We Are Allowed to Go Out, But No Alcohol

We are allowed to go out on Saturdays and Sundays, but where there is no alcohol, says a Sarajevo Islamic secondary school student.

Sarajevo’s Gazi-Husrev-beg’s Medressa this month marked almost half a century of its establishment. It was founded on January 8, 1537 and has been educating students since.

The curriculum is adjusted to the demands of the Islamic religious community, but also the wider social community, considering the powerful multi-cultural element that has marked Bosnia-Herzegovina for centuries.

-- Today’s programme contains 23 classes, divided into several areas: the Islamic area, linguistic, social, mathematic and multi-discipline areas. Traditional religious subjects make up for a third of the classes – says Ismet Veladzic, the assistant teaching director.

In the past several years, the Medressa has had enrolled some 400 students, 200 boys and 200 girls, and three mixed classes of the second, third and fourth grades.

The Medressa used to educate Imams

The Medressa enrols students who have at least an average grade of B in elementary school, and they all have to take entrance exams. This institution is specific because it is not only an educational institution, but has a social element, so there is a dual way of participation – the education is free, but the students pay for the social education, i.e., the boarding school. The best students in the institution get support by the faithful who help the education of children in poor social conditions or those who have only one parent, or neither parents. Many of the faithful live outside of Bosnia-Herzegovina, including former Medressa students.

-- Regarding prospects and qualifying on the labour market, the situation has changed a little – says Professor Veladzic.

-- The Medressa so far educated people who later worked as imams. Today, considering the conditions of life and work, the Islamic community requires imams with a higher education, so the Medressa prepares them for the continuation of their education at all faculties, both Islamic home and abroad, and all other faculties.

Those who do not enrol in a university gain the same diploma as those who finished secondary schools.

My chance to go away from home 

Namir Ibrahimovic, a 23-year-old professor of Bosnian language and literature, graduated from a Medessa in Tuzla, says he did not have much choice at the time of enrollment.

-- I have to say that I come from a little town (Olovo) in which there was only one secondary school – a gymnasium – that had a strange programme. Students went to school only two days in a week, the school period lasted only half an hour, the professors were not professors, but people who at the time did not have military duty, so they were free to do something else. I got the opportunity to leave home at 13, 14 to a school which was at that time, considering the staff and seriousness of classes, one of the best schools in the country. It was not out of religious motive, except for, maybe, the tradition. Nobody from my family forced me to go to Medressa. It was my decision, but also an opportunity for me to go to another town, a challenge to learn more. In some other circumstances, I do not believe I would have enrolled in the Medressa – Namir said.

First mixed classes 

Selma Selimbegovic, a fourth-grade student of the Sarajevo Medressa, knew about the Medressa since fifth grade in elementary school. Her wish to enrol there grew as she listened to her brother speak of the boarding and mutual life, the making of new friends.

-- My brother graduated last year and I know that apart from the education, I can also get adequate religious education, considering its religious character. Enrolling in the Medressa was my own decision. I knew that I wanted to enrol in the Sarajevo Medressa because it is the oldest and most appreciated Medressa in the Balkans. Many children apply for the entrance exam and I had the luck to be accepted. Then they told me that I was going to go to a mixed class. Until then, co-ed classes did not exist and we were somewhat of an experiment to see how it would function. It went well, we were the best class in the entire school, so we were visited by the reis-ul-ulema who handed us gifts. We, girls, life in a different building from the boys, and as far as our obligations go, we have kitchen tasks, we clean and are more careful of neatness, while the boys have some women in their building who take care of that. We have more commitments than the boys, but we are still better than them in studying, which the professors can confirm, -- says Selma.

We go out, but where there is no alcohol 

-- In the Medressa we have a student’s association where we enter motions and where each class has its representative. We play quizzes, and we have something that we call sites – girls and boys from the third and fourth grades can go out to clobs, with the permission of the directors. We go out, for example, us girls, can go on Saturdays wherever we want, as long as there is no alcohol there. I do not know if all this sounds fun, but it is to us. We also hold regular prayers. The bell gives us a sign when we should pray – Selma says.

They both agree that modern life imposes the need for permanent education. Selma Salibegovic is thinking about enrolling at the Faculty of Philosophy and believes she can achieve anything if she tries hard enough. While Namir Ibrahimovic is today, himself part of the education system.

(Aleksandra Sokolovska, Media Plan institute, Sarajevo)