TPO Foundation presented the premiere of the feature-length documentary on Bosnian Muslim women's religious tradition titled "Female Bosnian Muslim Rites-Learning, Recitation and Teaching in Sarajevo" on July 8, 2016 in the Bosniac Institute in Sarajevo. The film was co-authored by Professor Zilka Spahić-Šiljak, PhD, and Professor Catharine Raudvere, PhD, and produced by Copenhagen University on cooperation with the Carlsberg Foundation. It follows the women of Sarajevo's "mevlud" tradition, for example bula Ramiza Šećerović and bula Enisa Meštrovac, with a particular emphasis on the work of hadži Aiša hanuma Fočakovka and Mediha hanuma Silajdžić, who have led the religious rites of mevlud and tevhid for over 40 years and are the only living female members of the Medresa (Islamic college) class of 1948.
Professor Catharine Raudvere thanked those in attendance, as well as University of Copenhagen and Carlsberg Foundation for their support and said that the making of the film was a long journey. "I am so very grateful to stand here today and share the film with you. We have had the fortune of meeting these wonderful ladies that have shared with us their rich traditions," said Professor Raudvere, adding that the film represented an "other Islam" that is often not seen by the western world.

Professor Spahić-Šiljak emphasized the educational nature of the film and stated that the film's primary intended audiences were young people from BiH and the rest of the world. "This film is a wonderful testament to the formal and informal education of muslim women in BiH. It is the story of how our religious tradition was preserved. That is why I especially hope that our country's younger generations will see this film," said Professor Spahić-Šiljak.

The film, and all the collected material: documents and more than 30 hours of video, after the premiere will be available on the official website of the University of Copenhagen and in the archives of the Bosniac Institute Adil Zulfikarpašić Foundation at the disposal to the future researchers.

Video from the screening can be viewed directly on the link:
https://youtu.be/KkWWSU_x8yU