We woke up to a 9am lecture (at least that was the intended time) detailed the history of Bosnia. Ahmed Ali Basic, the Professor of Islamic Studies at the Faculty of Islamic Studies, University of Sarajevo, provided us with an extensive and thoroughly invoking history of what soon became an addictive taste of Bosnia. A country littered with invasions and religious tension was the picture painted immediately. More humbling was the documentary we watched detailing the happenings of the most heinous war crime since World War 2, the Srebrenica massacre of July 1995. Over 8000 men and boys were killed that day, at the mercy of Ratko Mladic (thankfully on his way to what will be a justice much too little too late in the Hague).

It is rare to be so touched simply by listening to stories or watching a short video clip as much as the stories of the families of those killed in Srebrenica. Images of boys as young as 12 and 13 being knelt down to be shot in the back of the head were particularly gruesome. One can only begin to understand the deep psychological scars present in Sarajevo and Bosnia Herzegovina as a whole, a country with 3 ethnic groups, Bosniaks, Serbs and Croats, all living amongst each other, in what appears to be a very fragile peace.

Our lovely hosts, Azzra and Ahmet arranged for us to walk around the city and sample what is an immensely vibrant culture. Sarajevo, subhanAllah is the one word to describe this amazing city. Nestled amongst the Olympic Mountains, it has some of the most impressive architecture I have ever seen, influenced by Ottomans, Slavs and a blend of other cultures. Walking through the old city and eating some tasty Borek for lunch gave a sense of what European Islam was really all about, something you can not appreciate in the immigrant-derived Islam witnessed in Western Europe.

One could not tell the difference between Muslim and Christian, Serb and Bosniak, except for the occasional headscarf. There are clearly signs of a more visible Islam in the streets of Sarajevo, only time will tell if the Bosniaks go from being assimilated into society, to being the main group of society in what is their homeland. The Gazi Husrev Beg masjid in the centre of the city was also a sight for the traveller. A meshwork of Islamic and Ottoman building work, it amazes me how such a beautiful building survived a terrible siege in 1992. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gazi_Husrev-beg_Mosque

Our journey back saw us tired, yet pensive and reflective on a day full of different sides to a flamboyant city. Bullet holes litter many buildings, constant reminders of the atrocities that happened not so long ago. After dinner and some amazing Cavappi , we were privileged to a lecture by Harun Karcic about how the Islamic revival in Bosnia has been taking place in recent years. We were very grateful to have such an enlightening lecture by an intelligent young man to end what was a breath-taking day.

By Wasim Mir