Sandžak Muslims: Police raided mosque

Leaders of the Islamic community in Novi Pazar say a group of policemen allegedly attacked imams in Sjenica last night. A statement from the Meshihat, or the seat of the Islamic Community organization, says that some 30 officers allegedly raided a mosque using force, and removed "a high Islamic delegation" from the building, physically assaulting its members and several worshipers. Sandzak Muslims: Police raided mosque The Novi Pazar Meshihat chief is mufti Muamer Zukorlic, who advocates Serbia Muslims' organizational ties with the Sarajevo Islamic Center. Another group, which believes that the center for Serbian Muslims must be Belgrade, gathered around Belgrade mufti Hamdija Jusufspahic, decided to relieve Zukorlic of his duties earlier last week, but he received backing at home in an Islamic Community meeting in Novi Pazar Saturday. The tensions among the two groups have been running high, and yesterday police confiscated weapons and made several arrests in another mosque in the region, this time in Prijepolje. Zukorlic today addressed Interior Minister Dragan Jocic (DSS), saying that one of the policemen who reportedly stormed the mosque said they were there "on Jocic's orders." "We express our deepest indignation and most serious protest over such behavior on the part of the police, as the Islamic officials have not been treated in this way for a hundred years. The mosque has been desecrated, all divine and human laws broken," according to Zukorlic. Now the leaders of the Sandzak Muslims gathered around Zukorlic are asking the government to investigate whether local, Sjenica officers were involved in the raid last night, or if it came from "higher police and security circles." Director of Police Milorad Veljovic reacted to accusation Sunday afternoon saying that the Serbian police will firmly and without hesitation protect peace and public order in Sandzak, "without allowing anyone to disturb it." "Police is in no way involved, nor will be become involved in the future, in religious disputes," Veljovic said in a statement to Tanjug news agency. He pointed out that should it transpire any MUP member referred to an alleged MUP central order to involve himself in a religious conflict, he will be punished to the full extent of the law. Rasim Ljajic's Sandzak Democratic Party (SDP), seen as close to the Sandzak Meshihat, also issued a statement today. The group representing the opposing faction in the Islamic community, that gathered around Jusufspahic is also believed to be close to Ljajic's local arch-rival, Sulejman Ugljanin, the mayor of Novi Pazar. And while Ljajic is, on the parliamentary level, allied with the Democrats (DS), Ugljanin is considered closer to the Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS). The SDP statement said that it supported the MUP efforts to stabilize the security in the region, but singled out police general Mladen Kuribak to express "doubts about his impartiality," adding that the high ranking officer was "close" to the local, Ugljanin-led, authorities, "always appearing in any crisis situation in the region."

Sandžak Muslims: Police raided mosque

The Novi Pazar Meshihat chief is mufti Muamer Zukorlić, who advocates Serbia Muslims' organizational ties with the Sarajevo Islamic Center.

Another group, which believes that the center for Serbian Muslims must be Belgrade, gathered around Belgrade mufti Hamdija Jusufspahić, decided to relieve Zukorlić of his duties earlier last week, but he received backing at home in an Islamic Community meeting in Novi Pazar Saturday.

The tensions among the two groups have been running high, and yesterday police confiscated weapons and made several arrests in another mosque in the region, this time in Prijepolje.

Zukorlić today addressed Interior Minister Dragan Jočić (DSS), saying that one of the policemen who reportedly stormed the mosque said they were there "on Jočić's orders."

"We express our deepest indignation and most serious protest over such behavior on the part of the police, as the Islamic officials have not been treated in this way for a hundred years. The mosque has been desecrated, all divine and human laws broken," according to Zukorlić.

Now the leaders of the Sandžak Muslims gathered around Zukorlić are asking the government to investigate whether local, Sjenica officers were involved in the raid last night, or if it came from "higher police and security circles."

Director of Police Milorad Veljović reacted to accusation Sunday afternoon saying that the Serbian police will firmly and without hesitation protect peace and public order in Sandžak, "without allowing anyone to disturb it."

"Police is in no way involved, nor will be become involved in the future, in religious disputes," Veljović said in a statement to Tanjug news agency.

He pointed out that should it transpire any MUP member referred to an alleged MUP central order to involve himself in a religious conflict, he will be punished to the full extent of the law.

Rasim Ljajić's Sandžak Democratic Party (SDP), seen as close to the Sandžak Meshihat, also issued a statement today.

The group representing the opposing faction in the Islamic community, that gathered around Jusufspahić is also believed to be close to Ljajić's local arch-rival, Sulejman Ugljanin, the mayor of Novi Pazar.

And while Ljajić is, on the parliamentary level, allied with the Democrats (DS), Ugljanin is considered closer to the Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS).

The SDP statement said that it supported the MUP efforts to stabilize the security in the region, but singled out police general Mladen Kuribak to express "doubts about his impartiality," adding that the high ranking officer was "close" to the local, Ugljanin-led, authorities, "always appearing in any crisis situation in the region."