• My appearance in the Assembly caused a lot of attention, but there was no inconvenience

Misala Pramenković made history Monday, August 3, for being the first hijabi member of the Serbian parliament.

Pramenković was elected to the parliament as the third on the list of the Party of Justice and Reconciliation. The party is led by Muamer Zukorlić, the former Mufti of Serbia.

She works as a professor of Islamic sciences in the Gazi Isa-beg Madrasa.

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“We will continue what our deputies started in the previous mandate, we are a party of continuity, but I will especially advocate for the rights of women, children, the status of the family and family values,” Pramenković told b92 about her targets as a new MP.

For her, entering the field of politics was a chance to counter prejudices about Muslim women.

“Often prejudices and stereotypes are caused by ignorance,” said Pramenković.

According to 2011 census, there were 228,658 Muslims in Serbia (3.1% of total population.)

The census was boycotted by some Bosniaks from the Sandžak region, since Muamer Zukorlic called upon his followers not to take part in the census.

Thus, the actual number of Muslims in Serbia is likely to be at least about 50,000 higher.

The largest concentration of Muslims in Serbia is in the municipalities of Novi Pazar, Tutin and Sjenica in the Sandžak region. Also in the municipalities of Preševo and Bujanovac in the Preševo Valley.