Who are the real extremists: Bosniaks under siege of 'Christian politics'

By: Amina Čorbo-Zećo

In the last decade, a geopolitical coordination of political elites from neighboring countries has become increasingly evident in the Western Balkans with the aim of affirming the idea of a „Christian Europe“, which in practice often means the suppression and marginalization of Muslim communities, primarily Bosniaks. Therefore, it should not be surprising when Željka Cvijanović invents a story and officially submits it to the EU Parliament, as well as the UN General Assembly, about how ‘Muslims in Sarajevo are attacking Serbs and waving the flags of Hamas and Hezbollah’.

Simply put, in this context, Bosniaks are increasingly portrayed as a disruptive factor for the stability, identity, and „European path“ of Bosnia and Herzegovina. They are falsely presented as fascists and radicals, while those who perpetrate fascism do so with ease. Such narratives are not harmless; they shape political decisions, overlap with historical patterns of exclusion, and increasingly resemble strategies that precede the political or physical removal of unwanted groups.

It may sound harsh, but politicians who sugarcoat this story simply lack the courage to speak the truth, precisely out of fear that someone might accuse them of what secessionists attribute to them. To prove that nothing in this text is an exaggeration, we will support it with statements that create a political framework of exclusion, and then, without any problem, Željka Cvijanović, despite being on the US blacklist, receives a visa for America, from which she will, paradoxically, travel directly to Moscow.

For a parallel, try to imagine if Bakir Izetbegović, Zukan Helez, Semir Efendić, Elmedin Konaković, or any other politician of Bosniak origin from Turkey did this! It would be unimaginable and unforgivable by EU officials, as well as by America itself. Let's go in order: Viktor Orbán, the Prime Minister of Hungary, is known for his statements emphasizing the idea of a „Christian Europe“. He has repeatedly stated that Hungary does not want to become a multi-ethnic country and opposes the acceptance of Muslim refugees. It was not an ‘accident’ when he stated that the issues of Bosnia and Herzegovina's accession to the EU are not about economic reforms, corruption, or legal harmonization, but about how to integrate two million Muslims, who are of course mostly Bosniaks! The former Minister of Defense of Serbia, Aleksandar Vulin, is also known for his nationalist views and often emphasizes the importance of the „Serbian world“.

His statements often imply the expansion of Serbian influence into areas predominantly inhabited by Bosniaks.

„And all those who think that Serbs do not exist, that the Serbian world does not exist, or that it should not exist, should just come and look at us, see these beautiful children of ours, and realize that they have made a grave mistake, because Serbs exist and the Serbian world exists,“ Vulin has repeated several times.

His ideologue, Aleksandar Vučić, the President of Serbia, has repeatedly spoken about the „endangerment of Serbs“ and the need to protect Serbian identity.

These statements often disregard the multi-ethnic character of Bosnia and Herzegovina and marginalize Bosniaks as a constituent people. And Milorad Dodik, the President of Republika Srpska, known for his controversial statements denying the Srebrenica genocide, skillfully uses such a climate. For example, he literally stated: „There was no genocide there (in Srebrenica), we all know that“. Dodik's most loyal partner in BiH is Dragan Čović, the President of HDZ BiH, who has never spared Željko Komšić, showing open fascism towards the member of the Presidency of BiH.

But, no one ever emphasizes this too much, while Komšić's statements are interpreted and judged as ‘radical’! However, Čović has repeatedly emphasized the need for „European values“ in Bosnia and Herzegovina. However, these statements are often used as justification for political decisions that marginalize Bosniaks and strengthen the position of Croats as a constituent people. Although these statements may seem like isolated incidents, they fit into a broader geopolitical strategy that includes Hungary, Serbia, and Croatia.

These countries often coordinate their policies to promote „Christian dominance“ in the Balkans, which includes the marginalization of Bosniaks and other Muslim communities. Thus, the statement ‘we are for the adoption of a new Election Law in BiH based on Christian values’, made by Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs Peter Szijjarto during a closed-door conversation with the President of HDZ BiH Čović, which was published by Istraga.ba, became controversial only in terms of how the journalist obtained this recording!?

There was not much debate about the essence – what kind of Election Law based on Christian values is it, but it is clear that it is Islamophobic, yet no one has a problem with that.

Historically, this is not unusual. Bosniaks were marginalized during the 19th and 20th centuries, and their religious and political rights were often challenged. During the Independent State of Croatia (NDH), parts of the territory were cleansed of Muslims and other „undesirables“.

During the aggression from 1992–1995, the most horrific crimes against Bosniaks, including genocide, were committed with the idea of creating ethnically pure territories. Today, instead of military force, institutional pressure, political isolation, and ideological discrediting of Bosniaks as „others“ in their own country are used. Although the Bosniak political elite is trying to respond to this pressure, the lack of unity and international support makes their position weak.

The European Union often turns a blind eye to the growing Islamophobic narratives in the region, while domestic institutions remain paralyzed. If this trend continues, we can expect deeper institutional marginalization of Bosniaks, which could lead to further destabilization of the region.

And why not tell the truth then. It is not just about rhetoric. The statements and policies that promote the idea of a „Christian Western Balkans“ are based on deep intolerance towards Islam as a religion, and towards Bosniaks as a people.

Recognizing and documenting these narratives is the first step in fighting against them. History teaches us that silence and ignoring such processes always lead to tragedy.