Sandžak

Novi Pazar, double the number of institutions, half the rights. This is, according to Politika, how most proponents of this thesis describe the vulnerably of Bosniaks in Serbia. According to the 2002 census, about 136,087, or 1.82 percent, of Serbia’s population is Bosniak. Meanwhile another 19,503 individuals who declared themselves as Muslim in a national sense could be added to that number. “This” national community does not reach an overall 2 percent of Serbia’s population, has four deputies, two national council’s for Bosniaks, two Islamic Communities and 12 national Bosniak parties, all of whom struggle for the rights of Bosniaks, especially before the elections…The term Bosniak is relatively knew, as Politika explained, and in the 1991 census, the term Bosniak did not exist. There were an overall 173,871 Muslims in Serbia. “The new-old” name for Muslims was established in the All Bosniak Congress held in 1993 in Sarajevo. In Serbia, the majority of Bosniaks resides in the southwest. Six municipalities (Novi Pazar, Tutin, Sjenica, Prijepolje, Priboj i Nova Varoš) are located in Serbia while for most politicians; the area is called Sandžak to which also belong five Montenegrin municipalities. Bosniaks make the majority of Novi Pazar, Tutin and Sjenica while Serbs constitute the majority Prijepolje, Priboj and Nova Varoš. Though this territory is made up of multiple nationalities, mainly of Bosniaks and Serbs, “Bosniak politicians consider this as their sole space and demanding structural changes in the process”. In 1992, the Muslim National Council – later called the Bosniak National Council – that presided by Sulejman Ugljanin, organized a referendum that called for full poloitical and territorial autonomy for Sandžak with the right to become a member of another former Yugoslav state. The news outlet Politika explains that the organizers announced (while the referendum was illegal and therefore no official oversight) that nearly 100 percent of said national minority voted for an autonomous Sandžak. The referendum is often recalled in connection with the upcoming elections while Bosniak politicians emphasize that political autonomy is the goal of their task. The greatest proponent of this thesis is head of one of Serbia’s Islamic Communities mufti Muamer Zukorlić. The religious leader with the rich vocabulary, and, as some say, ambitions, rode on the wave of verbally fighting for the rights of Bosniaks together with the Bosniak Cultural Association in 2010, winning 17 of 35 seats. Politka explains the the Bosniak National Council can not be considered a political entity while it cannot be considered only religious either thus straddling both issues, religion and politics. The Council was joined by two other ministers from the list upon which the they formed a larger coalition, yet, the state did not recognize them. Errors of non-recognition of this council can be attributed to the former minister Svetozar Čiplić and the unwillingness of the Belgrade regime to acknowledge Zukorlić’s victory. Meanwhile, the “old” Bosniak Council – previously presided by Ugljanin – continued in its technical mandate now under Esad Džudžević. Minister Milan Marković who headed the jurisdiction of human rights and national councils repeatedly called for new elections for the National Council for Bosniak, though nobody knows when these elections will take place. Zukorlić considers these elections unnecessary. Bosniaks resident in Serbia are devided among many issues. They have two Islamic Communities. The Islamic of Serbia originated in Sandžak during the Yugoslav wars and was united until 2007 when a group of Imams gathered around mufti Hamdi Jusufspahić and formed a new Islamic Community headed by Adem Zilkić. While the seat of each community is located on the same street in Novi Pazar and only separated by some 50 meters, the division is clear and one knows exactly which mosque belongs to which Islamic Community. Until recently, the Turkish initiative to unite the Islamic Communities has shown no results. Five political parties including Rasim Ljajić’s, but excluding Ugljanin’s SDA, have that have gathered around Zukorlić in 2006, have brought forward a declaration condemning the marginalization of Bosniaks in Serbia’s constitutional process raising criticism that Serbia ought not to be defined as a Serbian nation and all peoples that live in it. And though Ugljanin has previously stated that Bosniaks have achieved the highest level regarding the materialization of their national rights, the SDA leader now, in the pre-election season has joined those that bring forward the disenfranchised rights of Bosniaks. The SDA thus adopted the resolution previously circulated by the Bosniak National Council. The resolution calls for full recognition national identity and the possibility to access individual human and minority rights in addition to changing the constitution that would guarantee regional autonomy for the six municipalities with the right to cooperate with the five municipalities located in Montenegro.

