The Grand Mufti of the Bosnian Islamic Community, Mustafa Ceric, last Monday criticized the decision of the Serbian police to ban a meeting that was supposed to welcome him, and told media that "human rights are being violated in Serbia, particularly those of Muslims."

 

"Until now, I hadn’t thought that Muslims’ rights were being breached in Serbia, but I’ve seen today in Tutin that that isn’t quite the case,” Ceric said to many worshipers gathered in the courtyard of the central mosque of Tutin Monday night.

Serbian police banned a meeting Tutin to welcome Grand Mufti Ceric.

 

“When I travel round the world, people ask me how things are in the Balkans, I say it’s good. But they ask—’but how’s it in Sandzak?’ OK, I think, the mufti’s complaining, but maybe he’s overdoing it. But from today, I’ll no longer say ’overdoing it’, rather I’ll say that I saw with my own eyes that human rights are being violated in Serbia, particularly those of Muslims,“ he said during his visit to Sandzak, south eastern Serbia.

Ceric is on a three-day visit to the region, visiting educational institutions and establishments in the Islamic Community in Serbia.

He will also meet with university staff in Novi Pazar, where he will give a lecture to professors and students.

A larger Serbian police presence monitored closely the gathering in Novi Pazar.