"State won't meddle in Islamic dispute"

The new leader of Serbia's Muslims says officials promised the state will not interfere in the Islamic community affairs. Adem Zilkic, who was last week appointed reis, or leader, of the organization known as the Islamic Community in Serbia, met with Religion Minister Radomir Naumov (DSS) on Monday. "State won't meddle in Islamic dispute" “Naumov told us that we are a legal institution, and I am its legally elected head, adding that the state will not meddle in the conflict between factions in the Islamic community." "He promised that the state bodies would protect public order and peace and secure religious ceremonies and worshippers,” Zilkic said. “The ultimate goal I set for myself when I took over duties of reis-ul-ulema is to offer a different picture of our Islamic community to the public in Serbia and beyond. We want to show we are advocating a unified Islamic community and peace,” Zilkic added. He stressed that before being elected as the chief mufti, he contacted leaders of the Sandzak Democratic Party (DSP) and the Party of Democratic Action (SDA), Rasim Ljajic and Sulejman Ugljanin respectively, to say that he “will not let them meddle in the business of the Islamic Community in Serbia.” But Novi Pazar followers of the deposed reis, Muamer Zukorlic, will be unhappy to see an apparent endorsement by the state of last week's meeting that deposed him, which another assembly in the town over the weekend declared void. Meanwhile, Labor and Social Policy Minister Rasim Ljajic, seen close to the Zukorlic camp, said that the crisis in the Islamic Community in Serbia was caused “from the outside”, and that the resolution of the conflict must be reached through talks. He accused Ugljanin and his party of causing the crisis, but nevertheless invited the SDA to sit down and talk over the tense situation in Sandzak. “It is completely obvious that Ugljanin’s party started the crisis in the Islamic community. I wish if we could discuss economic, political and security problems in the Sandzak region, and not personnel issues inside the Islamic community. It is not up to political parties,” he said. “We have no other mechanisms but to talk and try to find solutions, all the while expecting that the Islamic Community would be able to handle its problems,” Ljajic stressed. The SDA media office said the party will decide how to act in the wake of Ljajic’s invitation later today, after a meeting of the party’s top officials. A crisis has been brewing in Serbia's southwestern region inhabited by majority Muslims for days. When one group of imams in a Sjenica mosque got in a scuffle with those from the rival faction, they asked for police intervention, to later accuse officers who removed imams and worshippers from the mosque for "brutal behavior." Sunday, an assailant armed with a knife burst into a television studio in Novi Pazar seriously wounding an employee, in protest of the station's interview with one of the rival Muslim community groups. Adem Zilkic, right, in a news conference held Monday in Belgrade (Tanjug)

"State won't meddle in Islamic dispute"

“Naumov told us that we are a legal institution, and I am its legally elected head, adding that the state will not meddle in the conflict between factions in the Islamic community."

"He promised that the state bodies would protect public order and peace and secure religious ceremonies and worshippers,” Zilkić said.

“The ultimate goal I set for myself when I took over duties of reis-ul-ulema is to offer a different picture of our Islamic community to the public in Serbia and beyond. We want to show we are advocating a unified Islamic community and peace,” Zilkić added.

He stressed that before being elected as the chief mufti, he contacted leaders of the Sandžak Democratic Party (DSP) and the Party of Democratic Action (SDA), Rasim Ljajić and Sulejman Ugljanin respectively, to say that he “will not let them meddle in the business of the Islamic Community in Serbia.”

But Novi Pazar followers of the deposed reis, Muamer Zukorlić, will be unhappy to see an apparent endorsement by the state of last week's meeting that deposed him, which another assembly in the town over the weekend declared void.

Meanwhile, Labor and Social Policy Minister Rasim Ljajić, seen close to the Zukorlić camp, said that the crisis in the Islamic Community in Serbia was caused “from the outside”, and that the resolution of the conflict must be reached through talks.

He accused Ugljanin and his party of causing the crisis, but nevertheless invited the SDA to sit down and talk over the tense situation in Sandžak.

“It is completely obvious that Ugljanin’s party started the crisis in the Islamic community. I wish if we could discuss economic, political and security problems in the Sandžak region, and not personnel issues inside the Islamic community. It is not up to political parties,” he said.

“We have no other mechanisms but to talk and try to find solutions, all the while expecting that the Islamic Community would be able to handle its problems,” Ljajić stressed.

The SDA media office said the party will decide how to act in the wake of Ljajić’s invitation later today, after a meeting of the party’s top officials.

A crisis has been brewing in Serbia's southwestern region inhabited by majority Muslims for days. When one group of imams in a Sjenica mosque got in a scuffle with those from the rival faction, they asked for police intervention, to later accuse officers who removed imams and worshippers from the mosque for "brutal behavior."

Sunday, an assailant armed with a knife burst into a television studio in Novi Pazar seriously wounding an employee, in protest of the station's interview with one of the rival Muslim community groups.