Dr. Goran Kovačević: BiH can reconcile Islam and Europe, but this does not suit Serbia and Croatia

The European Union has a big problem understanding Islam, and not accepting that Islam is a tradition of Europe, says Goran Kovačević, a professor at the Faculty of Criminal Justice, Criminology and Security Studies in Sarajevo, adding that Bosnia and Herzegovina can play a key role in this reconciliation.

“Bosnia and Herzegovina has a people with a 600-year tradition in Islam. Besides that, they are also a European people. Therefore, Bosnia and Herzegovina has a people who know what Islam is and what Europe is,” said Dr. Goran Kovačević on OBN television, after messages from some EU member states claimed that BiH is a haven for terrorists posing a threat to Europe. 

Kovačević believes that such messages are not only unrealistic but, on the contrary, under ideal conditions, Bosnia and Herzegovina should be the center of the European Union. 

“Bosnia and Herzegovina should start investing in its image, as many countries in the world do, and break down the prejudices that are being created about it in some other countries,” believes Dr. Kovačević, reports Patria agency. 

He says that BiH can be an anchor for calming relations in Europe. Europe, on the one hand, needs to accept Islam as its tradition, and on the other hand, Muslims who are not anchored in Europe need to accept Europe as their homeland, be loyal to it, and not be tied to numerous sects in the Middle East.

The role of Bosnia and Herzegovina as a factor of stability, says Kovačević, unfortunately, does not suit Bosnia and Herzegovina's neighbors, primarily Serbia, but also Croatia. Kovačević believes that Serbia is trying to join the EU by creating chaos in BiH and then participating in its pacification. On the other hand, Croatia also wants to be the capital of European Islam, despite the fact that the Islamic Community in BiH has a tradition 400 or 500 years longer than in Croatia. 

The reason for such behavior, says Kovačević, is that huge amounts of money are allocated for participation in calming relations in the EU. For this reason alone, Kovačević believes, Croatia wants to impose itself as the leader of the Islamic issue in Europe. This is, of course, he says, absurd given that Muslims in Croatia are a negligible religious group. 

“This issue does not only resolve the issue of Muslims in BiH, but also the issue of BiH's destiny,” says Kovačević, reports Patria.