The reis-ul-ulema or Grand Mufti of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the head of the country's Islamic community, represents the interests of Muslims before the state, expresses himself on political, moral and social issues and defends the independence of the Islamic Community in Bosnia and Herzegovina against attempts at foreign influence. Having served two seven-year terms, the current Grand Mufti, Husein Kavazovic, is no longer permitted to run. Three candidates are competing to become his successor: Salem Dedovic, the Mufti of Mostar, Nedzad Grabus, the Mufti of Sarajevo, and Mensur Malkic, the head of the Directorate for Religious Affairs of the Islamic Community in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Grand Mufti's envoy.
While Malkic's focus lies in strengthening the Islamic Community in religious and institutional terms, Dedovic has stated that he sees the office in a more political light and would like it to become more engaged in social debates. Grabus, who has the most international experience as the former Grand Mufti of Slovenia, says he would like to strengthen the community in times of globalization and secularization. "No other Islamic personality in Europe holds a position like the Reis-ul-ulema in Sarajevo," said Imam Benjamin Idriz, the head of the Islamic Community in the Bavarian city of Penzberg and the chair of the Munich Forum for Islam.
"That's why the importance of this election extends far beyond the country, to Muslims and non-Muslims alike, across Europe." The President of the Islamic Community of Bosniaks in Germany (IGBD), Zenahir Mrakovic, said that the "election is important to us, because historically, theologically and institutionally, we share close ties with the Islamic Community of Bosnia and Herzegovina." "Bosniak" is the name Bosnian Muslims use for themselves. With around 100 communities across the country, the IGBD is one of Germany's smaller Muslim associations. Muslims have lived in Bosnia and Herzegovina for centuries.
Islam was introduced to the population when to Ottoman Empire spread through southeastern Europe. The organizational structure of the Islamic Communities was established after the Berlin Congress in 1878, which, among other things, placed Bosnia and Herzegovina under Austro-Hungarian rule. Following the example of Christian churches, the Austro-Hungarian rulers soon officially recognized Islam as a religious community and in 1882, they founded the Council of Ulema and appointed the first Reis-ul-ulema as president.
This kind of Islamic self-organization could become a model for Muslims across Europe. The Islamic Community of Bosnia and Herzegovina is independent from the state and is financed with donations, membership fees and zakat, a form of charity given by Muslims. The Islamic Community has its own sort of parliament, the Sabor, and a Constitutional Court that ensures the community's actions are in line with the constitution of the country in which it operates.
The Riyaset is the community's highest executive body, responsible for implementing decisions. Its headquarters are in Sarajevo. In the 150 years since its founding, the Islamic Community of Bosnia and Herzegovina has survived numerous political upheavals and repeatedly adapted to new circumstances.
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