BOSNIA: MUSLIMS CELEBRATE RAMADAN IN NEWLY REBUILT MOSQUE

(21 Jan 1996) Serbo-Croat/Nat

After returning to their homes, Muslims in Krivaja, a village near Sanski Most, have rebuilt their mosque.

On Saturday, a day before the Moslem festival Ramadan starts, the mosque was reopened and hundreds of civilians and soldiers gathered for the event.

For the first time in almost 3 years Muslims living in the area of Sanski Most in northwestern Bosnia got a chance to pray in a mosque.

The area was occupied by the Serbs since the beginning of the war until October 1995, when Bosnian government troops, together with Croats, recaptured the village.

After returning to their homes Muslims rebuilt one of the many destroyed Mosques.

The Mosque was reopened on Saturday , a day before the Moslem fasting festival Ramadan starts..

Hundreds of soldiers and civilians gathered at the Mosque for the re-opening.

The rebuilding of the Mosque symbolizes the rebuilding of Bosnia and Herzegovina, according to General Atif Dudakovic.

SOUNDBITE: (Serbo-Croat)

"We've been expelled from our homes, they were killing us just because we are Muslims. The religion is something that is teaching us how to live, and a Mosque is a place where we can gather and learn who we are".
SUPERCAPTION: General Atif Dudakovic, Commander of the 5th Bosnian Army Corps

The dead were remembered on this day, with many people saying prayers for them.

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