Zagreb (IKA) — On October 18, the minister of defense, Berislav Rončević, and the president of the Meshihat of the Islamic Community in the Republic of Croatia, Ševko Omerbašić, signed a protocol in Zagreb regarding chaplaincy for the members of the armed forces of the Republic of Croatia who belong to the Muslim faith.
According to the protocol, it is stipulated that all the members of the armed forces of the Republic of Croatia shall be acquainted with the right to spiritual guidance, and the units that train conscripts shall conduct a survey according to which the number of conscripts interested in spiritual guidance shall be determined. When formal oaths are taken, the Center for the Training of Military Conscripts shall invite a representative from the local Islamic center. It has also been established by an agreement that special food will be provided to all the members of the armed forces of the Republic of Croatia who request it, with the option of being exempt from heavy physical activity during the month of Islamic fasting.
All the members of the armed forces of the Republic of Croatia of the Islamic faith, according to Article 3 of the Holidays, Memorials and Non-Working Days Act in the Republic of Croatia, have the right not to work on the days of the lesser Bairam and greater Bairam. To the extent that the priorities of regular training permit, they shall be assured at least two hours of free time every Friday for worship at the nearest mosque.
Together with the Meshihat of the Islamic Community, an annual schedule shall be prepared for visits from religious officials to the centers for the military training of conscripted soldiers of the armed forces of the Republic of Croatia, according to the data on the number of conscripts who have sought spiritual guidance. According to Article 17 of the contract between the Government of the Republic of Croatia and the Meshihat of the Islamic community, it is stipulated that the Islamic community shall appoint one imam for the spiritual guidance of the Islamic members of the armed forces and police, as well as spiritual guidance in penitentiaries, jails, reform schools, hospitals, healthcare institutions and social welfare institutions. According to the prevailing NATO standards, there should be one chaplain per thousand believers (soldiers). Therefore, it is not necessary to establish a military imamate, according to the statement from the information service of the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Croatia.

Regarding the current situation among the members of the NATO alliance and neighboring countries, in the statement it is concluded that the signed protocol on Chaplaincy for the Members of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Croatia is a step in achieving religious freedom in the armed forces, since, for example, France and Germany, with a larger percentage of members of the Islamic faith than ours in the military population, do not have regulated religious rights for the Islamic community, and thus we enter the circle of countries with a high degree of religious freedom and can serve as a type of guidepost for co-existence and tolerance to many countries encumbered by religious tensions and intolerance .