U.S. ambassador visits Sandžak

U.S. Ambassador to Serbia Cameron Munter hosted a traditional Ramadan dinner in Novi Pazar on Tuesday. The dinner was attended by representatives of religious, political and non-governmental organizations, as well as Muslim community representatives. U.S. ambassador visits Sandzak Munter read out a message from U.S. President George Bush, who said that the U.S. wanted to build stronger bridges with the Muslim community and hoped it would achieve unity. Munter noted that Serbia would face many challenges in the coming period and promised that the U.S., as its friend, would do everything to help. Islamic community Mufti Muamer Zukorlic said that the Muslim month of fasting symbolized the discipline of body and spirit, and the striving for order and harmony. “Disorder in the heart and the head means disorder in the family and society, and that in turn leads to violence which is evil for all,” he said. The dinner was attended by representatives from the List for Sandzak headed by Sulejman Ugljanin, Sandzak Democratic Party leader Rasim Ljajic and representatives from other Bosniak political parties and Novi Pazar, Sjenica and Tutin local self-government institutions. The newly elected Reis of the Belgrade-based Serbian Islamic Community Adem Zilkic did not attend. The meeting came amid growing tensions in the region between the two factions of the Serbian Muslims. On Tuesday, their political representatives, Sulejman Ugljanin and Rasim Ljajic, issued a statement, calling for calm and a resolution of the problem within the Islamic Community, based on its religious rules and without an involvement of political parties. The two largest political organizations in Sandzak issued a joint appeal to all ethnic Muslims to demonstrate full responsibility and not to allow tension to be caused in any way, jeopardizing public order and peace, the Serbian government said in a statement The initiative for the joint release came from Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica. "All of the problems that have appeared in the functioning of the Islamic Community have to be solved without any interference of political parties and only in keeping with the rules that apply within the Islamic community," the two parties said in their statement forwarded to Tanjug new agency. "We are strongly opposed to every form of violence in solving the problems and we particularly insist and warn that citizens and worshippers that they must not be implicated in any type of conflict regarding these problems," the two Sandzak parties said in their joint statement.

U.S. ambassador visits Sandžak

Munter read out a message from U.S. President George Bush, who said that the U.S. wanted to build stronger bridges with the Muslim community and hoped it would achieve unity.

Munter noted that Serbia would face many challenges in the coming period and promised that the U.S., as its friend, would do everything to help.

Islamic community Mufti Muamer Zukorlić said that the Muslim month of fasting symbolized the discipline of body and spirit, and the striving for order and harmony.

“Disorder in the heart and the head means disorder in the family and society, and that in turn leads to violence which is evil for all,” he said.

The dinner was attended by representatives from the List for Sandžak headed by Sulejman Ugljanin, Sandžak Democratic Party leader Rasim Ljajić and representatives from other Bosniak political parties and Novi Pazar, Sjenica and Tutin local self-government institutions.

The newly elected Reis of the Belgrade-based Serbian Islamic Community Adem Zilkić did not attend.

The meeting came amid growing tensions in the region between the two factions of the Serbian Muslims.

On Tuesday, their political representatives, Sulejman Ugljanin and Rasim Ljajić, issued a statement, calling for calm and a resolution of the problem within the Islamic Community, based on its religious rules and without an involvement of political parties.

The two largest political organizations in Sandžak issued a joint appeal to all ethnic Muslims to demonstrate full responsibility and not to allow tension to be caused in any way, jeopardizing public order and peace, the Serbian government said in a statement

The initiative for the joint release came from Prime Minister Vojislav Koštunica.

"All of the problems that have appeared in the functioning of the Islamic Community have to be solved without any interference of political parties and only in keeping with the rules that apply within the Islamic community," the two parties said in their statement forwarded to Tanjug new agency.

"We are strongly opposed to every form of violence in solving the problems and we particularly insist and warn that citizens and worshippers that they must not be implicated in any type of conflict regarding these problems," the two Sandžak parties said in their joint statement.