Furthermore, 50 years of communist rule in the region instilled a sense of secularism in balkan muslim communities, and gave. In this regard, besides the state and state institutions, the religious communities have contributed a lot towards peace and coexistence in bosnia and herzegovina. Though the vast majority of bosnian muslims were not radicalized by the influx of foreign fighters during the bosnian war, some foreigners are believed to have successfully radicalized bosnian muslims to a violent and extremist interpretation of islam both within the country, and among the bosnian muslim diaspora. Those rcc participants that do not have a dedicated cve focal point should appoint one. Understanding perceptions of violent extremism and foreign influence march 29, 2018 april 12, 2018. We aim to be a premium worldwide supplier of dawah materials pamphlets brochures inshaallah. Community perspectives on preventing violent extremism in bosnia. Islamic extremism in bosnia and herzegovina ms risk. Tensions are high in bosnia and herzegovina this week following an attack on a police station in zvornik, the serbiandominated bosnian entity of republika srpska, last week. Islam and the patterns in terrorism and violent extremism. In 1983, muslim intellectuals were sentenced to prison on charges of islamic fundamentalism the party of democratic action sda, founded in 1990 and led by izetbegovic won the november 1990 elections in bosnia and herzegovina. Permanent economic crisis, eu and nato enlargement fatigue, deterioration in westrussia rela.
The built up of islamic extremism in bosnia serbianna analysis. The built up of islamic extremism in bosnia september 26, 2014. Overview of research on far right extremism in the western. Nejra veljan is a researcher and legal analyst with atlantic initiative, bosnia and herzegovina. Pdf causes for the rise of radical islamic extremism. The fundamentals of islamic extremism public intelligence.
Islamic jihadists were given the green light alongside terrorist networks and thousands entered bosnia with the complicity of the bosnian muslim government and agencies which. Goal of the strategy and four objectives the strategy of bosnia and herzegovina for preventing and combating terrorism for the period 2015 to 2020, is based, primarily, on the approach of the european union in preventing and combating terrorism. The coffin in front of the mosque was draped in a green cloth. First, any focus on extremism in bih should not focus solely on the issue of islamic extremism. These new topics are drawn from a thesaurus curated from 21 source vocabularies, and are automatically matched with a brief description from wikipedia. Islamic radicalism in the balkans european union institute for. Islamic extremism is driven by a totalitarian interpretation of islam that believes in a global islamic state. The burke chair at csis has assembled a wide range of indicators that help quantify and explain these patterns, and that look beyond the crises of the moment to examine longer term trends. Just like the mass media and academics had falsified history they were now ignoring the reality of bosnia. Bosnian fears rise over islamic extremism financial times. Extremism, view from civil society analytica, 2016. However, religion is not assigned as central a place in analyses of rightwing extremism as for islamic extremism.
Islamic extremism is driven by an interpretation of islam that believes that islamic law, or sharia, is an allencompassing religiouspolitical system. Already its known, through empirical research, 1 that violent extremism is caused in large. Europe muslim cleric stands up against extremism in bosnia. Islamic extremism is any form of islam that opposes democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect and tolerance of different faiths and beliefs. Bosnia and herzegovina international republican institute. Pdf this paper begins with a survey of historical, cultural and civilization dynamics in bosnia and herzegovina.
To date, radicalization, violent extremism and the foreign fighter phenomenon in kosovo have been studied mostly by looking at the individual push and pull factors that have led over 300 men from kosovo to join the ranks of the islamic state in syria and iraq. Islamism and islamic terrorism in the balkans wikipedia. The driving forces of islamic extremism in europe the rise of islamic extremism in europe has flowed from a combination of external and internal forces. Countering violent extremism working in crises and. The extremism of islamist nature in bosnia herzegovina that facilitated the recruitment of a significant number of balkan muslims into the ranks of isis and other terrorist groups in the mena region, does not come as a suprise, since a steady built up of networking and subversion has been going on for the past generation. They include a range of tables, graphs, and maps that help put. The link between the terrorism of balkan origin and the islamic. Islamic state is or other similar violent extremist groups, while other communities may. Oct 17, 2017 download the report it is far too easy to focus on individual acts of terrorism and extremism, and ignore the global patterns in such violence. Russell palarea introduction f ollowing the events of september 11, 2001, the us intelligence and law enforcement communities began a. Today, the western balkans have reemerged as a particularly unstable region, marked by internal vulnerabilities that. The western balkans region, encompassing bosnia and herzegovina bih, serbia, macedonia, kosovo, montenegro, albania, and croatia, has been plagued by conflict and instability since the civil wars of the 1990s.
