Progress in
social and technological fields brought about positive developments in the
mentality of Macedonia’s Muslims, and thus helped to organize religious life.
By Suleyman Recebi, President of Islamic Union of Macedonia
Association
Muslim life in the Balkans and especially in the Republic of
Macedonia started with the arrival of the Ottomans in this region. It has been
observed that after the Ottomans seized power over the Balkans, a constant
increase started to take place in the adoption of Islam by the indigenous
population. The Ottomans attributed great importance to the organization of
religious life and never hesitated to build mosques, madrasas and similar
religious structures in order to meet religious needs of the Muslims.
After the withdrawal of the Ottomans from these lands, the
Muslims were left defenseless in a military sense, and one can imagine that
they went through severe difficulties and unfair treatment and were exposed to
human rights violations in all walks of life, including political, social,
economical and educational aspects. It is worth emphasizing that the collapse
of communism, which is regarded as a regime of suppression, and its
replacement by democracy seemed to be a happy development for the Muslims.
However, the happiness of the Muslims who were longing for
democracy did not last very long. Unfortunately, during this period, which is
called both the “intermediary period” and the “transition period”, the Muslims
have been struggling under extremely challenging conditions to re-obtain their
basic rights, which have been violated in many fields, such as education,
employment, citizenship, and to regain their properties.
The Islamic Union of Macedonia, the only religious authority
dedicated to organizing the religious life of Macedonian Muslims, has been
making great efforts to organize the lives of the Muslims both under the former
single party system and in the newly emerging dynamic conditions during this
period following transition to democratic processes.
A Short History of the Religious Life of Macedonian Muslims
The religious lives of the Muslims in these territories during
the Ottoman rule were directly regulated by the authority of the chief
religious official in Istanbul. Nevertheless, after the Balkan wars, and
especially after World War 1, the religious life of Muslims in these
territories began to be organized by the religious administration whose
headquarters were located in Sarajevo. The Islamic Union of Macedonia was
responsible for activities both during the administration of the Kingdom of
Yugoslavia and the Socialist Federative Republic of Yugoslavia, as a department
of the Islamic Union in Sarajevo.
The former Yugoslavian administration during the era of the
single party system was putting obstacles in the way of the flourishing and
practicing of Islam by intervening in the religious life of the Muslims, and by
different forms of blackmail, segregation, as well as politically unjust and
clandestine transactions. Unfortunately, during the period of communism, it was
largely the Muslims who were profoundly affected by the ruthless war waged
against religion in general. Behind the attitude of “hostility against
religion”, it was only the Muslims who were chosen as the target enemy and
persecuted with discriminatory policies. At that time, the Republic of
Macedonia, which was an integral part of the former Yugoslavia, was chosen as
the place where these kinds of anti-democratic laws, projects and political
hoaxes were used with the aim of making the lives of Muslims more difficult.
As a result of these inhumane and uncivil conditions and
practices, many of the values of Macedonian Muslims were destroyed; the
properties of the religious foundations were looted with the support of the
state; the mosques and similar religious structures were razed to the ground
under various nonsensical pretexts. In addition to that, different projects
were drawn up in order to prevent an increase of the Muslim birth rate; the
surrounding walls of the Muslim houses were destroyed; no permission was given
to construct new mosques or religious structures in order to meet basic
religious needs; the setting-up of Quran courses in the small schools of mosques
was hindered, and pressure was put on the pupils and their parents via the
teachers who opposed these courses; the Islamic call to prayer (adhan) via the
loudspeakers from minarets was not permitted; religious officials were
interrogated for no reason and this was used as a means of pressure; education
in the native language was prevented.
Despite all these kinds of systematic pressures on the religious
lives of Muslims, the Islamic Union of Macedonia made extraordinary efforts to
spread and develop the Muslims’ dedication to their religion, and to enable
them sustain their religious lives with all their institutions and
corporations, even the imposition of under improper conditions and practices.
The only solution to sustaining successful religious activities
under extremely negative circumstances was considered to be the bringing up of
religious cadres. On the other hand, in Macedonia, since there was no school
delivering religious education equal to that of high school, the religious
cadres were receiving education in the madrasas in Pristina, Sarajevo and
abroad. The Islamic Union of Macedonia started an initiative to open Isa Bey
Madrasa (Imam-Hatip High School) in 1979 for the purpose of bringing up
religious cadres in Macedonia itself. After a long and challenging struggle, a
school building was constructed in Kondova village of Skopje, and this
educational institution started to operate in the academic year of 1984-85.
This madrasa, which provides dormitories for male students, has been giving education
free of charge.