According to news outlet Kurir, a group of imams sent a letter to the Islamic Community of Sandžak (IZ) raising serious accusation against mufti Muamer Zukorlić. The imams wished to remain anonymous. As Kurir reports, the letter questions the mufti’s integrity stating the Zukorlić led IZ has become a family led organization that exercises unlimited power. The IZ’s goal, so Kurir, is to arrogantly seize waqf property (religious landholdings) and loot Sandžak’s diaspora for personal enrichment. Since 2009, the IZ is run like a family company headed by director Muamer Zukorlić, managed by Mohammad Zukorlić (brother), whose finance director is Elma Zukorlić (the wife of one of the brothers though not specified in the article), policy director Emir Elfić (brother in law) and presided over by Usam Zukorlić (son). According to the report, the imams sighted 43 more individuals, all of whom are personally connected with the mufti. The imam’s state that Zukurlić’s business practices are non-transparent explaining that nobody - not even his former associates - know the sum of the donations that have flown toward the IZ and/or how they are used. Zukorlić meanwhile asserts that only 10 percent of his donations come from abroad while the rest has been collected from within Sandžak.

The news outlet Radio-televizija Srbije (RTS) reported that 13 ambassadors of Middle Eastern and African states toured the Sandžak the past week. Sulejman Ugljanin, minister without a portfolio, hosted the ambassadorial corps. Proposed projects are planned to be led by “Sandžak Invest” part of which is the proposed development zone in Tutin. Mersar Mujović who heads “Sandžak Invest” explained that the zone is planned to be developed in Leskovo, which is located about 20km from Tutin. The total value of investment is estimated to amount to €I billion. If investors can be attracted, then the project counts on employing between 12,000 and 15,000 people. The proposed project, so Mujović, is planned as an intergovernmental venture for which an already signed agreement between Serbia and Turkey serves as a guarantee. In order to solve property rights issues and provide the project with design and technical documentation, two million euros have been invested already.

“Abasodori u poseti Sandžaku”. RTS. Accessed March 17, 12. http://www.rts/rs/page/stories/sr/story/9/Politika/1065092?Ambasadori+u+poseti+Sandžaku+.html

“Buna u Sandžaku: Imami istali protiv Zukorlića”. Kurir. Accessed March 12, 2012. http://www.kurir-info.rs/vesti/politika/buna-u-sandzaku-imami-ustali-protiv-zukorlica-191054.php

“Bošnjaci traže izmenu Ustava i autonomiju: Multietnička Srbija”. Politika. Accessed March 12, 2012. http://www.politika.rs/rubrike/Tema-nedelje/Multienicka-Srbija/Bosnjaci-traze-izmenu-Ustava-i-autonomiju.lt.html

Serbia

The respective heads of Serbia’s Progressive Party (SNS) and the Bosniak National Party (BNS) announced their cooperation for the upcoming elections in Serbia. The BNS stated that it would support Nikolić at the presidential election. Mujo Muković who heads the BNS explained that SNS lead coalition will bring much needed change to resolving the problems faced by Bosniaks. Until last year, Muković was the vice president for Rasim Ljajić’s Democratic Party of Sandžak (SDP) and state secretary at the ministry of infrastructure until he found the BNS in mid-January. Meanwhile, party member of the SNS central committee Marko Đurić stated that the SNS will announce its candidate for the presidential elections when the elections get under way. Asked whether the SNS will support the academic Matija Bećković for the presidential election, Đurić answered that Nikolić is ready to win with an overwhelming victory against Boris Tadić.

