BANJA LUKA MUFTI TO BE BURIED IN SARAJEVO FOLLOWING SERB INCIDENTS

( Editorial: --> 9532 ) SARAJEVO/BANJA LUKA, July 23 (Hina)- Banja Luka mufti Ibrahim Halilovic, who died earlier this week in Sarajevo, will be buried in the Bosnian capital after Bosnian Serb authorities in Banja Luka banned his burial in the city that once featured the Ferhadija mosque, which was destroyed by the Serbs during the war. The leadership of the Bosnian Islamic Community stated that the local authorities in Banja Luka decided to stand by its earlier decision to ban the burial at the plot of the former mosque. Furthermore, supporters of the Serb Party of Krajina and Posavina, which Banja Luka Mayor Djordje Umicevic belongs to, caused an incident in the area on Thursday. Islamic Community representative Muharem Omerdic told the Bosnian news agency ONASA that at about 1pm members of the Serb party burst into the headquarters of the Banja Luka Islamic community. They assaulted and maltreated the believers until they were dispersed by police. The trouble makers also planted a Serb flag at the place where efendi Halilovic should have been buried. Their leader Predrag Lazarevic stated that the plot that used to be occupied by the mosque was "constructional land owned by the city of Banja Luka and Republika Srpska" (the Bosnian Serb entity). Deputy High representative Hanns Schumacher described the incidents in Banja Luka and the reactions of local authorities as unbelievable. He told the press he deemed Mayor Umicevic directly responsible for the incident because, as he put it, the mayor proved to be incapable of mature and responsible judgements. (Hina) jn mro /mbr 232157 MET jul 98