Islam in Serbia

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Bajrakli Mosque in Belgrade

Altun-Alem Mosque in Novi Pazar

The Muslims in Serbia are mostly ethnic Bosniaks and Albanians, but also members of the smaller ethnic groups like Muslims by nationality, Ashkali, Egyptians, Gorani, Roma, and Turks.

[edit] Number of believers and distribution

According to 2002 census, there were 239,658 Muslims in Serbia (3.2% of total population; not counting the territory of Kosovo). Largest concentration of Muslims in Serbia could be found in the municipalities of Novi Pazar, Tutin and Sjenica in Sandžak, and in the municipalities of Preševo and Bujanovac in the Preševo Valley.

[edit] History

Islam arrived to the Balkans with the advancement of the Ottoman Empire.

Muslims of Serbia are of various ethnic backgrounds:

Bosniaks and Muslims by nationality, mostly living in the Sandžak region, are South Slavs who converted to Islam during Ottoman administration.
Albanians, a major part of the pre-Ottoman Catholic and Orthodox Christian inhabitants of what is now Albania and part of Kosovo were converted into Islam in the 17th and 18th century.
The Slavic Gorani, who originating from southern Kosovo, were Christians before and were converted in the 18th, and particularly 19th century.
Albanian speaking Roma, Ashkali and Egyptians who originating from Kosovo are Muslims, some Serbian speaking Roma are also Muslims (often tracing their previous settlement to Macedonia or Bosnia).

Historically, sizable number of Serbs converted to Islam during Ottoman administration.

Serbia has two rival Islamic communities, one based in Belgrade and the other in the mainly Bosniak Muslim southwest Sandžak region.^[1] The split between Muslim communities in Serbia dates back to 2007. The Islamic Community in Serbia, based in Novi Pazar, the biggest town in Sandžak, looks to neighbouring Bosnia for spiritual guidance and is led by Muamer Zukorlić. The Islamic Community of Serbia, based in Belgrade, is led by Adem Zilkić.

[edit] