic communities that have inherited many religions. This has made for years to build a cohabitation which was built by believing in each other, giving room to the other states having a different religion and belonging to a different ethnic community.
But unfortunately, we as contemporary era inheritors, seems unworthy heirs the common surviving goods in general.
In our time and country is increasingly marginalization of Islam and the Islamic Religious Community. With this is done early segregation and then comes to discrimination against religious rights and freedoms of the representatives of Islam.
When I say this, most of you will probably give you a look that I say things verbally and also only in the declarative form, but I will argue that the actions based on many years in this space where we live and feel that the situations that arise as a result the Carnival of Vevcani are the consequences of such continually conduct by state institutions and the Government of Macedonia.
In these days we all talk about consequences, but to reduce this pike impression that seems a more thorough to look at them was thrown reasons why this happens.
Project-Skopje 2014 definitely proved to be one-nation and one-religion project in the heart of the interethnic and international metropolis in where live more confessions in Macedonia. Burmali mosque along with Stone Bridge founders of urbanization on the right side of the river Vardar. The corner stone of Burmali mosque advocated the design of the Skopje square until militant Serb structure in 1925 demolished it and build a militant monument at the foundations of a spiritual temple. Today, with the money of the all citizens of Macedonia on the square are given content may have some sense to be here, but for somebody this is meaningless, and for that they refused and disable building of the Mosque Burmali in its historic location.
This represents only weakness and intolerance towards Islam and its presence in the square.
-Burned Charshi mosque in Prilep 2001, as an expression of vengeance upon the weak and defenseless citizens, Muslims in Prilep and at the only Islamic spiritual beacon in Prilep its ignition by the still unidentified crowds and almost two centuries deliberately impeding its restoration as a spiritual Center for Islam and the presence of Islamic culture in that part of a monument of culture despite the developed projects of the Institute for Protection of Monuments of Prilep, the audit of the National Conservation Centre, with twice so far issued decisions of the Office for protection of national heritage despite Memorandum of Understanding with the Ministry of Culture, deposit of money from the Islamic Community in the cashier of the State for the same purpose, announcing the tender and selection of contractor to prejudice conceived by local potentates certainly supported by the central government of its restoration. Islamophobia par-excellence.
-Giving a location to build a new headquarters and residence of the Islamic Religious Community, despite the Government’s decision on priority, despite many meetings with the Minister of Transport and Communications, although it is not exposed to financial costs with our money to develop detailed urban plan for an entire neighborhood, three years just lie and certainly thought that we are naïve and inadequate.
-Sanctification of public facilities by only one religious community at their commencement of building or their opening, and those structures are built with funds from the state budget and will serve to all citizens of the Republic, and this represent a discrimination and insult in the feelings of Muslims.
-Even though no specific law as part of the law on Higher Education Accreditation of higher education institutions of religious communities, the two theological faculties of both religious communities started the procedure for that purpose and one received despite temporary and permanent accreditation, and faculty of Islamic sciences is still with interim accreditation, although eligible to obtain accreditation. Former Minister Todorov twice refused to sign it.
-Skopje Castle-Kale presents an archaeological area site with multi-layer cultural heritage and international standards archaeological heritage expose yet and as such are present. Pushing on the historical plaque to rebuild old spiritual religious objects, while the other structure can not be done, represents ethnic and religious discrimination. We should leave the Kale to be a fortress, with its total archeology that shall be open book for everyone.
-Knowingly obstructing the competent institutions of denationalization of capital facilities of the Islamic Community that were owned until 1944 and have Turkish title deeds, and other old Yugoslav certificates for their ownership property, which with solutions of the Communist System of deducting them from ICM represents a consciously damaging the Islam and Muslims, citing only the Law on Old Bazaar which does not allow ownership of physical entities. It was adopted many years later by the Restitution Act which distort facts. Instructing attorney solely to appealing decisions on IRC who make commissions bonds completely obstruct restitution of our property. This is only part of the problems and issues that ICM is facing, and with no solution to them those failing overall relations in the country.
Dear friends, Carnival in Vevcani represents the segment talking about confirmed insult the feelings of Muslims. It is humiliating and denigrating Islam and the holiest of the holy book Quran. It is an attack on honesty of the Muslim woman. This is not to ridicule religious officials, officers of the IRC, any business activities of the IRC, but it is causing insult to the faith, it is most sensitive issue of Islam. To rename the Qur’an (Kuran – Kuron) with sexual organ I think you will agree is vulgar and that is beneath the dignity of man. To replace the thesis is very dangerous. Carnival is the pagan need for someone, for someone cultural value, and it does not interest us.
But do not insult and then declared that we are naïve and did not understand cultural values, it really comes from rational. Therefore we believe that all these things are not random in question is the process of Islamophobia with a touch of anti-Islamism.
However, we remain dignified in the spirit of Islamic teachings. And so here and the general public to say that the protest of the IRC in Struga is not a game of politics, but just need to be alerted the public to prevent such negative processes. All those well-intentioned who have supported this protest, they practically give strong support for equal and an equal coexistence. All those wishing to profit from that protest, they actually want to harm Islam and all subsequent events ICM condemns and hope that the perpetrators are members of Islam because he raises the hand of religious shrine in fact at that moment may not be part or member of Islam.
Qur’an clearly emphasizes the need for cooperation especially with the followers of published books Tevrat and Indzhil (Torah and Evalgelie) and when he addresses the Muslim explains that Christians with the faith are closest to Muslims, because among them there are priests and monks who call to believe in one God.
Known event of the second Khalifa of the Islamic State Omer Ibn Hattab, who when he received the keys of Jerusalem, Patriarch of Jerusalem had suggested religious prayers (prayer) to perform in the cathedral church in accordance with Islamic Regulations if is possible, however, aware of the position currently performs the prayer outside the cathedral church of open space with the conclusion that it is not forbidden to worship the same as my Muslim, but it will be after 100 or 200 years when it may appear that someone has to fully understand the essence of Islam and says Halifata Omer who worshiped in the Cathedral, come on now to demolish the church and on her foundation to build a mosque. See also our ancestors kept religious shrines and temples of other religions today with confidence and we are proud in Macedonia there are over 1,800 churches and monasteries and the most beautiful for sure were restored or built during the Islamic rule, or at least were currently held in that period. But the mosque was such a situation exactly one century after the Balkan wars to fund mosques today’s lower half.
Dear friends, let sincerely from the heart to each other not to hinder, let not offend, let mosques and other Islamic cultural heritage to be kept and protected and they reconstructed where necessary with the same passion and love like that work for other religious objects.
Let God help us all for the sake of Macedonia and beautiful future for next generations.
Rijaset the Islamic Religious Community
P.S
This attitude is IRC delivered to the head of state, Mr. George IVANOV, and is presented before the Committee on Interethnic Relations in the Assembly of RM
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