MEĐURELIGIJSKO VIJEĆE U BOSNI I HERCEGOVINI

MEЂУРEЛИГИЈСKO ВИJEЋE У БОСНИ И ХЕРЦЕГОВИНИ

Interreligious Council in Bosnia- Herzegovina

IRC

The Inter-religious Council in BiH (IRC-BiH) is local NGO established 1997 by the founders:

Reisu-l-ulema dr. Mustafa ef. Cerić, Islamic Community in BiH

Metropolitan of Dabar-Bosna Nikolaj, Serbian Orthodox Church

Vinko Cardinal Puljić, Archbishop of Vrhbosna-Sarajevo, Roman Catholic Church

Jakob Finci, President of the Jewish Community of Bosnia-Heregovina

MONITORING AND RESPONSES TO ATTACKS ON RELIGIOUS BUILDINGS AND OTHER HOLY SITES IN BIH

(PROTECTION OF HOLY SITES)

The main goal is to provide better protection of religious objects in BiH.

The overall goal of the project is enhanced trust and improved relations between religious and ethnic communities in BiH.

Attacks on religious objects or holy sites are defined as physical attacks, as well as any form of vandalism and desecration of religious buildings or other places of significance.

Main activities

- Joint public condemnation

- Data base

- Analysis of attacks and incidents

Joint public condemnation

- Local representatives of religious communities

- Local authorities

- Media representatives

DATA BASE - CENTRAL REGISTRY OF ATTACKS (CRA)

Data base contains the following information:- Application - Whether the suspected person is identified- Data of the Suspected person- court trial against the suspected person- Sanctions- Media covering - Attachments: Photos of the attack,

newspaper articles, copies of statement to condemn the attack, etc.

DATA ANALYSIS

The database and documentation will be used for various analysis of attacks on religious sites in terms of: which areas are particularly at risk, what are the motives of the attack (desecration or greed), how many suspects have been identified, a profile of suspects and others.

Total: 2011-56; 2012-27; 2013-34

RECOMMENDATIONS

- INTRODUCTION OF STRONGER SANCTIONS FOR PERPETRATORS OF ATTACKS

- ENCOURAGING PUBLIC CONDEMNATION OF ATTACKS

- SETTING UP A VIDEO SURVEILLANCE

SYSTEM FOR RELIGIOUS BUILDINGS THAT WERE ATTACKED SEVERAL TIMES

Meetings with officials

- Police

- Prosecutors

- Courts

Best practices

- attack on a mosque in Bijeljina (February 1, 2014).

- Mayor of the City immediately the next day visited the mosque

- joint condemnation was attended by representatives of the Serbian Orthodox Church, the Catholic Church and the Jewish community

- The municipal council of Bijeljina has unanimously condemned the attack

- decision was made to set up video surveillance of the mosque.

Bijeljina February 6, 2014

PARTNERS

The one year pilot project (2011) was implemented with partners:

- One World in Dialogue (EVID),

- Search for Common Ground (SfCg),

- Religions for Peace (RfP)

- Oslo Center for Peace and Human Rights (OC)

- European Council of Religious Leaders (ECRL)

Now Project is supported by US Embassy in Sarajevo

For further information,

please access our web site:

www.mrv.ba