ISLAMIC COMMUNITY CONCERNED WITH SOCIAL CONDITIONS IN CROATIA

ZAGREB, Nov 12 (Hina) - The Islamic Community (IZ) in Croatia is concerned over the general social situation in Croatia which affects the Islamic faithful as it does the rest of the population, the president of the IZ's general information assembly, Mufti Sevko Omerbasic, said Monday commenting on the assembly's November 10th session. "A great decline of the social standard and an increase in unemployment at all societal levels makes the Islamic Community suffer material as well as spiritual consequences. The status of the IZ is especially hampered by the absence of a law on the status of religious communities in Croatia", the statement read. According to the IZ, the social atmosphere, besides the aforementioned difficulties, "has been burdened by the anti- islamic trend which appeared after the tragic incidents in New York and Washington". "The IZ condemns any kind of terrorism, including what happened in the US. At the same time, there is a dominating opinion that the international battle against terrorism should focus on the elimination of the causes which initiated its manifestation, and not on the bombing of large areas in which numerous innocent people perish, in the latest example - the Muslims. If the fight against terrorism continues in this fashion, it is logical to suspect that some other goals are hiding behind it". (hina) np sb