Bosnian Imam Celebrated Coronavirus Canceling Pride March

A homophobic Sarajevo Imam posted on Facebook thanking God that the coronavirus virus canceled this month’s Pride march in the Bosnian capital of Sarajevo. Bosnia's official Islamic Community has refused to comment on the homophobic post.

Muhamed ef. Velic, Imam of the Ottoman-era Ferhadija mosque in the historic centre of Sarajevo, wrote on Facebook that “in every misfortune and tragedy there is a grain of happiness, goodness and beauty”.

“Thanks to Allah for everything. Let dear Allah gift that corona and gay parade never return to our city and the state!” Velic, who is followed by some 73,000 people, wrote in the post.

A spokesman for the Islamic Community of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the IZ BiH, said it was not aware of the post, and added the community does not regulate all the work of its Imams.

“We don’t have any reaction, you will have to ask for that from his superior,” IZ BiH spokesman Muhamed Jusic said, adding that the position of the community was that homosexuality goes against Islamic beliefs and teaching, but that believers should also refrain from any violence against such sinners.

As ‘Balkan Inisight’ reports, this year’s Pride march would have been sponsored by the Sarajevo Canton government and, this year, there had been almost no public condemnation of it by conservative politicians and public figures.

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