Fehim Spaho was a Bosnian Muslim imam who served as the Grand Mufti of Yugoslavia from 1938 to 1942.
11 Facts About Fehim Spaho
Fehim Spaho is one of the most prominent Bosniak cultural figures of his time.
Fehim Spaho was born on 13 February 1877 in Ottoman-controlled Sarajevo to a coppersmith family.
Fehim Spaho's father, Hasan Spaho was an expert of the Sharia law, and before the Austro-Hungarian occupation in 1878, he was a judge in Jajce, Sofia, Damascus and Cairo.
Fehim Spaho was educated in Sarajevo and attended Sharia Law school.
Fehim Spaho worked in varying positions in Sarajevo and Belgrade's local governments between 1901 and 1920.
Fehim Spaho later returned to Sarajevo, where he was a senior government adviser on faith.
Fehim Spaho served as president of the Higher Sharia Court in Sarajevo from 1936 until 1938.
On 20 April 1938, Fehim Spaho was among three candidates for the position of Reis-l-ulema, or Grand Mufti of Yugoslavia.
Fehim Spaho was appointed on 26 April 1938 and his inauguration ceremony occurred in Sarajevo's Emperor's Mosque on 9 June 1938.
Fehim Spaho served until his sudden death on 14 February 1942 in war-torn Sarajevo, one day after turning 65.