Sandžak

The EU and the Swiss government recently allocated € 300,000 so as to assist the economic development in the municipalities of Novi Pazar, Sjenica, Tutin, Priboj, Prijepolje and Nova Varoš. The greatest expectations are leveled at Novi Pazar, explained Marko Vujačić who is the coordinator of the project. In the focus of the economic assistance is the production of jeans and distribution of local food items including Čevape (a kind of sausage) and local cheese. The brands should be promoted as something special and unique, something that will make the region stand out in Southeastern Europe, explained Vujačić. Vujačević’s explanation is based on a seminar held by EU PROGRES that sought to find out what exactly made the region special, and how to market the subsequent products. Among the “brands” to be promoted are healthy and all natural food items, historical monuments and the possibility to promote Sandžak as an area suited for winter sports.

Last week, the 108^th hearing was held in which 25 Bosniaks are prosecuted to have endangered the integrity of the former Yugoslav republic in the form of an armed rebellion in Sandžak and for the illegal possession of weapons. The individuals are from Novi Pazar, Tutin and Sjenica and have been persecuted since 1993. However, only ten of the 25 defendants appeared in court. Two of the individuals died, some have been pardoned as they were only tried for the illegal possession of firearms, others now live abroad while Suleijman Ugljanin has in the meantime become a senior official in Belgrade. Since the trial began in 1993, Ugljanin fled to Turkey while the others underwent a “marathon trial” in Novi Pazar and were convicted to long prison terms in 1994. However, the case was reopened in 1996 and has tried since. Vesti Online reported that there is little hope the case will be completed any time soon. All defendants, except Ugljanin, claimed to have undergone “untold” torture while they have been victims of the Milošević regime. The trial, the defendants explain, has been politically motivated yet the current government, of which their former “boss” Ugljanin is now a member, refuses to acknowledge this. Therefore there is no end in sight regarding the trial. Rifat Dupljak who is one of the defendants explained that the group tried to find an end to their trial having written to many “important men”, including Serbia’s president Boris Tadić – to no avail. As the group sought another way to end the trial, the Serbian government stated that “Serbia is a lawful state and the government is not able to dictate to the courts what to do, and what not to”.

The interethnic youth alliance of Novi Pazar that started out as an informal non-governmental group has so far held three meetings it calls “Sofra”(a Turkic word for meal). The events aim at promoting multiethnic and multicultural dialogue and cooperation in the city of Novi Pazar and the surrounding region. The alliance seeks to promote the multiethnic character of the city as an advantage and organized events in the past have included photography showings and exhibitions of young and unknown artist as well as musical entertainment by choirs and tastings of culinary delicacies. This year, the alliance hopes to bring its event to other parts of the area. The group is supported by the UN fund for young alliances, the U.S., Dutch and German embassies and the Open Society institute.

Serbia’s minister for labour and social policies Rasim Ljajić traveled to the municipality of Sjenica were authorities declared an emergency situation due to unusual and very heavy snowfall. Ljajić reportedly came to check on how social services functioned as well as to announce that Serbia’s Sandžak municipalities were among the 46 towns of Serbia’s underdeveloped regions that were to receive financial aid from the government. Ljajic explained that 3 million dinars are set aside for gerontology. Sjenica is destined for another million dinars for the purchase of oil for its poorest citizens. The most disadvantaged citizens of Nova Varoš too are destined to receive 500,000 dinars. The Mayor of Sjenica explained that citizens there have been hit hardest by the weather as temperatures reached as low as -30 Celsius. Ljajić added that he will also try to get snow plowing machines to the region so as to clear the snow from the streets.

“Sandžačke opštine dobijaju 4.5 miliona dinara pomoći”. Dnevn list Danas. accessed February 9, 2012. http://www.danas.rs/danasrs/drustvo/sandzacke_opstine_dobijaju_45_milliona_dinara_pomoci.55.html?news_id=233739

“Novi Pazar za uho, oko I dušu”. Dnevni list Danas. accessed February 10, 12. http://www.danas.rs/dodaci/sandzak/novi_pazar_za_uho_oko_i_dusu.42.html?news_id=233663

“Teroristi” na sudu 20 godina. Vesti Online. accessed February 9, 2012. http://www.vesti-online.com/Vesti/Hronika/201266/Teroristi-na-sudu-20-godnia

“Netaknuta priroda I zdrava hrana mogući brendovi”. Dnevni list Danas. accessed February 2, 2012. http://www.danas.rs/dodaci/sanzak/netaknuta_priroda_i_zdrava_hrana_moguci_brendovi_.42.html?news_id=233296

