Facing a dearth of donations over government pressures, Muslim education institutions in Serbia are risking to shut down over the lack of funding. Serbian educational institutions are facing a financial crisis that hampers them from delivering their message, Sheikh Muamer Zukorlic, the Grand Mufti and Head of the Islamic Sheikhdom of Serbia, told IslamOnline.net.
“The crisis facing our institutions is the result of a political standoff between the Sheikhdom and Serbian authorities.” Zukorlic blamed the standoff on government attempts to restrict the expansion of Sheikdom institutions. “The government has adopted a policy to dry financial sources feeding our projects and institutions,” he lamented.
The government has suspended aid to the Sheikhdom though Serbian laws allow aid to religious organizations. “It is also pressuring businessmen funding the Sheikhdom projects to stop funding, resulting in a dearth of donations as they fear harm to their businesses,” he said. “Authorities are also launching media campaigns against the Sheikhdom to blemish its image and lose the people’s confidence.”
“Though we need to expand our educational institutions to preserve our identity, the crisis has forced us to halt our new projects,” Zukorlic said.
The Sheikhdom is overseeing seven kindergartens catering 1,000 children and three secondary schools catering 500 students. It is also running a faculty for Islamic studies as well as the International University of Novi Pazar, which has 4,000 students.
Almir Pramenkovic, the dean of the Islamic Studies Faculty told IOL the faculty professors have not been paid for months and they could be forced to seek another job if the crisis continued.
The Muslim leader appealed to Muslims abroad to provide help to the Sheikhdom to overcome the financial crisis.
Serbia has a Muslim minority of nearly half a million, mostly ethnic Bosniaks and Albanians.