Did the international communitys mishandling of the bosnian war fan the flames of islamic extremism. Taking advantage of economic hardship and the profound failure of governments to improve living conditions, radical islamic movements also began. Countering violent extremism working in crises and conflict. Jun 25, 2015 islamic state has expanded its efforts to recruit fighters in bosnia and.
The western angloamerican elite wanted to believe that an islamic bosnia would be a beacon of multicultural european values. Detailed methodology 2 the survey was conducted by ipsos in bosnia and herzegovina bih on behalf of the international. Muslims comprise the single largest religious community in bosnia and herzegovina 51% the other two large groups being eastern orthodox christians 31%,almost all of whom identify as serbs, and. It is designed to counter efforts by violent extremists and to help reduce the flow of foreign terrorist fighters. From imported to local islamic extremism radical interpretations of islam are somewhat alien to muslim communities in the balkans, which are traditionally oriented towards the hanafi school of thought of sunni islam. It was introduced to the local population in the 15th and 16th centuries as a result of the ottoman conquest of bosnia and herzegovina. Strategy of bosnia and herzegovina for preventing and combating terrorism 2015 2020 5 unity of vision all measures and activities are based on jointly identified and common view of challenges associated with violent extremism and terrorism. Initiatives to preventcounter violent extremism in south east europe role in sharing information.
Bosnia and herzegovina united states department of state. The survey was conducted by ipsos in bosnia and herzegovina bih on behalf of the international. When dino pecenkovic was a child in bihac in northwest bosnia, his parents were not particularly religious. According to some estimates, saudi arabia alone funded around 500 mosques in bosnia and herzegovina and 100 in kosovo. Initiatives to preventcounter violent extremism in south. Maghrebsahel capacity building for countering violent extremism. The extremism of islamist nature in bosnia herzegovina that facilitated the recruitment of a significant number of balkan muslims into the ranks of isis and other terrorist groups in the mena region, does not come as a suprise, since a steady built up of. Islamic terrorism and the balkans introduction in the 1990s, wars and political instability provided an opportunity for al qaeda and other terrorist groups to infiltrate the balkans. Islamic extremism in bosnia and herzegovina posted on may 4, 2015 in uncategorized terrorist attack on a police station in zvornik. Nasser bin ali alansi, a senior leader of the alqaeda in the arabian peninsula, had fought in bosnia in 1995.
Nationalism and religious extremism in bosnia herzegovina and kosovo since 1990 dr. Topics provide a way to find more content about a subject and do targeted searching on jstor. Isis targets vulnerable bosnia for recruitment and attack. The 19921995 war was itself a manifestation of not one but multiple and increasingly extremist factions which rose to prominence in the political and intellectual. This phenomenon was particularly notable in in albania, bih, macedonia, and. An understanding of muslimchristian relations a thesis submitted to the faculty of the school of continuing studies and of the graduate school of arts and sciences in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of master of arts in liberal studies by debra kearl minnock, b.
Generally speaking, would you say that bih is heading 9%. Nationalism and religious extremism in bosniaherzegovina and kosovo since 1990 dr. The research commenced in 2017, exploring a range of themes and topics with key stakeholders. Muslims and terrorism in bosnia islamic terrorism and. In my family, we did not practice religion until the war, pecenkovic recalls.
Domestic counterextremism religious organizations the catholic, islamic, jewish, and orthodox communities in bosnia continue to cooperate and strengthen interfaith dialogue through the interreligious council, working to counter violent and extremist narratives. They include a range of tables, graphs, and maps that help. The islamic declaration by alija izetbegovic 19252003 published in 1970, is an essay on islam and modernization. Multiculturalism and interfaith dialogue can be regarded the avenues towards successful tackling of extremism and terrorism. Jan 06, 2018 multiculturalism and interfaith dialogue can be regarded the avenues towards successful tackling of extremism and terrorism. The grand mufti had previously repeatedly condemned islamic extremism. This program will support communities and civil society organizations to develop and implement strategies to counter violent extremism. Usips approach to the problem of violent extremism is to investigate and advance a nuanced understanding of what drives violent extremism, locally and globally. Some people oppose the use of the term, fearing it could delegitimize the islamic faith in. Preventing religious radicalisation and violent extremism. Depending on the actors and initiatives in each location, formal and regular consultation mechanisms including independent experts and. Many farright groups, particularly in serbia, use orthodox imagery or have links with the serbian orthodox church. How islamist extremism destroyed a bosnian family balkan.
