A History of who speaks for Islam? in Bosnia-Herzegovina: An official versus popular Islam debate

Year 2017, Volume: 10 Issue: 20, 299 - 312, 10.06.2017

Hüsrev Tabak

https://doi.org/10.19060/gav.289452

Abstract

This paper examines the organisation of popular and official
Islam during and after communism in Bosnia-Herzegovina. Through studying the interaction
between the popular and the official forms of Islam in the historical context,
this paper unfolds the debate on who speaks for Islam? took place
between official representatives and popular Islamic groups and movements in
the former Yugoslavian republic. Such an enquiry revealed firstly that a close
contact with the existing regime (regardless of its ideology) is essential for
becoming and remaining as the official Islamic authority, as seen in the
Islamic Community’s pro-Titoist stance throughout in the former Yugoslavia. The
findings of the enquiry secondly suggests that popular Islam and official Islam
represent transitive positions; meaning that a popular Islamic movement can
become the official Islam, vice versa. Accordingly, a former popular Islam
front, the Mladi Muslimani (Young Muslims), in Yugoslavia evolved
into an official Islam authority after the dissolution of the country and after
the Bosnia-Herzegovina was established, in the scope of which new popular
Islamic groups bred.

Keywords

Bosnia-Herzegovina, Balkans, Islam, Yugoslavia

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