Der Standard: Baseless claims of 'Islamization' distort BiH's image in Washington

(Patria) - American political advisor Max Primorac, associated with the conservative Heritage Foundation and the "Project 2025" plan, is spreading baseless claims about the alleged Islamization of Bosnia and Herzegovina, warns Der Standard.

This Austrian newspaper assesses such narratives as politically motivated and based on inaccurate portrayals of reality, reports N1.

In an article published in the Washington Times, Primorac claimed that Sarajevo is becoming "increasingly extreme," citing that women are increasingly wearing headscarves and niqabs, and that mosques financed by Gulf countries dominate the city.

However, Der Standard points out that most women in Sarajevo do not wear headscarves, while women wearing niqabs are mostly tourists from Arab countries, not local residents.

The newspaper reminds that narratives about the alleged "Islamization" of Bosnia and Herzegovina have been present since the period before the 1992-1995 war, when they were used to incite hostility towards Muslims.

It further states that Primorac, who hails from Herzegovina, is linked to political circles advocating for the creation of a third entity with a Croat majority, which critics see as a threat of further ethnic division of the country.

RS Vice President Ćamil Duraković stated that the text published by Primorac is "politically motivated" and attempts to redefine the character of Bosnia and Herzegovina through the prism of global fear of political Islam. He emphasized that religious symbols do not constitute proof of Islamization, reminding that both Orthodox and Catholic communities strengthened their public presence after the war.

"Primorac also falsely claims that Croats, who make up about 15 percent of the population, are discriminated against in Bosnia and Herzegovina, even though they are overrepresented in some institutions. He also states that Croats are the only pro-Western group in the country.

However, a 2023 study showed that Bosnian Muslims, i.e., Bosniaks, have the highest support for NATO membership - 85 percent, while Croats have about 63 percent. Support for EU membership is also highest among Bosniaks," writes Der Standard.

Southeast Europe expert Florian Bieber explains that demographic changes in Sarajevo are primarily a consequence of the war and forced migrations, not religious transformation. He reminds that many Serbs left the city after the war under the political pressure of their own leaders.

According to the 2013 census, Bosniaks constitute 77.4 percent of Sarajevo's population, but the city remains multi-ethnic.

Bieber also emphasizes that the influence of Islamic countries in Bosnia and Herzegovina has remained limited since the war. There is no significant Shia community, nor does Iran have strong political influence in the country. The Islamic Community in BiH, which has a long institutional tradition, strives to preserve its autonomy and counter radical interpretations of religion.

Claims of "Islamization" are often linked to the growth of tourism from Muslim countries. However, statistical data shows that tourists from Gulf countries accounted for less than ten percent of the total 1.3 million visitors to BiH in 2024. Sarajevo, at the same time, attracts a large number of visitors from Europe and other parts of the world, especially during the Sarajevo Film Festival.

Der Standard criticizes a broader trend where the religious identity of Muslims in BiH is often presented as a security threat, while nationalism associated with other religious communities is less problematized. Such an approach, the newspaper warns, contributes to a distorted understanding of the country's social reality.

"Despite the war traumas, the tradition of coexistence and mutual respect still exists in Sarajevo. Residents of different faiths still congratulate each other on religious holidays, showing that the city's multi-religious character has not disappeared, despite political narratives claiming otherwise," concludes the Der Standard article.