Below is a summary of the concluding statement of the regional conference: Muslim Communities in Eastern Europe, Rights and Duties:
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
The concluding statement for the conference: Muslim Communities in Eastern Europe.
The regional conference that took place on the 15th and 16th of January in the Islamic Cultural Centre of Zagreb, the capital of Estoniam had participants from different European countries such as: Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Slovakia, Macedonia, Kosovo, Serbia, Montenegro, Czech Republic, Poland, Bulgaria, Estonia, Romania, Ukraine, Lithuania, Slovenia, Albania, Hungary, Greece, Germany, France, Belgium, Italy and Sweden.
There were over 100 participants including the Croatian Minister of Justice and the mayor of Zagreb.
Allah the Most High has said: “Invite to the way of your Lord with wisdom and good instruction, and argue with them in a way that is best. Indeed, your Lord is most knowing of who has strayed from His way, and He is most knowing of who is [rightly] guided.”
It has been narrated from Anas (may Allah be pleased with him that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “Make things easy and do not make them difficult, cheer the people up by conveying glad tidings to them and do not repulse (them).”
Starting from the trust that Allah put upon the shoulders of the scholars and conveyers from Allah and the Messenger (peace be upon him) and because of sensing the importance of building societies and spreading the culture of tolerance and dialogue between the different parts of the European society and starting from the following instances:
Firstly:
– The official recognition of Islam by the Republic of Austria in 1912.
– The official recognition of Islam by the Republic of Croatia in 1916.
– The official recognition of Islam by the Kingdom of Belgium on 1974.
– The official recognition of Islam by the Kingdom of Spain in 1992.
Secondly:
– The European Council recognizing in 1991 the role of Islamic civilization in building the European civilization
– The European Council recognizing in 2010 that Muslims are an undividable part of European structure
Thirdly:
– Starting from the resolutions and recommendations by the meeting of the European Islamic Communities – the Muslims of Europe.
· Participants of the conference will adhere to carrying out a peaceful coexisting life that is built on understanding and dialogue.
· Working towards organising courses for imams and khatebs about the main principles of sharia, dialogue and communicating with other religions and cultures.
· The participants of the conference praise the serious positive steps that some of the countries in the region have taken regarding big religious freedom, including that for Muslims.
· The participants of the conference encourage increasing the politics of including Islamic education in the educational facilities.
· The leaders of Islamic organisations in the Balkans and Eastern European countries are required to do more work in protecting the Muslims from the streams of extremism and violence by inviting to moderation, peace and tolerance.
· Encouraging the Islamic centres to take initiative in positive integration in the society and communicating with the media to correct the stereotyped image about Islam and Muslims.
· The participants of the conference encourage the European Council and the international community to incriminate any kind of extremism and terrorism and to confront it ideologically, culturally and with security means and to strive to protect the citizens from any kind of extremism and religious radicalism.
· The participants of the conference express their worry regarding the negative impacts present in some of the European countries due to economic crisis such as increasing of unemployment, poverty and immigration that leads to chaotic national protests that have the goal of tearing apart the country.
· The participants of the conference express their worry regarding the increase of voices by the populist nationalist tendencies in Europe.
· The participants of the conference call upon taking more care about the needs of families, the youth, the women and the children.
· The participants of the conference express their extreme concern about the irresponsible dawah in Europe in an incorrect manner without consulting Islamic scholars.
Finally, the participants of the conference express their gratitude to the organisers of the conference for their hard work in spreading the culture of dialogue and moderation and supporting living together peacefully.