Prof. Ph.D. Halil Mehtić at the international scientific conference on endowments in Tirana

At the invitation of the Institute for Albanian Studies, the Foundation for Scientific, Cultural and Humanitarian Activity ALSAR from Tirana and the Seljuk University from Konja, a two-day conference on endowments is being held, attended by the Director of Endowment Directorate IZ in Bosnia and Herzegovina dr. Senaid Zajimović and hfz. prof. Ph.D. Halil Mehtić, dean of the Faculty of Islamic Pedagogy in Zenica.

The conference was attended, among others, by the mayor of Tirana, the ambassador of the Republic of Turkey to Albania, the general director of the General Directorate of Vaqfs of the Republic of Turkey, the rector of Seljuk University and other important guests.

Papers dealing with the origin and development of waqfs in BiH, Kosovo, Macedonia, Greece, Bulgaria and Albania were presented at the conference. In the 23 papers submitted, all segments of the origin of the waqf were discussed, as well as the role of the waqf in the origin and development of the Ottoman state on the territory of the Balkans, as well as the perspectives and possibilities of reviving the waqf in these areas.

The paper that dr. Zajimović presented in front of the gathering, he treated the institution of endowments in the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina from the creation of the first endowments to the current state, with special reference to the perspective and vision adopted by the endowment directorate several years ago, which includes the realization of a large number of religious, educational, social and economically profitable projects .

- These regional conferences are very important for us who live and work in the Balkans. The fact that we share the same fate in terms of waqf obliges us to jointly insist on correcting the historical injustice inflicted on all religious communities by passing laws on the nationalization and alienation of the property of religious communities and other physical and legal entities. In a way, this conference is an introduction to the regional conference that the Vakuf Directorate together with the Interreligious Council plans to organize in the month of April both years - said Zajimović for "Avaz".

Prof. Ph.D. In his report, Halil Mehtić discussed the role of the waqf in the education of Bosnian Muslims. On that occasion, he presented parts from the endowments of Gazi Husrevbeg, Gazi Isa-beg, Ćejvan Ćehaje, Karađoz-beg, Musa-paša from Nova Kasaba, endowments from Zvornik, Rogatica and other places, which talk about the establishment of educational institutions and the allocation of financial resources for their maintenance.

At the conference, it was stated that all the countries of the Balkans share the same fate both in terms of origin, development and expansion, as well as in terms of usurpation, destruction and nationalization of waqfs. Among the conclusions of the two-day conference is the common position that all holders of waqfs in the Balkans have the right but also the obligation to use all available legal means to fight for the return of illegally confiscated property. By the way, until now, all countries in the region, except BiH and Albania, have passed the Law on Restitution-Denationalization.

(Source: Dnevni avaz)