Bosnian Muslims' spiritual leader Reiss-ul-Ulema Mustafa Ceric, on Wednesday began a three-day visit to Kosovo, angering local Serb leaders who described his visit as a “provocation”. It is Ceric's first visit to Kosovo since it declared independence last year - a move backed by most Bosnian Muslims.
Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik said Ceric’s visit to Kosovo was “inappropriate”, because Bosnia has not officially recognised Kosovo.
Dodik accused Ceric of being “an important ideologue of Islamic policy, who interferes not only in internal matters of Bosnia-Herzegovina, but the entire region”.
Ceric’s visit was officially billed as a visit to the “Islamic community of the Republic of Kosovo”.
Belgrade doesn’t recognise Kosovo independence and has not given up its diplomatic battle to retain Kosovo within Serbia's borders.
Kosovo ethnic Albanians are overwhelmingly Muslim. Besides a tiny Serb minority, there is also a small Muslim community of Slavic origin who call themselves Bosniacs.
Ceric drew sharp criticism during his recent visit to the southwestern Serbian region of Sandzak, where Muslims form the largest group.
“Nothing could separate Muslims in Serbia from those in Bosnia," he said.
Ceric was scheduled to meet Kosovo Muslim religious leaders, president Fatmir Sejdiu and other officials during his visit.
He will also visit a memorial to Adem Jasari, a leader of the Kosovo Albanian rebellion against Serbian rule, whose entire family was killed by Serbian forces in 1998.
