Participants in the event said that unity in diversity is possible and that Croatia offers an acceptable model for the coexistence of Islam and Christianity both for the East and for the West. They also condemned violence in the world.
The Islamic community honoured President Ivo Josipovic for his contribution to the promotion of religious freedoms in the country. Josipovic said that Croatia's Muslim community was sincerely committed to working to the benefit of its homeland.
It has become, both among Muslims and non-Muslims in this region and the rest of Europe, a symbol proving that diversity and unity are possible and good, said Josipovic.
He expressed hope that the Islamic community would continue promoting values of humanism and democracy, and that it would follow the path of inter-religious initiatives for religious as well as practical matters.
Parliament Speaker Josip Leko said the ceremony showed that "we live in freedom and mutual respect, and that Muslims have given a great contribution to Croatia's development, more than could be expected."
The head of the Islamic community in Croatia, Mufti Aziz Hasanovic, said he was satisfied with the community's status and development, calling on all those present at the ceremony to send out a message of unity and mutual respect and condemn atrocities committed in the name of Islam.
Hasanovic put forward a proposal to offer Europe to adopt the Croatian model for the Muslim community and that the same model be sought for Christians in Muslim countries.
Prime Minister Zoran Milanovic on Friday offered his best wishes to Muslims in Croatia on the occasion of Kurban Bayram.