B92 reported that the border crossings of Jarinje and Brnjak, between Kosovo and Serbia, serve as the major route across which drugs are smuggled. The U.S. state department released this information after its investigation on drug smuggling worldwide in a document called “International Narcotics Control Strategy 2012”. The U.S., according to B92, suggested that all illegal crossings by Jarinje and Brnjak be closed so as to undermine illegal narcotics trafficking. The news outlet reported that Serbia came up several times in the report and was mentioned in relation to drugs trafficking from Macedonia and Bulgaria while a whole chapter was devoted to drugs trafficking within Serbia. Serbia, so B92, was praised by America regarding its cooperation in “Balkan Warrior” and its seizure of three tons of cocaine and 1,6 million dollars in Italy and Uruguay as well as actions taken against drug boss Darko Šarić. Serbia, according to the report, is considered a transit country for drugs coming from Afghanistan, Central Asia and Turkey and reaching Western Europe as the news outlet Blic learned, adding that Montenegro, Albania and Serbia are states where the narcotics trade to the EU should be halted. According the research conducted by the State Department, only a small amount of Marijuana remains in Serbia while synthetic drug production and trafficking is still cause for concern. Kosovo, so B92, is considered a problem of special attention, as Serbia does not recognize the states independence leading to non-cooperation between the officials of those two states. The Serbian ministry for the interior (MUP) signed a cooperation agreement with EULEX while direct cooperation remains non-existent. Serbia’s non-cooperation, so B92, is based on the incidents in Northern Kosovo that transpired last year in July.

In an interview released in Dnevni List Danas, speaker of the national assembly of Serbia Slavica Đukić-Dejanović stated that the Raška municipality and Sandžak region are a source of wealth and at the heart of the Serbian state. Everything that happens in Serbia, so Đukić-Dejanović, also happens there. The economic situation is felt there as in other parts of Serbia though some think the political problems are the most important. At any rate, the people of Sandžak are wonderful neighbors and relatives. The area is, according to Đukić-Dejanović, a wealth to Serbia because of its ethnic and cultural diversity that co-exists in relatively small place. Asked about her views by which the Serbian government has been accused of ignoring that region, Đukić-Dejanović stated that she believes these accusations are unfunded. Yet, the region surely must be developed just as all of Serbia must move toward a higher level regarding the infrastructure. However, economic possibilities dictate the level of development. As of now, the state is involved in regional problems by way of two ministers as well as through a large number of deputies. After the upcoming elections, those elected to the executive and legislative branches will have to fight even more so that the region receives what it deserves. How, asked Dnevni List Danas, does she imagine the government can solve existing problems in the region? The region, explained Đukić-Dejanović, should be fully developed because its potential is great. She sees special opportunities for the textile industry, which, says Đukić-Dejanović, could become a booming industry. Current problems that arise from economic malaise ought to be solved by attracting foreign investment while University and inter-University cooperation should increase so that young people can receive an education in the region.

“Raška oblast i Sandžak su bogatstvo Srbije”. Dnevni list Danas. accessed March 15, 2012. http://www.danas.rs/dodaci/sandzak/raska_oblast_i_sandzak_su_bogatstvo_srbije_.42.html?news_id=236046

“Srbija semlja za transit droge”. B92. Accessed March 13, 2012. http://www.b92.net/info/vesti/index.php?yyyy=2012&mm==03&dd=13&nav_category=640&nav_id=590349

“Bošnjaci na izbore sa Nikolićem”. Vesti Online. accessed March 11, 2012. http://www.vesti-online.com/Vesti/Srbija/209413/Bosnjaci-na-izbore-sa-Nikolicem

Bosna i Herzegovina (BiH)

According to the coordinator of the Croatian Civil Society in BiH Leo Pločkinić, more then half of all the members of the Congress of North American Bosniaks (KBSA) are members of BiH’s and other Salafi-Wahhabi movements abroad. He requested that KBSA members publicly break their ties and distance themselves from terrorists that are members of the congress. In a letter addressed to the KBSA, Pločkinić invited the members to sever links with the Wahhabi movement, whose members are responsible for attacks carried out in Salk Lake City, U.S. marines at the airport in Frankfurt and the U.S. embassy in Sarajevo. Kemal Hamulić, a spokesman for the KBSA previously denied allegations that said organizations supported and financed the Wahhabi movement in BiH.

“Vehabije na čelu Bošnjaka iz Severne Amerike?!” Vesti Online. accessed March 14, 2012. http://www.vesti-online.com/Vesti/Ex-YU/210192/Vehabije-na-celu-Bonjaka-iz-Severne-Amerike