Regulatory bodies between the rulers and the ruled have always existed and probably the case will be the same in the future. In this context the religions as faith and the related institutions are referred. Present day Macedonia has been part of this venture, where all the faiths and ultimately religions have gone through certain recognized agencies of the state. Beginning with the Ottoman rule in the region followed by the aftermath of the Ottomans until the dissolution of the Communist rule of Yugoslavia, the religion of Islam in Macedonia and its followers have always been represented by a state organ. Since 1990s the institution that has played the catalyst role between the Government of Macedonia and the followers of the religion of Islam in the country has been distinguishably recognized to be the Islamic Religious Community. Therefore, this work is going to analytically describe the role of this institution as a synergy between the government of Macedonia and the believers of Islam as well as its relations with various other Muslim institutions. After having a brief illustration on the history of Muslim religious representative institution in Macedonia, the focus of the discussion will be on the core issues of the highest Muslim religious institution of the country namely the Islamic Religious Community. As a case study, it will deal with its active role presumably in protecting the rights of Muslims at all levels.

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In Macedonia, faiths and religions, along with their followers, are typically represented by specific state agencies. Thus Islam has always been represented by a state organ since the days of the Ottomans in the region until the dissolution of the Communist rule of Yugoslavia in the 1990s. Since then, the institution that has played a mediating role between the government of Macedonia and the followers of the religion of Islam in the country has been recognised to be the Islamic Religious Community. This paper will analyse the role of this institutions as a synergy between the government of Macedonia and the believers of Islam as well as its relations with various other Muslim institutions. After a brief illustration of the history of Muslim religious representative institutions in Macedonia, the focus of the discussion will be on the core issues of the Islamic Religious Community as the highest Muslim religious institution in the country. As a case study, it will deal with the institution’s active role in protecting the rights of Muslims at all levels.

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