Bosnia’s Aladza Mosque reopened after 1992 bombing

Thousands of Muslims attended the Aladza mosque’s reopening in Foca – where a total of 12 mosques were destroyed during the conflict.
Foca became notorious for the mass persecution and killings of non-Serbs that took place there during the conflict.
During the war, it was renamed Srbinje – but in 2004 Bosnia’s top court ordered the reinstatement of its original name.
Members of Bosnia’s Islamic Community have praised the reopening of the historic site.
“Today we are witnessing a hope that people will again find peace at this place,” the groups head, Husein Kavazovic, said at the ceremony.
Turkish Culture Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy said the re-opening demonstrates that “racism and hatred can make material damage but cannot destroy culture of coexistence nourished for centuries”.
The US special envoy to Bosnia said the building would now serve as a “beacon of reconciliation for future generations”.