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A
library photo of Ukrainian Muslims (Courtesy FIOE)
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By
Radwa Hassan, IOL Staff
CAIRO,
February 5 (IslamOnline.net) – A Europe-based Muslim activist has
called for according due attention to the sizable Muslim community in
Eastern Europe, which has broken loose from the Communist yoke.
“In
East European countries like Albania, Bosnia, Kosovo and Macedonia
Muslims make up the majority of populace,” Ayman Sayed Ahmad,
director of Eastern Europe Department at the Federation of Islamic
Organizations in Europe (FIOE),
told IslamOnline.net’s visitors in a live dialogue on Thursday,
February 3.
He
added that in other countries such as Bulgaria, Ukraine and federal
Russia Muslims are considered “influential minority communities”.
Ahmad
put the number of Muslims in Eastern Europe at some 35 million, most
of them natives.
Russia
comes first with 21 million Muslims, followed by Bulgaria with 2.6
million, Albania with 2.4 million, Bosnia with 2.2 million and Ukraine
with 2 million Muslims.
“It
is incumbent upon Muslims to help beef up this strong presence in such
counties and raise the awareness of Muslims there about their religion
in practice and in theory,” Ahmad added.
The
FIOE is a non-profitable European organization, which provides a
framework for its member organizations and institutions.
With
28 chapters across the continent, it aims to maintain the Muslim
presence in Europe and to enhance and develop that presence so that
Islam is properly and accurately introduced.
The
FIOE also established affiliate bodies like the European Institute for
Human Science, which has branches in France and Britain, the European
Council for Fatwa and Research and the Association of Muslim Schools
in Europe.
Muslim
Identity
Ahmad
said Muslim scholars and imams are duty-bound to help preserve the
Muslim identity in Eastern Europe.
He
urged them to regularly visit East European countries and pass on
their experience to Islamic activists there.
“It
is very important to cater for their needs and qualify them to live up
to the daunting challenges ahead” Ahmad said.
“The
FIOE has championed the call for launching Web sites and publishing
books in languages spoken in Eastern Europe to reach out to non-Arabic
speakers there.”
He
continued: “Holding Islamic conferences there are a necessity to
bring Muslims together from the four corners of Europe, though
security fears from authorities in such countries constitute a
stumbling bloc given the crackdown on Muslim activities in the
post-9/11 era.”
The
Muslim activist also underlined the importance of encouraging Muslims
in Eastern Europe to fully engage in their respective societies.
Ahmad
further called for supporting the Muslim bodies in Eastern Europe and
lobbying for restoring religious endowment lands (Waqfs) confiscated
by the authorities.
Albanian
Muslims reacted angrily last week to a law ratified by the
parliament allowing land swap or compensation for Muslim bodies which
had their Waqfs confiscated during the Communist era.
