Two Bosnian imams are in an absolute tizzy over a gay film and art festival going down in Sarajevo next month.
Seid Smajkic and Sulejman Bulgari of Mostar are not only angry that the gays are going to flaunt their stuff, but they’re doing so during the holy month of Ramadan, a big holiday in Bosnia, which is 85% Muslim.
While they don’t advocate violence, the men have come out to condemn the homo happenings:
“We will not grab them by the neck on the street, but we have to say: This is immoral … a promotion of ideas that are in violation with religion,” Seid Smajkic, an imam from the southern city of Mostar, was quoted as saying in Friday’s Dnevni Avaz, a daily newspaper.
Another local imam, Sulejman Bulgari, said on television Thursday night that the Quran forbids homosexuality and that the holy book is clear about that.
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Several posters have appeared in the streets of Sarajevo this week, saying “Death to Gays.” Police quickly removed them.
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Slobodanka Dakic, an activist of the Bosnian Q Association, a festival organizer that promotes gay, lesbian, bisexual and transsexual rights, said there was no plan to antagonize anyone. But she also said the event will not be canceled nor rescheduled because of Ramadan.Bosnia is supposed to be a secular society in which events are not planned according to religious calendars, she said at a news conference in Mostar.
Mustafa Ceric, the leader of the Islamic Community in Bosnia, has remained mum on the matter.
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Darth Paul
I wish Russia would colonize all these sh!tty eastern European countries again.
jimmy
this is an important piece but as a small aside update your map – Montenegro is now a separate country. Darth – you’re a jerk. As if a Russian “colonization” would do anything for gay people, not to mention the fact that they were part of Yugoslavia which never took any orders from the Soviets.
tallskin
You are uttlerly correct Jimmy- Darth Paul is a huge fucking jerk.
tallskin
Darth Paul seems to be a troll who just comes on here passes stupid remarks and then fucks off again. – much like someone who gatecrashes someones’ party and leaves a steaming turd in the bedroom.
Actually, the TURD analogy is most apt I think.
I am still waiting for him to explain what he meant on another thread when he said that victims of anti-gay violence are responsible for being attacked.
He is an utter shithead wanker, and not very bright.
An Other Greek
Celebrating “FREEDOM” Bosnian style!!
Thanks NATO!
Thank goodness those demonic Yugoslavs aren’t running the show!
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Alex Brewer
My Montenegrin friend doesn’t like Bosnians very much. She’s very gay friendly, but also very sure that I’d be 100% straight in Montenegro,. I don’t think she thinks it’s a choice, but she doesn’t exactly understand sexual orientation.
Londonite
85% muslim?
Last time I checked/went it was 40% (with a large group being muslim by name but agnostic by practice)
Todd
I spent more than four years working in Sarajevo to help people overcome the disaster of the war that happened there in 1992-95. Most of the victims of that war were Muslim and it breaks my heart to think that the very people I worked to help would now kill me if they had the chance. I don’t expect Bosnia’s Muslims to embrace their fellow gay and lesbian citizens but I do expect them to remember what being persecuted and killed meant to them and act to make sure that nothing similar EVER happens to any other group of people in their country. Cestitam my gay and lesbian brothers and sisters in Sarajevo! Never forget what you’ve overcome and NEVER, EVER let the monsters in your country loose again.