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SARAJEVO, February 4 (FENA) - Raisu-l-ulama of the Islamic Community in BiH Hussein effendi Kavazović, Archbishop of Vrhbosna, Cardinal Vinko Puljić, priest Nemanja Đureinović of the Serbian Orthodox Church (SPC) and Hazzan of the Jewish Community Sarajevo Igor Bencion Kožemjakin today praying in accordance with their traditions, in a common spirit of prayer in the four monotheistic religions, said the prayers for all the victims of the past war in BiH, but also for the victims of all other wars.
Hazzan Igor Bencion Kožemjakin said that the Inter-Religious Council (MRV) in BiH with this prayer pays respect to all the victims of the past war and all the wars that have taken place in BiH.
He recalled that this initiative was launched several years ago.
“We wanted to send a strong message to BiH society that every victim has a name; that every victim is a person on their own, that all victims should be respected regardless of ethnicity, religion, skin color, etc.,” Kožemjakin said.
Puljić stated that humanity is not aware of the need to fight against the hatred of exclusion, denying human rights or endangering human dignity, and that today's prayer for the victims is a message that we should not forget them and that the deceased should be respected.
Raisu-l-ulama Kavazović said it was important to appreciate every victim who lost his/her life in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
“It is important that we condemn every criminal regardless of their name. Today, we confirm our common commitment to remembering the victims and taking a lesson from what had happened in Bosnia and Herzegovina,” said Kavazović.
Following a joint prayer, President of the Jewish Community in BiH and the Chairman of the MRV Assembly, Jakob Finci, and USAID Deputy Director-General Bonnie Glick signed a new agreement between MRV in BiH and USAID.
The USAID Deputy Director-General Bonnie Glick highlighted the importance of the Inter-Religious Council in building tolerance in BiH.
"The example given by the Inter-Religious Council is a beautiful but unfortunately a rare flower in a global garden that is under threat, and in some parts, it has already been occupied by weeds of overt intolerance," she said.
Finci stressed the importance of cooperation with USAID and emphasized that MRV BiH is working on building lasting peace and stopping hate speech.
With the agreement signed today, USAID has committed itself to supporting the activities of the Inter-Religious Council in monitoring and responding to incitement, hate speech and attacks on religious sites in BiH.
(FENA) S. R.
