The Roots of Tolerance in Bosnia Mehmet Can International University of Sarajevo, Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences, Paromlinska 66, 71000 Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina mcan@ius.edu.ba

The tolerance tradition in the times of Bosnian Church. The tolerance tradiditon brought by dervishes. Tolerance supported by Ottoman Millet System. One sided tolerance by Bosnian Muslims.

The Times of Ban Kulin

Bosnian Church

The Head: Djed Monotheistic No altars and crosses No incarnation No church building Hižaj, guesthouses

Tolerance Expelled heretics from Split and Trogir found refuge in Bosnia (1200).

Ban Kulin to Pope: No heretics in Bosnia (1199)

Intolerance

April 8, 1203 Abjuration

Bosanska Crkva Promises to reform their behavior, acknowledge full supremacy of Rome, accept Catholic priest to hižajs, restore altars and crosses, follow the Roman calendar of fasts and feasts, keep the sexes apart in monasteries, give no shelter to heretics, refer to themselves not chiristianus, but call themselves as fratres.

Intolerance Conversion of a “Heretic” Priest

Tolerance Brought By Dervishes

Ajvaz Dedo (1450)

Prusac

Sari Saltuk (1520)

Hasan Kaimi Baba (1625-1703)

Kaimija In this turbe, my God, is the greatest of the dervishes Respectfull Kaimija known to world He is crystal of the crystals, the light of the lamp That shines as if it says: ‘I am borderless horizon.’

Shayh Ahmed Nureddin (Tuzla)

Hasan Kafije (Prusac)

Heroj Bez Ime (Sapna)

Hoca Ahmed Yesevi (1093-1166)

Hoca Ahmed Yesevi (1093-1166)

Divan-ı Hikmet (Book of Wisdom )

Sünnet imiş, kâfir de olsa, verme zarar Gönlü katı, gönül inciticiden Allah şikayetçi ; Allah şahid, öyle kula "Siccin" hazır Bilgelerden işitip bu sözü söyledim ben işte.

Mevlana (1207-1273)

Come, come again, whoever, whatever you may be, come: Heathen, fire-worshipper, sinful of idolatry, come. Come even if you have broken your penitence a hundred times, Ours is not the portal of despair and misery, come."

Hajji Bektash Wali (1209-1271)

Seek and find. Do not hurt even if you are hurt yourself. Educate your women. Control your deeds, tongue, and desires. Whatever you seek, look for it in yourself. The adept are both pure and purifying. The first step of a talent is modesty. A person's perfection lies in the beauty of what he says. Condemn no nation or person. Do not impose on someone that which is too burdensome for him to bear. The end of the road that does not pass through knowledge is darkness. How glad for those who shed light into the darkness of thought. Prophets and waliys are God's gift to humanity.

Yunus Emre (1241-1321)

We forgive the created one, For the sake of the Creator.

Ahidnama

Ahidnama I, the Sultan Khan, the Conqueror, hereby declare the whole world that, the Bosnian Franciscans granted with this sultanate firman are under my protection. And I command that: No one shall disturb or give harm to these people and their churches! They shall live in peace in my state. These people who have become emigrants, shall have security and liberty. They may return to their monasteries which are located in the borders of my state.

No one from my empire notable, viziers, clerks or my maids will break their honor or give any harm to them! No one shall insult, put in danger or attack these lives, properties, and churches of these people! Also, what and those these people have brought from their own countries have the same rights... By declaring this firman, I swear on my sword by the holy name of Allah who has created the ground and sky, Allah's prophet Mohammed, and 124.000 former prophets that; no one from my citizens will react or behave the opposite of this firman!"

Ottoman Millet System Everybody has the right to live along the sharia of her/his religion. Parents are the only authority who will decide about the education of the childreen. Religious groups have the right to have alternative jurispudence along their religion.

Tolerance Culture is now a Muslim Tradition in Bosnia

But Intolerance is not Far Away

Ferhadija Mosque (Banja Luka) shortly after destruction in 1993.

Ferhadija mosque was one of the 16 mosques destroyed only in the city of Banja Luka during the war in 1992-1995.

Mostar Bez Most

ŠEHID

Šehidski Rastanak

ŠEHIDSKI RASTANAK Zima nikad proć', nikad sabah doć'. Samo tekbir čuje se kroz noć (Allahu Ekber). Duga zimska noć, majko moram poć', rodna gruda pradjedova, to me zove upomoć.. Ako se majko ne vratim, nemoj me zalud čekati. Pusti jednu suzu tihu i prouci mi Fatihu, nek me ona isprati.

Samo još jednom da mi je, ispred dženetske kapije, da na krilima ezana stigne miris ramazana, iz naše čaršije. Nijet veliki, zulum dušmanski, sabur, naam i inat u nama – silan, bosanski.

Duga zimska noć, majko moram poć', rodna gruda pradjedova, evo, zove u pomoć. Čuvaj mi sestru, pazi je, jer, majko, jednom da mi je,vidjeti zemlje rosne kako šćeri moje Bosne, sad rađaju gazije. Samo još, Bosne da mi je, pa, da me sevdah opije, da me bude pjesme stare i mujezin sa munare, sa Bijele džamije.

Samo jos, Bosne da mi je, pa, da me sunce ogrije, da me bude pjesme stare, i mujezin sa munare, sa Bijele džamije.

ŞEHİDİN VEDASI Kış bitmiyor, şafak sökmüyor, Gece boyu sadece tekbir sesleri. Gece uzun ve soğuk, ama anne gitmeliyim. Dedelerimin toprağı imdat bekliyor. Dönmezsem eğer anne, beni yasla bekleme, Sadece bir damla gözyaşın ve sessizce okuduğun bir Fatiha, O beni izler.

Gönlüm sadece bir kez cennetin kapısında durmak ister, Duanın kanatlarında, Ramazanın kokusu gelsin diye çarşımıza. Düşmanın niyeti büyük ve kötü, Fakat yüreğimizdeki sabır, övünç ve öfke - büyük, Boşnakça.

Gece uzun ve soğuk, ama anne gitmeliyim Gece uzun ve soğuk, ama anne gitmeliyim. Dedelerimin toprağı Imdat bekliyor. Kız kardeşime iyi bak, onu gözet çünkü anne, gönlüm özler Islak toprağın altından Bosnalı kızların Gaziler doğurduğunu görmeyi.

Son kez Bosna için Ben sevdalı sarhoşum, Eski şarkılar ve müezzinin munareden yankılanan sesi ile uyandırılan, Eski beyaz camiden. Bosnadan son dileğim, Güneş ısıtsın ruhumu, Eski şarkılar ve müezzinin munareden yankılanan sesi ile uyandırılan, Eski beyaz camiden.

To be Tolerant is our Culture Let us repeat our dova

Bože Sveznajući, Nauči nas da je tolerancija najviši stupanj moći, A želja za osvetom, Prvi znak slabosti!

O Allah, teach us that tolerance is the highest degree of power. And the desire for revenge is the first sign of weakness!

Bože Pravedni, kada se mi ogriješimo o ljude, podari nam snagu izvinjenja! A kada se ljudi o nama ogriješe, Podari nam snagu oprosta!

O Allah, If we sin against people, give us the strength of apology! And if people sin against us, give us the strength of forgiveness!

Amin!!!