Bosnia and Herzegovina is preparing to elect a new Grand Mufti, a position that religious observers say could significantly influence the discourse on Islam across Europe. The current Reis-ul-ulema, Husein Kavazovic, is concluding his tenure after serving two seven-year terms and is ineligible to run again.
Three candidates have emerged to succeed him: Salem Dedovic, the Mufti of Mostar; Nedzad Grabus, the Mufti of Sarajevo; and Mensur Malkic, who serves as the head of the Directorate for Religious Affairs and acts as the Grand Mufti’s envoy. The contenders hold differing visions for the office. Malkic aims to reinforce the Islamic Community’s religious and institutional foundations, while Dedovic favors a more politically engaged role in social debates. Grabus, bringing extensive international experience from his prior tenure as Grand Mufti of Slovenia, emphasizes strengthening the community against the pressures of globalization and secularization.
The significance of this election transcends national borders. Imam Benjamin Idriz, who leads the Islamic Community in Penzberg, Bavaria, and chairs the Munich Forum for Islam, noted the unique stature of the position. “No other Islamic personality in Europe holds a position like the Reis-ul-ulema in Sarajevo,” Idriz said, adding that the election’s importance extends to Muslims and non-Muslims throughout Europe.
The Islamic Community of Bosnia and Herzegovina operates independently from the state, funded through donations, membership fees, and zakat charity. It maintains its own parliamentary body, the Sabor, a Constitutional Court, and an executive body known as the Riyaset. Established in 1882 under Austro-Hungarian rule, the institution has survived the fall of the Ottoman Empire, Yugoslav socialism, and the 1990s war, consistently distancing itself from radicalism and fostering coexistence with Jewish and Christian communities.
For the approximately 400,000 Bosnian Muslims residing in Germany, the outcome carries particular weight. Zenahir Mrakovic, president of the Islamic Union of Bosniaks in Germany (IGBD), highlighted the historical and theological ties between the German association and its counterpart in Sarajevo. Esnaf Begic, a former imam and lecturer at Osnabrück University, argued that the Bosnian model of institutionalizing Islam within a democratic, pluralistic society should serve as a reference point for European Muslims.
“We are autochthonous European Muslims and to a certain extent, we share more similarities with Germans than with Muslims from Afghanistan, Iran or Saudi Arabia,” Begic said. Mrakovic agreed, noting that Bosnia’s experience offers valuable lessons on preserving religious identity while remaining an integral part of European democratic society.
The incoming Grand Mufti will face a complex landscape. Begic warned that foreign actors, including nations such as Turkey, Saudi Arabia, the United States, Germany, and the EU, are seeking to exert influence over the religious leadership for their own geopolitical interests. Domestically, the state remains fragile, and the rise of right-wing populism and Islamophobia across Europe presents additional challenges.
Observers hope the next Reis-ul-ulema will leverage the office’s democratic and historical legitimacy to counter these trends. Idriz expressed the expectation that the new leader will affirm values such as the rule of law, gender equality, and freedom of expression, thereby inspiring confidence among European Muslims and signaling to majority societies that Islam is firmly rooted in Europe.
Leave a Reply