Bosnia’s Communications Regulatory Agency (RAK) said it is taking action after it received multiple complaints about a Serbian programme that was aired in Bosnia in which Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik said that the Muslim calls for prayer are disturbing to Serbs.

“The Communications Regulatory Agency received several complaints regarding the programme “Cirilica” which was broadcasted on Alternative Television (ATV), and has, in accordance with its capacities, initiated a process, the result of which the public will be informed about in time,” said the RAK’s Jovana Vucetic.  

The Ferhadija Mosque in Banja Luka was built in the 16 century and destroyed by Bosnian Serbs 1993. It was restored only two years ago and the Muslim prayer call can be heard from it five times a day.  

But this is “disturbing” to Dodik, the President of Republika Srpska (RS), Bosnia’s Serb-dominated semi-autonomous entity.  

On Monday he said that too many mosques were built in Bosnia and that the calls for prayer that can be heard, which he referred to as “screaming,” were disturbing.  

The US Embassy said the statements were “absolutely unacceptable,” while the Office of the High Representative (OHR), Bosnia’s top international official tasked with overseeing the implementation of the 1995 Dayton Peace Agreement, told N1 that “public figures, who have a responsibility to contribute to peace and reconciliation, should carefully and responsibly choose their words and refrain from intolerant comments.”

But Dodik’s statement triggered a barrage of reactions from citizens on social media as well.  

According to the spokesperson of Bosnia’s Islamic Community, Muhamed Jusic, the statement reminds of the pre-war atmosphere in Bosnia.  

“This represents the kind of chauvinism and hate speech that we witnessed ahead of the beginning of the aggression and genocide in Bosnia and Herzegovina,” he said, adding that this was a time when an atmosphere that has resulted in “the destruction of all mosques on territories controlled by paramilitary formations of Bosnian Serbs and formations from Serbia, Montenegro, Russia, and Greece” was being created.

Local journalist Mirnes Kovac also thinks Dodik’s statement represents hate speech, but also that it is a reason for concern.  

“I think that Dodik is directly responsible for the security of the Imam’s, facilities belonging to the Islamic Community and believers who visit mosques. If something happens, they should sue him,” Kovac said.