Macedonia Islamic Leader Calls For Common Language To Reduce Tensions

[Risto the Great]

http://www.eurasiareview.com/29112012-macedonia-islamic-leader-calls-for-common-language-to-reduce-tensions/

November 29, 2012
By Aleksandar Pavlevski

Informal initiatives and a common language is needed to bring Muslim groups in Macedonia together after the construction of a mosque by Roma Muslims in Prelip threatened tensions, one Islamic leader said.

“Muslims must find a common language and reach an agreement about building mosques, regardless of ethnicity. The Albanians, even though are a majority, should listen more to others about their religious needs. Islam dictates that we are together. By fostering informal initiatives to get closer with one another, we expect relations to warm up soon,” Muarem Tairi, 56, an ethnic Albanian and an Islamic elder in Saraj near Skopje, told SETimes.


Macedonia
The construction of a mosque for Roma Muslims in the Trizla neighbourhood of Prelip, Macedonia, intensified tensions between the Roma and the Islamic Religious Community (IRC).

The IRC, which is comprised mainly of Albanian Muslims, will not sanctify the mosque since it is being constructed without the approval of its imams.

“Albanians consider that these parallel Muslim institutions must be immediately repressed. This must not be permitted. The mosque should be either constructed with the permission of the Islamic Religious Community or it should be tumbled down,” Jakup Sinani, an Albanian Muslim from Skopje, told SETimes.

However, according to Tairi, the construction should have been expected.

Here's one from left field. How about Macedonian? Idiots!

[Vangelovski]

To be fair, I'm not sure he mean't common language in the linguistic sense, but in the sense of a 'common purpose'.

Just some background, the officially registered "Islamic Religious Community" (IRC) is controlled by Albanians. The problem with Macedonian law is that it only recognises one officially registered organisation from each faith. This is a highly idiotic (and repressive) situation and was "justified" by the Vraniskovski affair and a supposed attempt to stop the official registration of radical islamist groups.

In reality, it prevents other faiths (particularly Protestants) from gaining legal status within the country, prevents groups like the Roma from establishing their own mosque's and has led to radical Islamists taking control of key sections of the IRC.

[Niko777]

It's obvious that the lingua franca between minorities in Macedonia should be Macedonian. But how can you expect these Albanians to understand? They're the ones putting up Albanian flags on mosques and placing UCK memorials on them. It's a shame, unlike the Orthodoxy in Macedonia, Islam is extremely diverse with Turkish, Roma, and Macedonian believers. But unlike Macedonians the Roma and Turks won't put up with their BS.