THE STATE, THE ISLAMIC COMMUNITY, AND MUSLIMS IN SERBIA
THE STATE, THE ISLAMIC COMMUNITY, AND MUSLIMS IN SERBIA

Author(s): Ivan Ejub Kostić
Subject(s): Politics, Human Rights and Humanitarian Law, Sociology, Security and defense, Inter-Ethnic Relations, Ethnic Minorities Studies
Published by: Helsinški odbor za ljudska prava u Srbiji
Summary/Abstract: Since the Law on Churches and Religious Communities was passed in 2006, the legal status of the Islamic Community has still not been resolved. This is due to the fact that two parallel organizations119 claim to meet the conditions to be legally recognized as the official Islamic community, thus restitution regarding the property confiscated from this community after 1945 has still not been enforced. Also, because of this unregulated legal status, issues regarding the appointment of religious education teachers in schools are present. However, what is interesting is that the state, despite not recognizing either of the two organizations as the one meeting legal requirements to be recognized as the official Islamic community, accepted both organizations’ registrations, and in that sense took upon itself the obligation to aid them financially, to pay health insurance for the employees and pensions to former employees. But what is perhaps most important is that the state thus guarantees them both a status that exempts them from paying taxes to the government.

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