1. Religion, Peace and Conflict
Block 3: Week 3: Islam and Nation-building in the Balkans

2. Introduction
Unlike Orthodox Christians Muslims of the Balkans were late in developing a national identity
The Bosniaks and Albanians for example developed a national consciousness in the late 19th/early 20th centuries
Muslims followed the official religion of the dominant political class of the Ottoman Empire-Islam

3. Introduction
Ottoman intellectual tradition→ two concepts of ethnicity and nationalism alien and became fully understood only in the early 20th century
Religion was the most important factor of identification and this is the principal concept of the millet system
Although the Muslims under the Ottoman rule often perceived as different from their co-religionist rulers in Istanbul. They shared the same religion

4. Introduction
For Islam religion surpassed national identity far more explicitly that did with Christianity
It was the decline of the Ottoman Empire in the 19th century and the consequent recognition that this state was ceasing to protect the interests and identity of the Muslim population in SEE which led to the development of ethnic and national identity among Muslims

5. Historical Narratives Among Muslims
While national ideologies of the Christian inhabitants tended to portray the Ottoman period as the ‘Turkish Yoke’, national myths among the Muslims often glorify the Ottoman period and overestimate the degree of national or ethnic consciousness among the Muslims in the Ottoman Empire prior to the first uprisings in the early 19th century

6. Establishment of Islam in the Balkans
Contrary to the commonly held belief, Islam was present in the Balkans well before the Ottoman Empire established itself in the region.
Due to its proximity to the Middle East, and thus to the origins of Islam, the Byzantine Empire and parts of the Balkans were exposed to Islam as earl as in the 10th century

7. Establishment of Islam in the Balkans
Early Balkan Muslims→ members of Asiatic tribes which settled in different parts of the peninsula
A continuous Muslim presence in the Balkans began with the Ottoman conquest

8. Differentiation in terms of Ethnicity Among Muslims
Turkish-speaking Muslims (e.g. Yuruks, Koniars etc)
Greek-speaking
Slav-speaking Muslims (Bosniaks, Pomaks)
Albanian-speaking
Vlach-speaking
Islamized Jews (Donmes)

9. Differentiation in terms of Confession
Followers of Sunni (Orthodox) Islam
Crypto-Christians
Crypto-Jews etc
Heterodox Muslims/ Sufist Muslims (e.g. Bektashis, Mevlevis etc)

10. Albanians
Albanians were divided into two separate religious communities by 1054 (schism between the Orthodox Church in Constantinople and the Catholic Church in Rome)
From the end of the 15th century – early 20th century, present-day Albania remained firmly under Ottoman control
During that period, no other ethnic group in the Balkans converted to Islam in such high numbers as did the Albanians, which resulted in the division of Albanians in to three religious communities

11. Albanians
Attempts to establish autonomy or even independence of their territories from Ottoman rule during the late 18th century as forerunners of the Albanian national movement→ reduced the influence of the Ottoman Empire in the southern Balkan peninsula.

12. Albanians
As their prime interest was the expansion of their personal sphere of influence, they cannot be characterized as having promoted a national agenda
Autonomy nevertheless from the Sublime Porte helped to the shape of separate identity among the Albanian Muslims which would lead to the League of Prizren, nearly a century later.

13. Albanians
Ali Pasha’s rule in Albania opened up large parts of Albania to the outside world and exposed it to European influences through diplomats, advisors, and soldiers stationed in Janina, thus enabling the spread of Western ideas, such as nationalism

14. Bosniaks
At the time of Ottoman conquest in Bosnia, the population was already segmented into several different religious groups
Kri’stiani Bosnian Church which is often confused with the Bogomils in Bulgaria – both heretical movements which broke away from mainstream Christianity but not identical. Bosnian Church dominant until Ottoman invasion in 1463

15. Bosniaks
Mysticism of church→strong resemblance to Sufi orders