9th Presidents of Religious Affairs of Balkan Countries Meeting organized in the Varna, Bulgaria under the presidency of President of Religious Affairs Prof. Dr. Ali Erbaş.

Presidents of Religious Affairs of Turkiye, Montenegro, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Romania, Bulgaria, Slovenia and TRNC attended the meeting on “The Role of Religion and Religious People in Establishing Welfare and Peace”.

“Religion, language, culture, geography and history are essential values that carry nations into the future”

President Erbaş said in his speech, “We made our existence solid by our faith. We have founded civilizations guided by our faith.” and continued as following:

“Language, culture, geography, history and especially faith are essential values that keep nations alive and carry them into the future. We see clearly from the history that, those who lost their faith also lost their existence. Those who lost their culture also lost their identity. Those who lost their history also lost their geography. In this respect, as the members of the same faith, history, geography and culture, we will construct a better life and future together by considering these values with the horizon of reflection and contemplation, Inshallah.”

President Erbaş said a believer’s pain, sadness and problem affect other believers deeply no matter where in the world by reminding the Hadith-i Sharif of Prophet Muhammad (saw) which is, “You see the believers as regards their being merciful among themselves and showing love among themselves and being kind, resembling one body, so that, if any part of the body is not well then the whole body shares the sleeplessness (insomnia) and fever with it.”

“Our desire is the wellness of all our brothers”

President Erbaş stated that the morality and law of brotherhood is one of the most important values that our Prophet Muhammad (saw) introduced to people and said, “Our desire is the wellness of all our brothers. This brotherhood connects believers that have different languages, colors, races and geographies in the same faith and enthusiasm. Connects them in the same happiness, sadness, ideal and hope. Meet them with the same prayers.”

President Erbaş expressed that all humanity should be called to what is auspicious with the principles of mercy and universal messages of Islam and continued as following:

“Almighty Allah (swt) commands in his verse ‘Let there arise from you a nation inviting to good, enjoining what is right and forbidding what is wrong, and those will be the successful.’ Inshallah, we will be those who are successful by doing this duty at our best. It is to convey the message of Islam which gives people welfare and peace all over the world. To work day and night so that universal values such as goodness, justice prevail the earth is one of the most important duties of ours.”

President Erbaş stated that one of the most successful experiences of Islamic civilization is the Balkans and said, “In this geography where magnificent civilization was built with information, morality, aesthetic and law, the most beautiful identity, consciousness, brotherhood and affection examples were presented by preserving differences. The geography of Balkan is one of the most important elements of rooted belief, trust, love and devotion towards our magnificent civilization created by our religion, Islam and which is, in a way, a blessing.”

President Erbaş pointed out that the greatest opportunity is Islam for the peace of geographies and expressed that Muslims are the most beautiful examples of good morals, mercy in everywhere.

“We should reunite right, law, mercy and compassion principles of Islam with humanity”

President Erbaş stated that world is under the siege of huge social, cultural, political and economic crises and this situation reveals the importance of Islam’s life giving principles and said, “We are responsible of reuniting the principles of right, law, mercy and compassion with humanity. Because, as what it was yesterday, it is primarily the responsibility of Muslim scholars to find solutions to the social and spiritual crises of humanity by fortifying Islam’s view of people, environment, goods and incidents.”

“We should fight against terrorist organizations which do the worst harm to our union”

President Erbaş emphasized that we should fight against industry of Islamophobia which try to represent Islam as an ideology that feed violence and terrorism and continued as follows:

We should fight against terrorist organizations which spread terror in the name of Islam, devastate Muslim territories and do the worst harm to religion of welfare and peace, Islam and to our unity and solidarity. In the same way we should take measures against activities carried out to divide the believers and lose their unity and strength by creating strife and fight over the ethnic differences, denominational and disposition differences that conduce to mercy and convenience.”

President Erbaş talked about the importance of consultation meetings held with the Balkan countries and stated works should become the most comprehensive and powerful state at the point of experience sharing, development of cooperation in the fields of religious services and education, producing common solutions to current religious issues.”

President Erbaş referred to the verse of “Help each other to goodness and taqwa. Do not help each other to wrongdoing and enmity.” and said, as long as Muslims listen to this verse, strife and division will be eliminated.