On February 12, 2025, at the Bosniak Institute in Sarajevo, the book „Ulema Sandžaka: from the Berlin Congress to the Dissolution of SFR Yugoslavia (1878-1990)“ by Dr. Nadir Dacić was promoted. The book promoters were: Huseyin Kansu Ćulahović, Faruk Dizdarević, the book reviewer, Prof. Dr. Šaćir Filandra, and the author of the book, Dr. Nadir Dacić.
At the very beginning of the program, in his capacity as the publisher of the book, the director of the „Ibn Sina“ Research Institute, Mohammad Hossein Abbasi, addressed the audience, highlighting the significance of this project. He also thanked the Bosniak National Council as the co-publisher of the book for their excellent cooperation, as well as the Bosniak Institute for their collaboration in jointly organizing the promotion event.
At the beginning of the program, Huseyin Kansu, one of the founders of the AK Party and former parliamentary nominee in the Republic of Turkey, addressed the audience. Highlighting his Sandžak origin, he emphasized the exceptional significance of this work.
The second promoter was Prof. Dr. Šaćir Filandra, a full professor at the Faculty of Political Science at the University of Sarajevo. He emphasized the importance of writing this book, stating that the ulema once represented the most educated social class. He compared the memory of the ulema to the first day of school, saying that just as we remember that day, we also remember our imams under whom we learned in the religious school (mekteb). He also mentioned that the author demonstrated a research passion and emotional identification with the subject of the research, as well as an awareness of the necessity and possibility of such research, which strengthens and evokes personal, family, and collective identities of Bosniak citizens of Sandžak, that is, Serbia and Montenegro. He highlighted that this book, in a methodological sense, is a scholarly work and that Bosniaks should cultivate the tradition of lexicographical writing.
Faruk Dizdarević emphasized that this book by Dr. Dacić pushes the boundaries of some of our knowledge and leads us to serious reflections on important questions regarding the history of the Bosniaks of Sandžak.
The last promoter to speak was the author of the book, Dr. Nadir Dacić. Dr. Dacić briefly presented his experience gained while working on this book. „The book presents data I gathered primarily through their official records that have been preserved and are found in various archives, as well as from the descendants of certain imams. Some of them have had their biographies published, most often as obituaries upon their death, in publications such as Glasnik, Preporod, and others.“ The author also read the names of the imams from Prijepolje included in this book.
The promotion was attended by numerous public figures, and it was moderated by Enisa Grabus.
