To a great delight of the faithful, a Muslim priest (Imam in Arabic) Nihad Ahmetovic attended a Catholic Mass in the Bosnian town of Prozor, at the invitation of Reverend Josip Dedic so they could both celebrate his first Mass in this town, Anadolu Agency reported on Monday.

Upon his introduction, the faithful greeted Imam Ahmetovic with long applause, proving that coexistence is alive and well in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Speaking to N1, Imam Ahmetovic said he was delighted when he received his friend's invitation to attend the mass.

“We're friends even when we don't wear these robes. We share the joy of praising the glory of one and only God, regardless of how we call him,” Imam Ahmetovic said, adding that he was brought up to share the joy of others.

“When I received the invitation from Reverend Dedic to attend his Mass, I didn't hesitate for a moment. I think this may be the first time, at least here in Prozor, that an Imam has attended a Mass. I attended the Mass and afterward I addressed the audience and congratulated the Dedic and his family,” Ahmetovic said, noting that there should be nothing unusual about this.
He told Anadolu Agency that he gave Reverend Dedic a Qur'an as a gift.

Dedic did not hide his enthusiasm either, adding that they have been friends

for several years now and that they were first brought together by their love of cycling.

“We've been friends for a couple of years now. We were united by our love for cycling, so that's how it all started. I invited him to Mass and in this way we wanted to show that life and coexistence in this area are possible,” Dedic underlined.

He commented on the gift he received from the Imam.

“I received a Qur'an from the Imam, the Muslim holy book. In his speech, Imam Nihad noted that God is only one and that the only difference is that we call him differently. By reading the Bible and Qur'an we can become the people as God intended,” Reverend Dedic said.

The young Reverend's message in the context of the preservation of Bosnia as a whole was “to accept each other, work for a better future, support each other and that only this will make this part of the world a better place.”