A History of “Who Speaks for Islam?” in Bosnia-Herzegovina: An Official Versus Popular Islam Debate
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? That took plac...
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| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Hale Şıvgın
2017-06-01
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| Series: | Gazi Akademik Bakış |
| Online Access: | http://www.gaziakademikbakis.com/index.php/gab/article/view/420/304 |
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| Summary: | 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? That 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 suggest 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 Islamic authority
after the dissolution of the country and by the Bosnia-Herzegovina’s establishment, in the scope of which
new popular Islamic groups bred. |
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| ISSN: | 1307-9778 1309-5137 |