Abazović: Essence of civil state is to accept other people's differences

Deputy Prime Minister Dritan Abazović participated in a scientific conference on the theme of "Extremism, Terrorism and Religion", organised by the International Police Organisation in Montenegro.

Minister of the Interior Sergej Sekulović, State Secretary in the Ministry of the Interior Rade Milošević, as well as members of religious communities, Rector of the Cetinje Theological Seminary Gojko Perović, Chief Imam of Bar Muidin Milaimi and Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Bar Simo Ljuljić also attended the conference.

DPM Abazović said that these topics are important in order to raise sensitivity for the overall context of reconciliation and what should be interfaith and interethnic harmony in Montenegro.

The Deputy Prime Minister noted that the essence of every religion is peace with God and people, and that there is no place in religion for the abuse of good in order to reach the goal, because every religion calls for peace.

"Terrorists are not believers, they are criminals," said Abazović, emphasising that true believers are those who strive to connect people and whose degree of tolerance is much higher than that of other individuals.

"True believers recognise others in themselves and themselves in others. True believers should see God's creation in others," Abazović pointed out.

The Deputy Prime Minister emphasised that there are many more things that unite us than those that divide us, and that the problem is that one prefers to encourage those differences.

Abazović said that secularism is not directed against religious communities and that civil rights are not against religious rights, but civil rights are at the same time religious rights.

"The concept of a civil state is such that one should accept other people's differences. The same applies to people who are not believers but are agnostics or atheists. The rights should apply to everyone," Deputy Prime Minister Dritan Abazović concluded.