TEHRAN — On the occasion of the departure of Hasan Cengic, a fighter and deputy defense minister from Bosnia-Herzegovina, a commemoration ceremony was held on Tuesday at the presence of Esmail Qaani, Commander of the IRGC Quds Force, and a number of prominent Iranian political and military figures.

Abuzar Ebrahimi Turkman, former head of the Islamic Culture and Communication Organization; Brigadier General Ali Fazli, Deputy Chief of the IRGC for Coordination; Samir Veladzic, the Ambassador of Bosnia-Herzegovina to Iran; Hojjatoleslam Seyyed Abolhassan Nawwab, President of the University of Islamic Sects; Ebrahim Taherian, Advisor to the Minister of Foreign Affairs; and a number of other officials also attended the commemoration ceremony held in the Garden Museum of the Sacred Defense in Tehran.

At the beginning of the ceremony, Bosnian Ambassador Samir Veladzic welcomed the participants and hailed the sympathy of Iranian officials with the people and government of Bosnia.

With the departure of Hassan Cengic, Bosnia has lost a distinguished figure, and Iran has lost a sincere friend, and the Islamic world has lost a tireless fighter, the ambassador remarked.
 
“In addition to his effective and sincere role in the defense of Bosnia and Herzegovina, this distinguished figure spent his blessed life in the realization of Islamic ideals in the land of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and his lasting services will remain always in the minds and will be remembered forever,” Ambassador Veladzic stressed. 

Through the ceremony, Hojjatoleslam Nawwab also recalled the services and sacrifices of Cengic during the Bosnia-Herzegovina war.

"He was a great figure, well acquainted with the religious issues and issues of the Islamic world, and devoted his entire blessed life to promoting the status of Islam in Bosnia and Herzegovina."

President of the University of Islamic Sects highlighted that the Bosnian figure had a profound impact on the fate of Muslims, including those from Bosnia-Herzegovina, and future generations will remember this great man forever.

For his part, Mohammad Javad Asayesh Zarchi, the former Iranian ambassador to Yugoslavia, said: "When I was sent to the Iranian embassy in Belgrade, the late Hasan Cengic was imprisoned for supporting the Islamic Revolution of Iran with another group of Muslim fighters in the Balkans, and he is one of those people who endured many hardships for his people, religion and country." 

The former diplomat added that Cengic’s role in promoting the position of Muslims in the Balkans and his assistance to the Bosnian people and government in maintaining the territorial integrity of Bosnia was unforgettable.

Taherian, who was also the first Iranian ambassador to Bosnia-Herzegovina, was the next keynote speaker. Referring to Cengic’s role in achieving independence and democracy in Bosnia-Herzegovina, the diplomat said: "He did not give up any effort to promote Islam and his country until the last moment of his life, and his departure will be felt forever."

Ahmad Karimpour, one of the then members of the Bosnia-Herzegovina Relief Staff during the Balkan war, also highlighted the special role of Cengic in helping the Bosnians during the difficult days of the war and the siege of Sarajevo.

"It was Hasan Cengic’s role and tact that led to the Iranian humanitarian aid to reach the Bosnian government and oppressed people," Karimpour stated.

Referring to the sacrifice of the late deputy defense minister, Karimpour said: "Although he stood by the people of his country during the difficult period of war and siege and defended his homeland and nation, his services were not limited to the Bosnian war but also in the post-war period; in the political and religious arenas, he brought blessings to the Muslims of Bosnia-Herzegovina and the Islamic world."

Messages of condolences from Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati, Secretary of the Guardian Council; Ali Akbar Velayati, Advisor to the Leader on International Affairs who was Iran’s Foreign Minister during the Balkan war; and Hamid Shahriari, Chairman of the World Forum for Proximity of Islamic Schools of Thought, were read on the occasion of Cengic’s death and video clips of the prominent figure's life were screened.