As a different, but equally important, religious activity, the
Islamic Union of Macedonia has attributed great importance to the printing of
religious literature, and to making it available to a wide audience. Religious
literature has also been printed in Sarajevo and has been sent to the other
regions of Macedonia and Yugoslavia. In addition, courses of Quran study and
the giving of religious education were paid great attention. Although not only
the related institutions of the state, but also the so-called ‘enlightened’ men
of the Muslim communities put great hurdles in their way, remarkable success
was gained in these activities as well.
The Religious Life of Muslims in the Multi-Party System
After the disintegration of the former Yugoslavia and the
establishment of an independent Macedonia which followed, the Islamic Union
also went through changes. It left the Yugoslavia Union of Islam and formed the
Islamic Union of Macedonia. The Islamic Union of Macedonia has continued operating
as an independent religious institution, with its constitution being recently
approved in 1994.
As stated in its constitution, it was approved that the Islamic
Union of Macedonia was a continuation of other Islamic religious unions. This
means that the Islamic Union of Macedonia is the inheritor of the financial
assets and real estates belonging to other Islamic religious unions which had
carried out activities here during the course of history.
Macedonian Muslims with different ethnic roots are being organized
under the umbrella of the Islamic Union of Macedonia, which is their only
religious institution, and continue to maintain their religious lives. On the
other hand, the Islamic Union of Macedonia expends extraordinary efforts in
organizing the religious life of all Muslims across the country and in a
perfect way in order to preserve Islamic values and to protect the Muslims
against all the negative factors that will harm their spiritual or worldly
values. Taking into account the fact that the Muslims in Macedonia are members
of different ethnic communities, such as Albanian, Turkish, Torbesh (Pomak),
Bosnians, Roman communities, we can safely say that the Islamic Union of
Macedonia has a multi-national structure.
After Macedonia’s gaining its independence, the Islamic Union of
Macedonia started to carry out activities as an independent religious
institution, particularly thanks to its new constitution, which was accepted in
the year of 1994. As an independent institution, the Islamic Union of Macedonia
has made clear its duties and authorities in its constitution. At the same
time, this independently established institution has been entitled to inherit
the properties belonging to the former Islamic religious unions, which carried
out activities in the past. This right is unequivocally and clearly stated in
the constitution of the Union of Islam. In parallel to this, the Islamic Union
of Macedonia is responsible for regulating the religious life of the Muslims
inside as well as outside the country, and in the places where they settle
temporarily, regardless of their ethnic origins, and also for protecting their
interests in line with the sacred Quran and Sunnah (the sayings and doings of
Prophet Mohammed).
The Organizational Style of the Islamic Union of Macedonia
The Islamic Union of Macedonia has its bodies as follows: the
offices of the Mufti, the Presidency, the Raeesu’l Ulema (Chief of the Islamic
Scholars) and the Assembly.
- The offices of the Mufti are the main body of the
union. There are three muftis in the whole of Macedonia.
- The Presidency of the Islamic Union is the body
that has the authority to make decisions about Islamic issues.
- The Chief of Islamic Scholars is the head
and the president of the union. He represents the religious integrity of
Macedonian Muslims.
- The Assembly is the highest legal and financial body of
the union. The Assembly, consisting of the representatives of the offices of
the Mufti and the executives of the union, is made up of twenty-seven members
in total.
a) Skopje Isa Bey Madrasa IHL: This educational institution
started operating in the academic year 1985-1986. In the academic year
1988-1989, the first graduates completed their education. This educational
institution has successfully fulfilled a huge task in the religious life of the
Muslims living in these lands, and has contributed greatly to the education of
the younger generations. The cadres graduating from there are providing
religious services in various mosques across the country as imams, preachers,
and madrasa teachers.
The Islamic Union of Macedonia has opened a branch of Skopje Isa
Bey Madrasa IHL, for male students only, during the academic year 2005-2006 in
the town of Stip, with the purpose of educating the necessary religious
cadres to organize the religious lives of the Muslims and provide them with
religious services. This religious school, which was built and whose expenditures
are met thanks to the financial contributions of a non-government organization,
functions with all modern facilities.
Being conscious of the importance of educating females in the
religious life of the Muslims and of the society, the union has opened a branch
of Isa Bey Madrasa IHL for female students in Tetovo, Skopje and Gostivar. The
opening of these branches, in fact, coincides with starting of mandatory high
school education in Macedonia. In this respect, that the union has started such
an initiative can be regarded as truly pioneering.
b) The Skopje Union of Islam: This institution of higher
education was put into operation in the academic year of 1997-1998. Indeed,
such an education had been a necessity for a long time since the graduation of
the first generation students from Isa Bey Madrasa. After many years of
challenging struggles, the foundations of the building were laid in January
1995, after obtaining permission for the building of the faculty.
