Uploaded August 2025 | Updated September 2026, 4 days ago
Alija Izetbegović, the Late First President of Independent Bosnia and Herzegovina, Commemorated on His 100th Birthday Through His Works
Alija Izetbegović, the late first President of independent Bosnia and Herzegovina, was commemorated on the 100th anniversary of his birth through the legacy of the books he authored.
During the era of former Yugoslavia, Izetbegović fought to keep the religious and national consciousness of Muslim Bosniaks alive, a struggle for which he was imprisoned twice. He authored several influential works, including Islam Between East and West, The Islamic Declaration, My Escape to Freedom, Inescapable Questions: Autobiographical Notes, and We Will Not Be Slaves.
Three associations from Turkey, Germany, and Bosnia and Herzegovina came together in collaboration with the Alija Izetbegović Foundation, based in Sarajevo, to commemorate Izetbegović's centennial under the project titled Remembering Alija Izetbegović Through His Works on the 100th Anniversary of His Birth. As part of the project, participants read and reflected on his books.
Izetbegović’s daughter, Sabina Berberović, also joined the participants who gathered at the Alija Izetbegović Foundation.
"We Wanted to Understand His Thoughts as a Statesman and Thinker"
Emina Kiremitçi from the Zambak Bosnian Women’s Association based in Ankara told Anadolu Agency that, as the final stage of the project, those who read Izetbegović's books came together in Sarajevo.
Kiremitçi said, “We wanted to mark 2025 — the 100th anniversary of Alija's birth — by reading his books. We believed this would be the best way to understand his thoughts as both a statesman and a thinker.”
She explained that three of Izetbegović’s books were read as part of the project, with a two-month period allocated for each. Afterwards, participants met online to share their thoughts and reflections on the books.
Noting that the books were discussed within the broader context of Izetbegović's life and the history of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kiremitçi added, “I believe it was a meaningful project. I’m confident it will continue next year with new participants.”
She also mentioned that, in addition to Turkey, Germany’s Insana Association and Bosnia’s Vezirin Dükkanı Association from Travnik also contributed to the project.
Alija Izetbegović, the Late First President of Independent Bosnia and Herzegovina, Commemorated on His 100th Birthday Through His Works
Alija Izetbegović, the late first President of independent Bosnia and Herzegovina, was commemorated on the 100th anniversary of his birth through the legacy of the books he authored.
During the era of former Yugoslavia, Izetbegović fought to keep the religious and national consciousness of Muslim Bosniaks alive, a struggle for which he was imprisoned twice. He authored several influential works, including Islam Between East and West, The Islamic Declaration, My Escape to Freedom, Inescapable Questions: Autobiographical Notes, and We Will Not Be Slaves.
Three associations from Turkey, Germany, and Bosnia and Herzegovina came together in collaboration with the Alija Izetbegović Foundation, based in Sarajevo, to commemorate Izetbegović's centennial under the project titled Remembering Alija Izetbegović Through His Works on the 100th Anniversary of His Birth. As part of the project, participants read and reflected on his books.
Izetbegović’s daughter, Sabina Berberović, also joined the participants who gathered at the Alija Izetbegović Foundation.
"We Wanted to Understand His Thoughts as a Statesman and Thinker"
Emina Kiremitçi from the Zambak Bosnian Women’s Association based in Ankara told Anadolu Agency that, as the final stage of the project, those who read Izetbegović's books came together in Sarajevo.
Kiremitçi said, “We wanted to mark 2025 — the 100th anniversary of Alija's birth — by reading his books. We believed this would be the best way to understand his thoughts as both a statesman and a thinker.”
She explained that three of Izetbegović’s books were read as part of the project, with a two-month period allocated for each. Afterwards, participants met online to share their thoughts and reflections on the books.
Noting that the books were discussed within the broader context of Izetbegović's life and the history of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kiremitçi added, “I believe it was a meaningful project. I’m confident it will continue next year with new participants.”
She also mentioned that, in addition to Turkey, Germany’s Insana Association and Bosnia’s Vezirin Dükkanı Association from Travnik also contributed to the project.
