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About
300 mosques in Kosovo were destroyed by Serbs
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By,
Mohammad Lotffi, IOL Correspondent
CAIRO,
November 19 (IslamOnline) - Because the few mosques in Kosovo
can not accommodate all worshippers, especially during the Muslims
holy fasting month of Ramadan, most Kosovan Muslims perform Taraweeh
prayers in the open in a -10 temperature.
The
few mosques can not host all worshipers and therefore when there is no
mosque in nearby, Muslims either use a big hall in one of their houses
as a place for Taraweeh prayers or pray in the open, Kosovo
representative in Egypt Bakr Ismail told IslamOnline on Tuesday,
November 19.
"There
are about 300 out of 600 mosques which survived destruction in Kosovo
during the war waged by the Serbs," Ismail recalled.
Some
of the mosques that were destroyed during the war are now being
re-built, he said.
On
preparations for Ramadan in Kosovo, he asserted that the General
Islamic Mashikha (religious authority) convenes a meeting with the
mufti, imams and preachers of each province a week before Ramadan to
discuss facilities given to the people during the holy month.
Announcing
the beginning of the holy fasting month is determined by the
eye-sighting of the crescent or in tandem with neighboring countries
such as Albania and Turkey, Ismail said.
If
the sighting of the crescent is confirmed in either country, the Head
of the General Islamic Mashikha in Kosovo announces the beginning of
Ramadan through a televised address to the people, he asserted.
Then,
all private TV channels and radio stations in the different provinces
make similar announcements and start airing religious series and films
accompanied by Albanian translation, Ismail added.
TV
and radio stations air the call for the five prayers through the year
and the state-run TV carries the Friday's prayer live every week,
Ismail, said, adding that several other networks broadcast religious
and fatwa programs.
One
of most important habits of the Kosovan people during Ramadan, Ismail
said is that in the countryside they use the drums to announce times
for iftar (fast-breaking meal) and Sohour (last meal before observing
the next day fast).
When
the time of iftar comes, mosques turn on lights in minarets to send an
iftar message to Muslims living in remote villages, he added.
The
Kosovan representative asserted that public fast-breaking banquets in
Kosovo differ from those in most Arab and Islamic countries.
In
Kosovo the banquet host would agree with a restaurant or a hotel to
prepare the iftar meals and would invite the governor, mufti,
intellectuals and rich people of the neighborhood, he elaborated.
In
most Arab and Islamic countries such public banquets offer
fast-breaking meals to the poor for ordinary Muslims who fail to make
it home before the time of the iftar.
After
finishing the iftar, Ismail said, the mufti or one of the scholars
would give a sermon until the time of El-Eisha' prayers and then an
hour later worshippers perform Taraweeh prayers.
More
sermons follow the Taraweeh prayers until its time for Sohour and
people eat their Sohour meals in the same place, he added.
On
working hours during Ramadan, Ismail underlined that the same working
hours are applied in Ramadan where public servants work from 8:00 a.m.
until 3:00 p.m. while in the private sector work continues until an
hour before the iftar and then resumes after El-Eisha' prayers.
The
only change in Ramadan meal list in Kosovo is the introduction of
dates to follow the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon
him), he noted.
The
Kosovan representative exhorted the Islamic world to offer assistance
for the re-building of Kosovo and to help Kosovan refugees, stressing
that 80% of the Kosovan people live in camps.
Ismail
underlined that there are still 5,000 missing people from the Kosovo
population and more than 400 mass graves still uncovered.
Despite
all this, some 18 Islamic charities are trying to help the people of
Kosovo and assist Muslims in re-building destroyed mosques, he said,
putting at 900 the number of western organizations joining in the
re-construction of Kosovo.
Kosovo
has a population of 3 million people, mostly from Albanian origin,
with a Muslim majority of 95%.
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