Memories of Bosnia

Mufti Husein Kavazovic of Northeastern Bosnia

The Mufti met with me three times at the beginning of our SFOR 13 rotation in Bosnia.  He and his Imams helped open many doors for positive interaction with the religious leaders in Tuzla and in the area of operations of Task Force North.   As mentioned previously, he suggested regular meetings with his Imams, interactions and relationships that proved helpful not only to SFOR 13, but subsequently to SFOR 14.  He accepted my suggestions for focusing on four faith-based classes and discussions with his Imams. In these meetings I came to know Islamic youth leaders, the professors of Islamic Studies in the Medresa school, and some of the Imams who led local congregations in nearby mosques.    

It was important for Command Chaplain (Lieutenant Colonel) Alan Johnson of the 34^th Division’s SFOR 14 and his Deputy Command Chaplain (Major) David Jenkins to be introduced to Mufti Kavazovic before I had to leave Bosnia. Mufti Husein Kavazovic, Tuzla’s leading Imam Amir Karic, and I wanted this positive relationship with SFOR to continue. I asked the new Political Advisor from the State Department, Phillip Egger to accompany us.  Also with us was Chris Bragdon who consistently brought important insights and practical help as the Program Director for Friends of Bosnia. Additionally there were three other significant U.S. Army SFOR 14 military leaders.

In my previous meetings with Mufti Kavazovic he had never mentioned how he had been born in Gradacac, a crucial city in War of Aggression battles for Bosnians to be freed from ethnic cleansing. He told us how he had studied in Sarajevo to prepare for his lifetime religious vocation, and then had gone on to finish his studies in Islamic religious law in Egypt.

Mufti Kavazovic told us that persons who committed crimes such as the destruction of the World Trade Center were simply “criminals” who must be punished. It was unfortunate that they had used the religion of Islam as an excuse for their criminal behaviors he said, for in no way did these criminals represent Islam. No doubt alluding to Serbian Orthodox Bishop Basil in Bijeljina he discussed how the actions of  some  leaders  in  Bosnia  were so  full of  hatred and had been so inappropriate during the War of Aggression and their present actions were so reprehensible that there was no way he could ever privately or publicly meet with them.

For a year during the war, Mufti Kavazovic had been a prisoner in a Croatian prisoner of war camp. People to his right and to his left had been beaten to death in the camp by the guards. A Christian prisoner had shared with him the concept of Jesus as a suffering servant and how Jesus’ wounds had brought healing to others. This insight had a significant spiritual impact on his life. The actions of another Christian had influenced him as well. Every day this Croatian Christian who had some idea of the pain being inflicted upon the prisoners of war in that camp would come to the prison wall and loudly cry out his reminder to the guards, “Remember, we are all children of God.” Once, when speaking of his imprisonment with me, his eyes filled with tears and his face with pulsed with sadness as he remembered the suffering through which he and many others had passed. His compassionate attitude and his words of wisdom had clearly been forged in the fires of painful past.

His final words in our last meeting stayed with me.  As a member of a persecuted minority in Bosnia, these words had a powerful impact. “We must avoid hatred.” In these words was not only the foundational wisdom essential to good mental hygiene, these words also contained true spirituality. Freedom from hatred was also necessary for any future practical social interactions. Freedom from hatred was essential for future inter-personal communications. “We must avoid hatred,” will be the only solution to lasting peace in Bosnia.

Amir Karic, Leading Imam of Tuzla

Imam Karic was designated by Mufti Kavazovic to be the Leading Imam of Tuzla.  He was also designated to be the Imam that represented the Mufti at the faith-based seminars. He spoke with us about the past war. “During the war we in the Islamic community were proud that the Orthodox Church in Tuzla was not harmed. During the war Bosniac commanders met again and again with their soldiers teaching them that they must not retaliate like the aggressors did to us. Over and over again our Bosnian soldiers were taught the rules of the Geneva Convention (on warfare).”

He explained how when the Islamic community had rebuilt and set up the Medresa secondary school in Tuzla after anti-religion Communism had expired.