BIK: Homework for children against the celebration of the New Year, "a mistake that should not be repeated"

2024-01-03 20:31:37, Kosova & Bota CNA

BIK: Homework for children against the celebration of the New Year, "a

"Mati 1" mosque in Pristina, where children were asked during a religious lesson to offer ideas on how to convince their parents not to celebrate the New Year.

The Islamic Community of Kosovo (BIK) has distanced itself from an activity that took place in a mosque in Pristina, on December 31, when children were given the task of thinking of ways to convince their parents not to celebrate the New Year. For this activity, the Council of the Islamic Community of Pristina has said that it will interview the imam of the "Mati 1" mosque, Fadil Musliu.

Sociologist Artan Muhaxhiri describes the activity in this mosque as abuse of children and says that the BIK should be more informed about the activities that take place inside mosques, such as "Mati 1" in Pristina.

Through a post on the mosque's Facebook page, it became known that, on the eve of the New Year holiday, children, mostly minors, were presented with a lecture against celebrating the New Year.

"They brought their work to class and explained in detail how they would try to convince their parents not to celebrate a pagan holiday," the post of the "Mati 1" mosque said.

The photos of the children, during the involvement in the activity organized on December 31, were published in the post of this mosque. The post attracted numerous reactions on social networks - some of them supported the activity developed, while others criticized it.

"How can you convince parents not to celebrate the New Year", was the topic, for which "students were obliged to submit an idea on paper", according to the post published on December 31 on the official Facebook page. of the "Mati 1" mosque in Pristina.

The Women's Department at BIK says that this activity was not planned in coordination with BIK. The teacher Xheneta Fejzullahu-Fejziu is a subordinate of this department, who conducts basic teaching about the Islamic faith with children in the "Mati 1" mosque.

The leader of this BIK department, Vaxhide Podvorica-Bunjaku, says that the activity, which has sparked public debate, was neither intentional nor planned by the department she leads.

"It is random, from the teacher herself. We, as a department, do not accept such a thing. It was like an occasional activity, of the moment, and not planned" , says Podvorica-Bunjaku.

However, the imam of the "Mati 1" mosque in Pristina, Fadil Musliu, interviewed by Radio Evropa e Lire on January 2, says that the activity of December 31 took place within the women's sector, which operates within the mosque.

Radio Free Europe has tried, through Imam Musliu, to contact the teacher Xheneta Fejzullahu-Fejziu. But, according to Musli, she refuses to be contacted by the media.

However, Musliu emphasizes that the activity was developed according to the plan of the teacher, who, as he says, "is always in coordination with the Women's Department, which operates within the BIK".

"She, in coordination with the Women's Department and in coordination with her colleagues - because the Islamic Community has dozens of mualim [teachers] who conduct their activities in the mosques of Kosovo - have foreseen that [lecture]. But, it has become a bit big in the media", emphasizes Musliu.

He adds that, afterwards, he has seen the works of the students and says that they do not contain incitement to hatred and intolerance.

"Nor is there any belittling or humiliation of anyone. It is only explained there that, as Muslims, we have two holidays from a religious point of view: the Eid al-Fitr holiday and the Eid al-Fitr holiday. In fact, even the New Year does not represent any religious holiday of any religion", emphasizes Musliu.

He adds that Muslim believers are not against those who celebrate the New Year, "but we are not even for someone to impose it on us as an obligatory (holiday)".

Vaxhide Podvorica-Bunjaku, head of the Women's Department in the Islamic Community of Kosovo, says that the activity developed by teacher Fejzullahu-Fejziu is outside the plan of the department she leads.

"It is not a plan of the department. Other teachers, our teachers, have not done something like that, for example, as she has done. We are sorry that such a thing happened, in this form, because all of us, as people, as a civil society, should enjoy the holidays", said Podvorica - Bunjaku.

Regarding the activity developed with children in the "Mati 1" mosque, on December 31, the Council of the Islamic Community of Pristina also reacted.

The chairman of this Council, Hetem Sopjani, in a conversation with Radio Free Europe, evaluates the activity of December 31 in the "Mati 1" mosque, which is under the control of the Council of the Islamic Community of Prishtina, as a wrong action. However, he believes that the mistake was not made on purpose and, as such, says that it does not represent BIK's position at all.

"I am not of the opinion that the New Year should not be celebrated, because, after all, our children, people, family members... we do not have the authority to stop them and [tell them] not to celebrate the New Year New. This has happened and I hope it will not happen in the future. It's an accidental mistake that happened, it's an omission made by competent people" , emphasizes Sopjani.

