"Religion, if anything, facilitates good health for most Bosnians.   The majority of Bosnians are either Christian or Muslim.  Both religions encourage taking care of the body (as seen in the passages in the Bible and the Koran)," stated Lidija Hamzic, a Bosnian refugee living in Utica, NY.

Religion of Bosnians in Utica

• Bosnia consists of Muslims, Orthodox Christians and Catholics (there is an extremely small percentage of Jewish Bosnians). In the United States there are about six million Muslims, thus Islam is the second largest religious group in the United States, after Christianity (Cultural Ethnic and Religious Reference Manual for Health Care Providers C.E.R).
• The majority of Bosnians in the area of Utica, NY, are Muslims;   however, some are also Orthodox and Catholic (interview with Fatmir Hiseni).
• Bosnians in Utica are known to be very European, therefore, religion has many strong parallels to Christianity, the basis being the first five books of the Old Testament, the Psalms, certain Gospels of the New Testament, and the Koran (MVRC).
• It is important to be aware that the customs of a religion can vary from one individual to another.  For example, most Muslims do not pray five times a day. 

The Muslim Religion

• Being a Muslim does not mean one is an Arab. Muslim is a religious term while Arab is a cultural term. However, one fifth of all Muslims speak Arabic (C.E.R).
• Muslims believe that God's word is revealed through the Prophet Muhammad, the messenger, and written in the Quar’an.  It is important to understand that Muslims do not worship Muhammad, but worship God.   Therefore, the term "Mohammedan" is offensive and should not be used (Arab World Notebook, 1989).
• A Muslim attempts to live his or her life in accordance with the teachings of Allah as revealed by the Prophet Muhammad.
• Muslims identify themselves as 'Muslims' rather than part of a branch of Islam. This is similar to Catholics who first identify themselves as Christian. A Muslim will say that he or she is Sunni or Shiite only if asked directly. Ninety percent of Muslims are Sunni.

*Main Religious beliefs of Muslims*

The Five Pillars of Islam:

1. The profession of faith, the assertion that Allah is the Supreme Being and that Muhammad is Allah’s messenger.
2. Salah is the formal prayer, and is mandatory for all Muslims.
3. Zakat is the spiritual duty to give at least 2.5% of one’s wealth to the needy.
4. Saum/ Savm is the mandatory fasting during Ramadan, the ninth month of the Muslim year.
5. Hajj is the important pilgrimage to Mecca that must be taken at least once during a Muslim’s life, if one has the physical and economic means to do so (C.E.R).

• Jihad (striving):  Muslims strive daily to be pure and to resist evil.

• Prayer is a part of their daily life; congregational prayer is at noon on Fridays. During prayer one must face towards Mecca and prayer beads are used to assist concentration during prayer.  In order to take part in prayer, one must be ritually clean.  Therefore, washing is required five times a day.

• Muslims believe there is one creator of all beings.  This is similar to Christianity

Important times in the Muslim Calendar

Vesna Sin, a refugee living in Utica NY, stated, "There are only two holidays in which Bosnian Muslims request special accommodations. I feel that most people are compliant to my needs, however, people do not have an understanding of our beliefs and holidays." The holidays that are considered to be important to Bosnian Muslims are:

• Ramadan is very important to Muslims. It is the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar. Ramadan honors the time when Muhammad was given his first disclosure of the Quar’an. It is a month of purification and fasting. During the daylight hours, Muslims refrain from food, drink, tobacco and sex. It is disrespectful not to offer food to those who are fasting during this time. In the year 2000, Ramadan should begin about December 1^st and continue for a month.

• It is important that the heads of both men and women are covered during worship.

• Ramadan Bayram is a three-day holiday, which celebrates the end of Ramadan. This will most likely occur on December 30^th in the year 2000. On this day, workers will most likely ask if they can remain at home.

• Hadz Bayram is a holiday that occurs seventy days after Ramadan. In 2001, it will most likely be on March 20^th. This is a three-day holiday and many employees will ask to stay home on the first day. This holiday honors the prophet Abraham. Generally lamb is roasted and shared with the less fortunate during this time (Cultural Ethnic and Religious Reference Manual for Health Care Providers  (C.E.R).