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ENVISIONING F UTURE I N T HE B ALKANS CULTURE POLITICS ORGANIZATION AND AREAS OF ORGANIZATION
of Yugoslavia, as a department of the Islamic Union in Sarajevo. The former Yugoslavian administration during the era of single-party system was putting obstacles before flourishing and practicing of Islam by intervening in the religious life and by making different kinds of blackmailing, segregation, politically unjust and clandestine transactions. Unfortunately, during the period of communism, it was largely the Muslims who were profoundly affected by the ruthless war waged against religion in general. Behind the attitude of "hostility against religion", there were only Muslims who were chosen as target enemy and persecuted with discriminatory policies. At that time, the Republic of Macedonia, which was an integral part of the former Yugoslavia, was chosen as the place where these kinds of anti-democratic laws, projects and the political hoaxes were utilized with the aim of trialing Muslims. As a result of these inhumane and uncivil conditions and practices a great deal of values of Macedonian Muslims were destroyed; the properties of the foundations were looted under the support of the state; the mosques and similar religious structures were razed to the ground under various nonsensical pretexts. In addition to that, different projects were drawn up in order to prevent the increase of Muslim birth rate; the surrounding walls of the Muslim houses were destroyed; no permission was given to construct new mosques or religious structures in order to meet basic religious needs; in this sense opening of the Quran courses in the small schools of mosques were hindered and pressure was made on the pupils and their parents via the teachers who opposed these courses; the Islamic call (athan) to prayer via the loudspeaker from minarets was not permitted; the religious officials were interrogated with no reason and this was used as a means of pressure; education in native language was prevented. Despite this and this kind of systematic pressures over the religious lives of Muslims, Islamic Union of Macedonia spent an extraordinary effort to spread and develop Muslim's dedication to their religions and enable them sustain their religious lives with all their institutions and corporations under improper conditions and practices. The only solution for displaying successful religious activities under extremely negative circumstances was considered to be the bringing up of religious cadres. On the other hand, in Macedonia since there was no school delivering religious education equal to that of high school, the religious cadres were receiving education in the medreses in Pristina, Sarajevo and abroad. Islamic Union of Macedonia started an initiative to open Ă?sa Bey Medresesi (Imam-Hatip High School) in the year of 1979 with the purpose of bringing up religious cadres in Macedonia. After a long and challenging struggle was made, a school building was constructed in Kondova village of Skopje and thus this educational institution started to operate in the academic year of 1984-85. This medrese, which was providing dormitories for male students, has been giving education free of charge. As a different crucial religious activity, Islamic Union of Macedonia was attributing great importance into the printing of religious literature and making them available for a wide range of audience. Religious literature was