“Evropa pomaže džins, ćevape I sjenički sir”. Vesti Online. accessed February 5, 2012. http://www.vesti-online.com/Vesti/Ekonomija/200065/Evropa-pomaze-dzins-cevape-i-sjenicki-sir

BiH

In the foreign affairs meeting of the EU parliament that was convened for the reading of the first draft resolution, rapporteur Doris Pack accepted the resolution submitted by the Dutch deputy Bastian Belder. The resolution calls for the Islamic Community (IZ) of BiH to condemn the growth of the Wahhabi movement in BiH. Pack stressed that BiH is not a place were fundamentalism is welcome adding that the movement is isolated. The Wahhabis, so Pack, is exploiting the disadvantaged segments of the society as individuals that become members get reimbursed with financial contributions. In explaining the initiative, Belder stated that the EU must be aware of the growth of religious fundamentalism in BiH, especially those that seem connected to Wahhabi movements. Terrorism Expert Dževad Galijašević believes that BiH will face increasing challenges regarding actions taken by Wahhabi groups as long as the members of BiH’s presidency Bakir Izetbegović and Mustafa Cerić do not clearly define and condemn the movement. Galijašević added that in his view, the EU has acted too late as many moderate imams have already been removed with imams that ascribe to salafi teachings. This, says Galijašević, has strengthens the movement’s position within the Islamic community. Nađa Dizdarević, wife of one of the members of the so called “Algerian group” called Pack a collaborator and supporter of RS’s president Milorad Dodik whom Dizdarević called the greatest enemy for the security of BiH.

In an interview with political science professor Asim Mujkić and sociology professor Ivan Šijaković from the University of Sarajevo, Radio Slobodna Evropa discussed the fate of BiH’s government and the formation of the council of ministers 14-months after the election took place. Though the council of ministers finally formed, Mujkić believes that little will change. In his words, “BiH will only solve the current crisis as much as it must”. In other words, BiH will change its politics only to the point as is dictated from outside pressures. Šijaković added that perhaps the political crisis will quite down a bit, but the general societal crisis will prevail. Mujkić explained that BiH has a bit of a League of Nations character. BiH, Mujkić estimates, is a “totally dysfunctional country” that is created by and for national elites and not for the citizens of BiH. Mujkić further explained that politics in BiH are based on questions and loyalty toward ethnicity and politicians campaign for votes among their ethnic nationals. In this process, politicians spread fear and distrust of “the other” so as to capture the majority of votes. Thus, says Mujkić, our system is based on spreading distrust and fear, which is BiH’s key problem. Perhaps, said Mujkić, it is time that 75-80 percent of the population cast a blank vote into the ballot box so as to send a signal to the government that the people of BiH are tired of politics that are based on nationalism as was the case for the past 20 years.

“BiH može spasiti samo vladavina stručnjaka”. Radio Slobodna Evropa. accessed February 2, 2012. http://www.slobodnaevropa.org/content/most_rse_bih_moze_spasiti_samo_vladavina_strucnjaka/24473556.html?page=2

“Pakova poziva IZ u BiH da osudi vehabizam”. Politika Online. accessed February 10, 12. http://www.politika.rs/rubrike/region/Pakova-poziva-IZ-u-BiH-da-osudi-vahabizam.lt.html

Serbia

In light of the Serbian governments crackdown of individuals with dissenting views as to how policies ought to be conducted, Radio Slobodna Evropa discussed if politics carried out during the 1990’s are once again prevalent with historian Dubravka Stojanivić and writer Vladimir Arsenijević. In question are the minister of interior Ivica Dačić’s dismissal of the director of Serbia’s national library; the government’s blind eye toward hooligan movements; the involvement of Serbia’s recently appointed chief of the army Ljubiša Diković in crimes carried out in Kosovo, etc. Stojanović suggested that Serbia indeed never parted from the 1990’s and that this fact is especially noticeable in Serbia’s development of its national policy, or lack thereof; economic questions and political progress. Arsenijević adds that during the 1990’s, there was at least strong opposition to the Milošević regime as people demonstrated against the destruction of Vukovar, Dubrovnik and Sarajevo. Now, says Arsenijević, there seems to be a consensus about some sort of sacred innocence of Serbia. Answering to the question whether the above actions have to be analyzed in terms of the upcoming elections, Stojanović stated that Serbia is yet fighting an enemy, imagined or otherwise. If there is no external enemy, the leadership will find an internal enemy as became clear with the dismissal of the director of Serbia’s national library Sreten Ugričić. Then, added Stojanović, the media will focus on that enemy and make said story number one priority until another scapegoat turns up.

“Vraća li se Srbija u devedesete”. Radio Slobodna Evropa. accessed February 12, 12. http://www.slobodnaevropa.org/content/most_rse_vraca_li_se_srbija_u_devedesete/24481054.html