Skopje Faculty of Islamic Sciences also provided further
education for female students who have completed their high school education.
The union continues to make contributions to the bringing up of conscious and
educated generations with its educational staff, work program and schedule. The
position and the status of the Islamic Sciences Institution are particularly
enhanced by the laws enacted on the issue of higher institutions for religious
education. According to the law, the Faculty of Islamic Sciences has been
officially accredited and has signed a cooperation protocol with the State
University of Tetovo, which has enabled the educational cadres to gain more
experience and strength. The Faculty of Islamic Sciences has also signed
cooperation protocols with some of the universities abroad and managed to expand
its horizons in this way.
Today, there are many people who have graduated from the Faculty
of Islamic Sciences. Most of these graduates provide services as imams, madrasa
teachers and chief madrasa teachers and contribute to the religious life of the
Muslims.
The Faculty of Islamic Sciences is also home to the Isa Bey
Library.
The Religious Structures of the Union
Without a doubt, mosques take pride of place as religious
buildings at the center of the religious life of Muslims, in which ritual
prayers are performed. Taking this into consideration, the Islamic Union of
Macedonia has struggled to build mosques even in the remotest places in which
Muslims live, and in order to recover the loss when the mosques were destroyed
by non-Muslim administrators, to a large extent after the withdrawal of the
Ottomans from these lands.
Today, throughout Macedonia, there are more than six hundred
mosques actively functioning and these are open to the public for religious
services. In addition to these, there are twenty Islamic mausoleums and twenty
tekkes in Macedonia. Of these religious buildings, more than forty are
considered to be historical works of art and they are under legal protection.
Most of these were built in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, which can be
considered as the golden age of Islamic architecture and culture.
In almost all the mosques, there are schools in which children
and younger generations are taught Quran and receive religious education.
The Foundation Properties of the Union
Unfortunately, the greater part of the nationalized foundation
properties that would constitute an important financial resource enabling the
Islamic Union of Macedonia to carry out its activities, have not been returned
yet, in spite of all efforts made. For an investigation into the return of
these foundation properties, a private team has been founded within the body of
the Union, which is in constant contact with state and government authorities.
The Religious Life of Muslims in the Future
Significant progress in social and technological fields has
caused people to search for ways to adapt the religious way of life and it
becomes inevitable to keep up with them.
We believe that the points stated below will be highly crucial
in the future in terms of organizing the religious life in Macedonia:
- Inclusion of the religious courses in the
curriculum of public schools. These courses, as of this school year, have
started to be taught in the fifth year of primary education. The Islamic Union
of Macedonia has offered the Ministry of Education a list of about one hundred
theology teachers who are able to teach these courses.
- Education of the younger generations; adoption of
associations of religious education affiliated with Islam in accordance with
the principles of the contemporary education system.
- Return of the nationalized foundation assets.
- Cooperating with other religious unions of
Macedonia in order to realize dialogue between different religions.
- Establishment of the institutions for broadcasting
and printing within the body of the Union and provision of electronic media and
communication centers. Printing of religious literature and making it
accessible to a wide range of society.
- Ensuring the necessary conditions in order for
Muslims to practice their religious duties in certain locations such as in
barracks, hospitals and prisons.
- Providing job opportunities for the younger
generation who go abroad to work due to lack of financial means in their own
countries. The majority of the Muslim youth immigrated to the European
countries because of bad economic conditions.
- Encouraging people to have more
children to increase the birth rate of the Muslim population.
Conclusion
The religious life in Macedonia is organized in an almost
perfect manner and it follows a path showing a constantly increasing index. The
fact that the oppression and the negative propaganda directed at religion in
the former communist system have been eliminated, has paved the way for the
emergence of positive developments in the mentality of today’s Muslims. Thus,
by taking advantage of democratic conditions, we have the opportunity to prove
that Islam is the solution to the impasse in which the human being of the
modern world finds him or herself, a world which decays and becomes more
immoral day by day. Furthermore, the dangers inherent in the modern world, such
as drug addiction and alcoholism, prostitution and human trafficking and
homosexuality are some of the main factors leading the world towards a global
catastrophe. For this reason, as Muslims, we have a responsibility to use our
opportunities in the most efficient way we can.
_____________________________________
*This article was submitted in International Balkans Conference
organized by IHH (Human Rights and Freedoms).