Terrorism and extremism are not expressed in Montenegro, but this problem should not be ignored because threats exist, it was assessed at the scientific conference Extremism, terrorism and religion, organized by the International Police Organization of Montenegro (IPO).
Deputy Prime Minister Dritan Abazović said that all religions call for peace and that this is the fundamental determinant of every religion.
"Terrorists are not believers, but criminals. The media make them believers, push them into national designations, associate them with certain groups, states. Terrorists are criminals and should be treated as such," said Abazović at the PR Center.
According to him, true believers are those who insist on connecting people, who have a degree of tolerance much higher than other individuals whose faith is perhaps not close.
Abazović pointed out that there are many more things that unite citizens than those that separate them, "the only problem is that we always like to encourage these differences".
He added that civil rights are also religious and that the context of the civil state is such that one should accept someone who is different from oneself.
"I think that the problem of terrorism and extremism should by no means be ignored. I don't see that this is expressed in Montenegro, but threats exist. They are identified. We have to send and live messages of peace," said Abazović.
The Minister of Internal Affairs, Sergej Sekulović, believes that it is necessary to return to the public debate the original thought that religions carry by themselves.
"That idea must be heard more clearly, louder, more openly. For maybe 150, 200 years, religion has been openly pushed out of the public scene. However, there is quite a bit of room for her to return to the stage, but in a pure form," said Sekulović.
State Secretary of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Rade Milosevic, explained that in order to take concrete measures and actions to combat extremism and terrorism, it is necessary for the Government to take certain steps, the first of which is for the National Security Council to form a Bureau for operational coordination of the work of security services and after that, the Bureau forms a National Operational Team.
"Our priorities are to strengthen capacities and international cooperation. One of the important segments that we see is raising the awareness of citizens about this problem, and I cannot say that a lot has not been done in the past period. There are two princes. The first is to act preventively, and the second, if we get into a situation, to act operationally," said Milošević.
IPO President Ivan Pekić said that when terrorists return from the battlefield, the state must create a deradicalization plan, which means that if someone returns to normal life, the state must stand behind it, find him a job, finance him in a shorter time.
"There are shortcomings everywhere and in every job, but we are definitely someone who lends a hand to this government, the ministry and all the people who recognized the importance of the International Police Organization," Pekić said.
The rector of the Cetinje seminary, Gojko Perović, said that we should not equate extreme groups that took some thoughts out of context with religious teachings.
He said that he is an advocate of a secular society and that one should be careful when it comes to the introduction of religion or religious education in all institutions.
"But if we are going to recognize what are the extreme abuses of religion, and what is the basic original teaching, I think that all three monotheistic religions in Montenegro agree that it is necessary to introduce some kind of religious education in schools. If I say that Montenegro is one of the five countries that does not have any form of religious education, then I am calling for European standards, not the Middle Ages," said Perović.
He said that it is necessary to demonstrate once again that the foundation of religious science is love for everyone, tolerance for discomfort and disagreements, and not at all exclusivity.
The vicar general of the Archdiocese of Bar, Simo Ljuljić, said that extremism, terrorism and religion are three words that need to be defined and emphasized that it is impossible to reconcile the first two with the third.
Religions, he emphasized, have nothing to do with extremism, nor any kind of radicalism.
"Ever since man has existed, people have used religion to express the bad things in them, to do what even animals don't do, to kill their brothers and sisters. Religions teach that one should take care of one's brother more than one's self," said Ljuljić.
He said that we should work to make society understand that "the fact that we are different, that we show faith in our own ways, improves the quality of the whole society".
The Chief Imam of the IZ Board Bar Muidin Milaimi pointed out that Islam opposes and condemns terrorism in all its forms, because the very meaning of the word Islam is submission and peace.
"Islam categorically rejects and condemns all forms of terrorism. It does not provide protection or justification for an act of violence. Religion is the connection of man with the supreme God and the connection of man with man. Faith grows in trust, and one who has faith can have faith," Milaimi said.
According to him, extremism and radicalism are matters of utmost distrust. "A phenomenon that arises first in a person's head, and then an excuse or justification is sought".
As far as the Islamic community in Montenegro is concerned, it is, as Milaimi said, stable and hubs of extreme ideas cannot be found in the official, official confession of faith.
When asked by a journalist what his opinion is about the possibility of introducing religious education in schools, Abazović said that he thinks that it is not a priority now and that a fundamental reform of the education system is needed.
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