The Bosnian Language Open Lecture Held in Zagreb

The Bosnian language’s continuity of several centuries was highlighted by speakers at the “Bosnian Language and Culture” Open Lecture held in the Zagreb Islamic Center on 12 April 2018. Language is the foundation of communication and culture of one nation, the language preserves national identity. From this year, the Bosnian has entered the program of the Ministry of Science and Education of the Republic of Croatia by model C for elementary and secondary schools for pupils belonging to the Bosniak national minority in Croatia. The most famous Bosniak intellectuals of Zagreb and Croatia played a major role in the realization of this plan, among them Harun Omerbašić, President of the Council of the Bosniak National Minority of the City of Zagreb and President of the Coordination Council and representatives of the Bosniak National Minority of Croatia. For now, eleven students who want to learn Bosnian have enrolled, emphasized Omerbašić, and apart from the language they will learn about the culture, history, geography and arts of BiH.
Harun Omerbašić was the leader of the Bosnian language forum, hosted by linguists from BiH, lecturers from the Institute for Language of the University of Sarajevo; dr. sc. Alen Kalajdžija talked about the history of Bosnian language, dr. Sc. Jasmin Hodzic presented Bosnian language in modern sociolinguistic context, mr. Sc. Aida Kršo spoke about Bosnian language and standard-language practice, while writer Hadžem Hajdarević emphasized the importance of the Bosnian language for Bosniak cultural identity.
This forum caused great interest of the Bosniaks in Zagreb, and attended by the Islamic Lyceum Dr. Ahmed Smajlovic students and others interested in the Bosnian language. Speakers were listened by Mufti Aziz Asanović, Ekrem Bećirović, Deputy Chairman of the VBNMGZ, Bermin Meškić, member of the Council for National Minorities of the Republic of Croatia and many other Bosniaks. The lecture was organized by the Bosniak Council, National Minorities of the City of Zagreb in cooperation with the UNSA Language Institute.