PUBLIC STATEMENT

Citizens' association Center in Novi Pazar strongly condemns the provoking of nationalistic and religious tensions during the celebration of the Eid al-Fitr on the city streets in Novi Pazar.

Religious holidays in Novi Pazar as a multi-ethnic environment have always been an opportunity to celebrate in a specific and unique way, and to look forward to them, because our first neighbors, friends and acquaintances also look forward to them.

What happened this time when the end of the month of Ramadan and the beginning of Eid were celebrated, each of us should ask ourselves: where and when did each of those manipulated citizens lose their moral compass, when that evening, celebrating their holiday in a long line and deafening sirens, waving some other people's flags, with fireworks and pyrotechnics, insulted his Serb neighbors, shooting at the barracks and catering facilities, causing fear and disturbance to all well-meaning people in this city. Where did the man disappear that evening, where did the religious principle disappear, that we are human, and that we are all (regardless of religion and nationality) brothers to each other. That night, a classic example of a hate crime happened, because after the infernal "Eid" column of fireplaces, quads and cars had quieted down for a while, inappropriate comments that our fellow citizens - neighbors left on social networks and portals started.

Instead of religious holidays, especially Eid al-Fitr and Easter, being an opportunity for us to recognize ourselves in charity because both holidays have preparation in the sense of several weeks of fasting, prayer and renunciation, since this year in Novi Pazar, religious holidays have become a security challenge and threat, which turns into a festival of hatred, nationalist outbursts and insults. 

We demand from the competent state authorities, political parties, religious communities and the non-governmental sector an immediate reaction to the violence and the spread of hatred, because problems are not solved by concealment and silence, but by dialogue and mutual respect, in order to calm tensions and normalize the situation.