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SREBRENICA KHUTBA (SERMON)

BY SHAYKH HUSEIN EFFENDI KAVAZOVIC REISU-L-ULEMA AND GRAND MUFTI OF THE ISLAMIC COMMUNITY IN

BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA

Friday, 11 July 2014 | 14 Ramadan 1435

Issued by The Cordoba Foundation and the Islamic Forum of Europe on the occasion of 11th of July 2014 Funeral in Potocari in Srebrenica marking the 19th anniversary of

the Srebrenica Genocide.

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All the praises be to Allah.

We praise Him, seek His help and guidance.

We seek refuge in Allah from the evil of ourselves

And from the sinfulness of our actions.

Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is none worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

We testify that the promise of Allah is true, and to meet Him is true and that the Hour is determined – no doubt about it. We believe that Allah will resurrect those in the graves.

Our Creator, who created us and this world, says that good deeds and bad deeds are not alike - ووال تستويي االحسنة وو ال االسيیئة .

Ramadan is a month of gentleness. Its beauty and blessings reflect the most beautiful mosaic of spirituality in the souls of the faithful. During these chosen and gentle days we listen to the melody of the words of Qur’an, which smoothly descend on our senses enriching us.

At the same time, the words of the Qur’an admonish those whose hearts are alive and in search for meaning and truth. That is why we fast.

In the patience of fasting we seek the strength to step forward, to leave our burdens behind, the heavy and easy ones, the sinful thoughts and evil deeds. Let's turn our faces to the Merciful Lord! We seek His help and protection against evil people and their evil deeds.

Let's resort to a brother and sister with whom we share the blessings of faith and hardships of everyday life. We must move on if we want to survive. Such is the worldly life that Allah has created.

Brothers and sisters, friends, parents, children and relatives of the good Bosnian martyrs,

Today, on 11 July 2014, we are gathered here in Potočari on the same occasion as so many times before.

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We are here to fulfil our duty, to perform funeral and bury the bones we have collected nineteen years after genocide.

This year again, we are here for those who were taken away from our lives, the innocent ones who were brutally killed. Our pain is sky-high and in such a pain we live these worldly days.

Today, we give the bones of our beloved ones to earth of which they were created. Today, we remember the images of horror that haunted us all these years. We wrap the remains of our lives in the green cloth, as they disappear before our eyes. But, that is only for the time being because we believe in the Judgment Day, the eternal life and God's justice, which is inevitable, absolute and final.

And, as we stand here, at the Musalla (prayer space) in Potočari, next to the green coffins and among the white tombstones and pray, our hearts are calmed with god's words:

اانن نجعلهھھم كالذين أأمنواا وو عملواا االصالحاتت سوااء اامم حسب االذين ااجترحواا االسيیأتتمحيیاهھھھم وو مماتهھھم ساء ما يحكمونن, ووخلق هللا االسماووااتت وو ااالررضض بالحق وو لتجزيي كل

نفس بما كسبت وو هھھھم ال يظلمونن

Those who commit evil think We will make them like those who have believed and done righteous deeds - [make them] equal in their life and their death? Evil is that which they judge!

And Allah created the heavens and earth in truth and so that every soul may be recompensed for what it has earned, and they will not be wronged. (Al-Jasiyah, 21-22)

Brothers and Sisters,

Nineteen years ago, the darkest evil of this world started its bloody parade in this place. This evil, embodied in the genocide in Srebrenica and other parts of this beautiful country, has not yet vanished. It still finds its habitat in the souls and desires of many, and it cannot be removed from there without remorse and a straight and open encounter with it. It takes great spiritual strength to win such a magnificent victory. Before our eyes we still see hatred enthroned in casemates, which devours itself, the beast that chokes in its own sin. The evil will be defeated when the rose of repentance blossom. I am convinced that only then Srebrenica will resurrect, innocent and pure. Until then, we have to talk about evil and point fingers at its organisers.

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I call upon the people of Bosnia and Herzegovina to reject the glorification of criminals and denial of crimes. That will bring them neither good nor fortune. Instead of such acts, which defy human dignity and account to shame of civilization, let us help to achieve justice and ensure that victims live dignified lives.

Brothers and Sisters,

We need strength. We need faith in the Righteousness of God and His Mercy. We need faith that He will free us of the evil tyranny and descend justice and peace to our beautiful region.

Faith will build love, and love will awaken life in us, revive the hope and show us a new way. Life without faith in God's judgment and His righteousness brings despair and opens a chasm in our souls. The Srebrenica genocide is cosmically big and our pain is even greater.

Let's listen to the words of the Lord Almighty and Merciful:

, من عمل قل للذين اامنواايغفروواا للذين ال يرجونن اايامم هللا ليیجزيي قوما بما كانواا يكسبونن صالحا فلنفسه وو من ااساء فعليیهھھا ثم االي رربكم ترجعونن,

Say to the believers to forgive those who hope not for the Days of Allah, that He may recompense people, according to what they have earned.

Whosoever does a good deed, it is for himself, and whosoever does evil, it is against [himself]. Then you will be made to return to your Lord. (Al-Jathiyah, 14-15)

Let's turn our faces in these days of remembrance to Him Who Knows the secrets, Who Hears our prayers, Who Heals wounds, Who Relieves pain and sorrow and Who Promises “that indeed, with hardship comes ease.“

Dear Mothers,

Your pain is great but we believe that your love is even greater. Your blessing is essential to us so that we can find our own path. Today, we are all your sons and daughters, and together with you we pray:

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Merciful God,

If error befalls us, give us the strength of Adam's repentance;

If heresy darkens us, enlighten our path with Abraham's orthodoxy;

If disaster befalls us, teach us of Noah's Ark;

If we area caught by the fear of tyrants, empower us with Moses' justice;

If hatred offers itself to us, save us with the Isa's love;

If we are expelled from our homes strengthen us with Mohammed's desire to return.

Just God!

Please take away the violent swords from the tyrants,

and empower the weak with the faith in truth and justice.

God, please,

May my grief become hope,

May my vengeance become justice,

May my mother's tears become prayers

That Srebrenica never happens again to no one and nowhere!

Ameen!

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Notes to editors:

1. This speech by the Grand Mufti of Bosnia has been released by The Cordoba Foundation and the Islamic Forum of Europe on behalf of the Grand Mufti’s Riyasat, Sarajevo – Bosnia-Herzegovina.

2. The Cordoba Foundation and the Islamic Forum of Europe have enjoyed a long established relationship with the office of the Grand Mufti in Bosnia, supporting projects inside Bosnia and raising awareness around the issue of the Srebrenica Genocide, amongst other issues.

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