Thursday, May 24, 2012

Bosnia Zindabad!

“ Bosnia Zindabad”[1]

 

The story begins with two dedicated young brothers, Edvin and Eden Barjektarevic, who converted to Ahmadiyyat in Bosnia . Edvin was the first ever convert to Ahmadiyyat in Sarajevo, the capital city (and largest city) of Bosnia , and through his personal dedication established a jamaat there. However the Barjektarevic family soon migrated to a small town, Ankeny, in Iowa leaving their war-ravaged hometown behind. Ankeny is a suburb of Des Moines, with the second largest concentration of Bosnians in America (second to St. Louis, MI ).

 

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Visitors from Chicago with their Bosnian brothers.

Despite the hardships that come with leaving one’s country of birth and settling in a completely foreign country, the Barjektarevic brothers did not give up their love for Islam Ahmadiyyat. They continued to invite their local Bosnian friends for prayers and actively participated in improving their fellow brothers’ lives. As in Sarajevo , the brothers started to gain new converts. Last year their parents also joined Ahmadiyyat which was a very special moment for the two brothers. Today the number of new converts in Ankeny stands at 13, and growing! What is remarkable about this story is that the Barjektarevic brothers achieved their success through personal efforts alone.

 

In December 2006, 4 khuddam from Chicago majalis (Brothers Ali Hameed, Micah Tair, Haroon Chaudhry, and Dr. Manzoor Qazi) traveled to Iowa to spend a day with their Bosnian brothers. We share some of the testimony of the visitors and pictures of their trip with our readers here.

 

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“No Drugs” posters set up to educate people about the dangers of drugs.

 

 

 

“We left Chicago on Saturday early in the morning, and from noon till 6pm we had a long discussion about several topics with 12-14 Bosnian Muslims in Iowa . We also made a 20 min video! These trips are the results of two very dedicated Bosnian Ahmadi brothers Edvin and Eden Barjektarevic, and every time you go to Ankeny their hospitality is amazing. These two brothers are doing an amazing job in bringing Bosnian Muslims back to Islam. At the same time they are socially very active in a "No Drugs" campaign. Drugs have become a major problem for Bosnian youth in America and these Ahmadi brothers are trying there best to educate the youth. We prepared a "No Drugs" poster for them so that they can put it on display at different social events. In the end, we thanked these brothers for inviting other Bosnian Muslims and for their hospitality. May Allah guide us. Amin.”

 

“For me this was a trip which was a spiritual boost. Just seeing and hearing the group talk about their journey, from Bosnia to USA , was thought provoking. Having successfully escaped the ethnic war, the Bosnian muslim community is now trying to re-establish itself in its new 'home'. Challenged today by a totally different kind of war: How to re-establish and retain their customs, their religion, their faith, their community and their identity.
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Bosnian new converts and friends in an informal discussion at the Mosque.

Our two brothers in Iowa are not only assets to the Jamaat but also to the Bosnian community. They are not only teaching their family/ friends about Islam/ Ahmadiyyat but also about social menaces like drugs, alcohol etc. They have established a mosque, which not only serves as a place of worship but also as a community center, where everyone, young and old is invited for discussions on Islam and Ahmadiyyat.
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The future looks bright! Brs. Edvin and Edin in background.

 


 

 

We had an open discussion about religion, faith and spirituality. Why is religion important in our lives? Why Islam is the true religion? What are the important principals of Islam? How do we become better Muslims/ Ahmadis? We prayed together and had a traditional Bosnian meal. I found Bro. Edvin and Eden to be very passionate about their faith and their community.”

 

This article is prepared by the department of Tarbiyyat Nau Mobaeen – January, 2007.

 

 


[1] “Long Live Bosnia” (translation). The title of a poem written by Hazrat Khalifat ul Masih IV (ra) for his beloved Bosnians.

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