Rediscovering the Umma: Muslims in the Balkans between Nationalism and Transnationalism

217 Pages·2013·2.18 MB·English

by  Ina Merdjanova

Umma
Rediscovering the
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Rediscovering
the Umma
Muslims in the Balkans between
Nationalism and Transnationalism
Ina Merdjanova
1
1

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Merdjanova, Ina.
Rediscovering the umma : Muslims in the Balkans between nationalism and
transnationalism / Ina Merdjanova.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978–0–19–996403–1 (hardcover : alk. paper) 1. Islam—Balkan Peninsula.
2. Muslims—Balkan Peninsula. 3. Ethnicity—Balkan Peninsula. I. Title.
BP65.B28M47 2013
305.6′9709496—dc23 2012028254

9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Printed in the United States of America
on acid-free paper
For my parents and my son
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CONTENTS
Map of the Balkans ix
A Note on Pronunciation and Transliteration xi
Preface and Acknowledgments x iii
1. Islam and National Identities in the Balkans 1
1.1. Historical Overview 2
1.2. Muslims in Bulgaria 11
1.2.1 Turks in Bulgaria: From Religious Community
to Ethnic Minority 11
1.2.2 Pomaks in Bulgaria: Identities in Flux 21
1.3. Islam and the Building of a Bosniak Nation 2 9
1.4. Islam and Albanianism 37
1.4.1 Albania: A Country of Th ree Religions and
Two Muslim Communities 38
1.4.2 Albanian Muslims in Kosovo 4 2
1.4.3 Albanian Muslims in Macedonia 45
1.5. Conclusion 4 9
2. Muslim Transnationalism and the Reclaiming
of “Balkan Islam” 51
2.1. D efi ning Transnational Islam 54
2.2. Th e Umma —Rhetoric and Reality 56
2.3. Th e Wars of Yugoslav Secession: S hehids and M ujahideen 60
2.4. Collision over the Interpretation of Islam 6 4
2.5. Th e Specter of Islamic Radicalism in the Balkans 6 8
2.6. Th e Role of Turkey 76
3. Islam and Women in the Balkans 8 2
3.1. Th e Balkan Context 84
3.2. Th e Family 86
3.3. Th e Veil 90
3.4. Religious Education 9 6
3.5. Participation in the Public Sphere 100
[viii] Contents
4. Balkan Muslims and the Discourse on a “European Islam” 1 03
4.1. Muslims in Western Europe: A Brief Overview 1 03
4.2. Th e Discourse on a “European Islam” 1 07
4.3. “Balkan Islam” as “European Islam” 116
Conclusion: Divergent Trajectories of Islam in the Balkans 1 30
Notes 133
Selected Bibliography 1 81
Index 191
MAP OF THE BALKANS
Bratislava SLOVAKIA
AUSTRIA Danube MOLDOVA
Budapest
Chisinau UKRAINE
Drave BLalaaktoen
HUNGARY TMâurgreuş Prut
Ljubljana
SLOVENIA Zagreb Drava Mures ROMANIA
Rijeka CROATIA Vojvodina Brasov
Sava Vukovar Novi Sad Braila Danube
Bihac Banja LukaBosna Brcko Pancevo
BOSNIA AND Tuzla Belgrade Bucharest
ZadarKninHERZEGOVINA Drina Kragujevac Craiova Constanta
Sarajevo Gorazde SERBIA Danube
Mostar
ADRSEIAATIC MONTENEGNRoOvi Pazar MoravaNis Iskar Varna BLSEAACK
Pristina
ITALY Dubrovnik PodgoricDrianKukësPKeOcPrSizOreVnOSkopje Sofia BULGARIA azdnuT Burgas
Tetovo Kocani Edirne Bosphorus
Tirana MACEDONIA
Durrës Bitola Vardar TURKEY Istanbul
MARMARA
ALBANIA SEA
0 km50 100 GREECE AEGEAN Dardanelles TURKEY
SEA
0 miles 50 100