He added that the imam of the "Mati 1" mosque will be invited to the institution in the Islamic Community to provide clarifications regarding the activity in his mosque, but also for his public statements.

“Do të intervistohet edhe imami. Do të thirret në takim imami, për gjërat të cilat kanë ndodhur dhe shpresojmë që në të ardhmen të mos ndodhin gjëra të tilla”, tha Sopjani.

Ndërkohë, Departamenti i Gruas në BIK nuk ka specifikuar nëse do të merret ndonjë masë ndaj mësueses Fejzullahu-Fejziu.

Qytetarët që frekuentojnë xhaminë "Mati 1" për t’i kryer ritualet fetare islame, me të cilët Radio Evropa e Lirë ka biseduar, kanë mendime të ndryshme lidhur me aktivitetin e 31 dhjetorit, të mbajtur me fëmijë në këtë xhami.

Halil Binaku konsideron se besimtarët myslimanë nuk duhet t’i japin rëndësi festës së Vitit të Ri dhe se, sipas tij, për ta ekzistojnë vetëm dy festa fetare: Fitër Bajrami dhe Kurban Bajrami. Në këtë kontekst, konsideron ai, mesazhi që u është dhënë fëmijëve është në përputhje me besimin fetar, pavarësisht se ata janë të mitur.

“Fëmijë po, por ai prej fëmijërisë e merr atë mësimin e vet për të mos gabuar. Mendimi im është kështu, tash... nuk e di. Ndoshta nuk është kështu, por unë mendoj kështu”, thotë Binaku.

Hajredin Shala, po ashtu, shpreh mendimin se besimi islam nuk parasheh festimin e Vitit të Ri. Por, ai është kundër idesë që kjo bindje t’i imponohet, ose sugjerohet kujtdo qoftë, e veçanërisht fëmijëve. Në këtë kontekst, ai kritikon aktivitetin e mësueses Fejzullahu-Fejziu me fëmijët në xhaminë "Mati 1".

“Nuk është dashur. Asnjë gjë nuk bën t’ia futësh në tru fëmijës. Një gjë që nuk ta merr mendja ty që duhet ta thuash, nuk duhet t’ia thuash as fëmijës”, thekson Shala.

Sociologu Artan Muhaxhiri vlerëson se përfshirja e fëmijëve në këtë ngjarje përbën shkelje të të drejtave të fëmijëve, pasi që thotë se atyre u është dhënë një obligim që nuk u takon: t’i bindin prindërit të mos e festojnë Vitin e Ri.

“Natyrisht që fëmijët janë më lehtë të manipulueshëm dhe pikërisht këtu është problemi kryesor në këtë ide, sepse i vë në shënjestër kategoritë më të cenueshme dhe tenton të përfitojë nga mungesa e një niveli të konsoliduar të vetëdijes kritike në raport me vendimmarrjen personale”, thotë Muhaxhiri, ligjërues në Universitetin e Prishtinës.

Ai, gjithashtu, shprehet i shqetësuar nga publikimi i fotografisë ku shihen fytyrat e fëmijëve dhe bën thirrje që ky rast të hetohet nga Bashkësia Islame e Kosovës (BIK), Policia e Kosovës dhe Prokuroria.

“BIK-u është dashur të ketë informacione më të detajuara lidhur me natyrën e ligjëratave që zhvillohen në atë xhami”, shton Muhaxhiri, duke iu referuar xhamisë "Mati 1".

Megjithatë, ai shpreh mendimin që ngjarja që ndodhi atje më 31 dhjetor, është rast i izoluar dhe se, në përgjithësi, “nuk e përfaqëson qëndrimin e besimtarëve myslimanë në Kosovë”.

Mbi 95 për qind e popullsisë 1.7 milionëshe e Kosovës ishte deklaruar si myslimane, sipas regjistrimit të fundit të popullsisë në vend më 2011 nga Agjencia e Statistikave të Kosovës. Kosova, në bazë të Kushtetutës, është shtet laik, multifetar.

Actions against the celebration of the New Year in Kosovo had also taken place at the end of last December, when a fir tree planted by the local authorities for the New Year's holidays was burned in the Elez Inn. Posters with the message "New Year is not our holiday, don't celebrate the holidays of non-Muslims" were also distributed in the streets of the city.

Regarding this case, the Kosovo Police announced that on December 28, four people were arrested. Three of them have been banned./ REL