Muslims across Bosnia and Herzegovina are celebrating Eid al-Adha or the ‘Festival of Sacrifice' on Saturday, two days ahead of the 27 Commemoration of the Srebrenica Genocide.
Eid al-Adha, in Bosnia called Kurban Bayram, is the second of two Islamic holidays celebrated worldwide each year, with Eid al-Fitr being the other.
It honours the willingness of Ibrahim (Abraham) to sacrifice his son as an act of obedience to God's command. Before Abraham could sacrifice his son, God sent a lamb to be sacrificed instead.
Muslims mark this intervention by killing a sheep and dividing it into three parts – one to keep for home, one to give to relatives and the third to the poor.
Men attended the early morning prayer in mosques throughout Bosnia with the khutbah held at Sarajevo’s biggest mosque being broadcasted live on TV. Muslims who stay home listen to the traditional speech delivered by Islamic leaders in Bosnia, who usually address a contemporary social problem.
The central Eid prayer in Sarajevo took place at the Gazi Husrev-beg Mosque, where the Head of Bosnia's Islamic Community, Husein Kavazovic, gave his holiday sermon.
“May Bayram awaken in us the willingness to follow the path of faith and the path of good that it paves and that makes us happy. Let's look forward to the good we will do for ourselves and others these days. And let it be a permanent source of our strength and readiness to resolutely and strongly oppose the evil that is constantly lurking,” Kavazovic said.
This year, the holiday fell on July 9, which is two days ahead of the 27 anniversary of the 1995 genocide in Srebrenica.
“Throughout these days, let us show our respect for the victims of the genocide in Srebrenica. May our sacrifice of faith be complemented by the constant memory of this global evil committed against our people and may it awaken in us the strength and determination to oppose it and defeat it in the future. We invite our neighbours to join us in this, to share with us the immense pain and sadness that we will bear in these days. We believe that it will then be easier for all of us”, said Kavazovic.
“Let's share the joy of Eid with those who are lonely, sad and face difficulties. I congratulate all Muslim men and women in Bosnia and Herzegovina on the coming days of Kurban Bayram. I especially congratulate it our brothers and sisters in Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, the Bosniak diaspora, and all Muslims,” he said.
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