The Islamic Community (IZ BiH) in Bosnia and Herzegovina said on Thursday they recorded an increase in the number of attacks on waqf property, especially in the Republika Srpska (RS) entity.

The Report on Registered Cases of Violations of the Right to Freedom of Religion of Muslims in BiH provides an overview of cases in the last five years.
The report states there were 21 cases of damage to the Islamic Community’s property, while 9 cases were registered the year before. In 2021, there were eight cases of desecration of mosques, cemeteries and other facilities, one verbal attack, one physical attack, two cases of attacks on education and educational institutions, and nine cases of hate speech and Islamophobia.

“Shooting at the Aladza mosque in any normal state would be a terrorist act,” said imam Remzija Pitic.

The Islamic Community said it is particularly concerned about conducting religious rituals in the streets.

They pointed out that it is important to sign an agreement between the state of BiH and the IZ BiH, and add that there is already a good legal provision, but that it is not implemented in practice.