Did the international communitys mishandling of the bosnian. The spectre of islamic extremism could easily play into the hands of farright extremism in the western balkans. Osama bin laden sent resources to the bosnian mujahideen. Attitudes on violent extremism and foreign influence january 4 february 3, 2017. According to a 2011 pew survey, 60% of muslim americans are concerned about the rise of islamic extremism in the u. Over 3000 followers of wahhabi islam had come to the bosnian town of tuzla to bury their leader jusuf barcic.
Fears have risen about islamic extremism in bosniaherzegovina after a bomb attack at a small town police station on sunday that killed one policeman. Schindler states that how the mujahidin, bin ladens holy warriors, came to bosnia, were funded by corrupt islamic financiers, and left their unfortunate mark on europe is a tale of fanaticism, criminality, and violence that must be explained to understand the actual course of events in bosnia during the war and after. The counter extremism project acts to shine a light of transparency and accountability on those persons, businesses and institutions that financially underpin the activities of extremist groups. Islam is the most widespread religion in bosnia and herzegovina. Domestic counter extremism religious organizations the catholic, islamic, jewish, and orthodox communities in bosnia continue to cooperate and strengthen interfaith dialogue through the interreligious council, working to counter violent and extremist narratives. These first arrived in central bosnia in the second half of 1992 with the aim of fighting for islam as mujahideen, helping their bosnian muslim coreligionists to. To serve god through the production and distribution of high quality islamic pamphlets brochures that clarify, explain and present islam in all its beauty.
Did the international communitys mishandling of the. Nationalism and religious extremism in bosnia herzegovina. Externally, europe became, from the late 1950s onwards, a principal destination for islamic radicals and other individuals opposed to. Helsinki committee for human rights in serbia, 2016. Muslim cleric stands up against extremism in bosnia. Donia, president of the council of the international institute ifimes and professor at the university of michigan, in his article nationalism and religious extremism in bosnia herzegovina and kosovo since 1990 explores the structural. Related terms include islamist extremism and islamism.
Download the report it is far too easy to focus on individual acts of terrorism and extremism, and ignore the global patterns in such violence. Get the basics from clarion project analyst ryan mauro. Zagreb, april 10, 2018 bosniak political parties and associations, together with the islamic community in bosnia and herzegovina, strongly believe that the country can function only as a secular state and resolutely deny accusations that their real plan is to establish an islamic state this is the key message of a meeting the chair of the bosnia and herzegovina presidency bakir. Imam suleiman inspires the members of his sarajevo congregation. Two of the five 911 hijackers, childhood friends khalid almihdhar and nawaf alhazmi, had been bosnian mujahideen. He asked the authorities for protection, which they reportedly were providing. Oct 16, 2017 the clarion project formerly clarion fund is a 501c3 nonprofit organization dedicated to educating both policy makers and the public about the growing phenomenon of islamic extremism. The clarion project is committed to working towards safeguarding human rights for all peoples. Bosnian leaders deny allegations of islamic radicalisation. In this research paper, icct visiting research fellow dr. Donia, president of the council of the international institute ifimes and professor at the university of michigan, in his article nationalism and religious extremism in bosniaherzegovina and kosovo since 1990 explores the structural. Externally, europe became, from the late 1950s onwards, a principal destination for islamic radicals and other individuals opposed to the political status quo in. The causes and consequences of violent extremism and the role.
The extremism research forum is a uk government funded research project1, examining drivers of radicalisation and violent extremism in the western balkans albania, bosnia and herzegovina, kosovo, macedonia, montenegro, and serbia. While the regime under alija izetbegovic never achieved anything similar to that, the tragic irony is that if left alone, bosnia would have remained nominally islam and. He speaks to their hearts with his open nature and warns against all. How sus ceptible are the youth to islamic extremism, helsinki files no. The radical islamic influence on bosnias moderate islam bosnias muslims are generally members of the hannafi school of sunni islam, which is a more relaxed form of islam that tolerates differences within the islamic community and has the reputation of. Vladimir ilic, opinion poll conducted among the sandzak youth. In 1983, muslim intellectuals were sentenced to prison on charges of islamic fundamentalism.
The built up of islamic extremism in bosnia serbianna. In an online video clip, the individual said he would cut the throat of the mufti and stated the mujahedin were coming to bosnia. Countering the cultivation of extremism in bosnia and. Bosnia and herzegovina bih was a destination for hundreds of muslim foreign. Some people oppose the use of the term, fearing it could delegitimize the islamic faith in general. This places kosovo and bosnia and herzegovina as the top two european coun tries by percentage of population who have joined terrorist organisations, while.
Community perspectives on preventing violent extremism in. Muslim cleric stands up against extremism in bosnia europe. Usip then develops and implements solutions that address root causes of this violence. Detailed methodology 2 the survey was conducted by.
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