Bosnianism

The flag of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina from 1992 to 1998. This is a common symbol of Bosnianism, especially used by nationalist Bosniaks. Though the flag largely became a symbol of the Muslim Bosniaks during the Bosnian War, it uses the coat of the Catholic King Tvrtko I of the historic Kingdom of Bosnia.

Mosque, Catholic church and Serbian Orthodox Church in Bosanska Krupa. One of the variants of Bosnianism has sought the development of an inclusive Bosnian identity that includes the Muslim Bosniaks, the Catholic Croats, and the Orthodox Serbs within it.

Bosnianism (Bošnjaštvo) refers to the nationalism or patriotism of Bosnians and the culture of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It has existed in a variety of forms, including one form that promotes a Bosnian identity that includes Bosniaks, Croats, and Serbs within it, and another version that views Bosnia and Herzegovina as the homeland of Bosniaks.

History

The development of Bosnianism began not as an ethnic nationalism but a cultural nationalism - Muslim Bosnian nationalist intellectuals at the time accepted Croat or Serb ethnic identity but emphasized a Bosnian cultural identity. Bosnian nationalism expanded in popularity amongst Bosnian Muslims in response to the rise of nationalism in Croatia and Serbia. The concept of a Bosnian identity was developed on a multiethnic, geographical basis out of the directives of Austro-Hungarian governor of Bosnia, Benjamin Kallay who promoted a multiethnic Bosnian identity for Bosnian Muslims, Croats, and Serbs; this was promoted by Austria-Hungary as a means to defend the territorial integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina that was threatened by Croat and Serb irredentism. Early efforts in the late 19th to early 20th century to expand Bosnian identity beyond Bosnian Muslims to the Croats and Serbs failed and primarily became a nationalism of the Bosnian Muslims.

The failure of Austro-Hungarian intentions to promote a Bosnian identity amongst Croats and Serbs, resulted in only Bosnian Muslims adhering to Bosnian identity, and thus Bosnianism was adopted as a Bosnian Muslim ethnic nationalism by nationalist figures. Beginning in 1891, Mehmed-beg Kapetanović declared that Bosnian Muslims were neither Croats nor Serbs but a distinct, though related people. Kapetanović in an article of the journal Bosnjak (The Bosnian), declared the following:.

Whereas the Croats argue that the Orthodox are our greatest enemies and that Serbdom is the same as Orthodoxy, the Serbs wear themselves out calling our attention to some bogus history, by which they have Serbianized the whole world. We shall never deny that we belong to the South Slav family; but we shall remain Bosnians, like our forefathers, and nothing else.

— Mehmed-beg Kapetanović

Upon the founding of Yugoslavia in 1918, Yugoslav unitarists claimed that there was only one single Yugoslav nation and that the Croats, Serbs, and Slovenes were recognized as the "tribes" of the Yugoslavs, this excluded recognition of Muslims as a distinct people of Yugoslavia and provoked frustration amongst Bosnian Muslims. In response to a lack of recognition, the Yugoslav Muslim Organization (JMO) was founded in 1919 with support of most Bosnian Muslims, including the Muslim intelligentsia and social elite, that sought to defend Muslim identity - including religious, social, and economic rights within Bosnia and Herzegovina. The JMO took part in government briefly in 1928 and then longer from 1935 to 1938 in which it participated in government with the goal of preserving the territorial integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina in opposition to plans to create an autonomous Croatia that held territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The JMO's efforts to prevent the partition of Bosnia and Herzegovina failed and the Banate of Croatia was created in 1939.

Bosnianism received a severe setback during World War II when Yugoslavia was invaded by the Axis Powers and Bosnia and Herzegovina was annexed by the Independent State of Croatia (NDH) that regarded the Bosnian Muslims as "Muslim Croats". By late 1941, much of the Bosnian elite openly criticized the NDH regime for its policy toward its minorities, and demanded autonomy for Bosnia and Herzegovina.

With the creation of communist Yugoslavia in 1945, Bosnia and Herzegovina was restored as a territorial entity and as one of the six constituent republics of the federal state of Yugoslavia. To resolve the Serb-Croat dispute over Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Yugoslav government in 1971 recognized Bosnian Muslims as a nationality.

Bosnianism rose in strength since the 1980s, especially following Alija Izetbegović's publishing of the Islamic Declaration that called for an Islamic renewal amongst Bosnian Muslims, Izetbegović was arrested by Yugoslav state authorities in 1983 on allegations that he was promoting a purely Muslim Bosnia, and served five years in prison. In 1990, Izetbegović and others founded the Party of Democratic Action, that became the main Bosnian Muslim party in the Bosnian parliament. The eruption of the Bosnian War from 1992 to 1995 strengthened Bosnian Muslim identity. In 1993, the identity of "Bosnian Muslims" was changed to "Bosniaks". In general Bosnian nationalism in the past and present has largely been based upon a focus to preserve Bosnia and Herzegovina's territorial integrity and to preserve Bosniaks' national rights.

Bibliography

• Motyl, Alexander J. (2001). Encyclopedia of Nationalism, Volume II. Academic Press. ISBN 0122272307. 

See also

• Bosnian movement of national pride
• Rise of nationalism under the Ottoman Empire#Bosniak
• Serbian nationalism
• Croatian nationalism
• Slavic nationalism (disambiguation)
• Illyrian movement
• Bosniak history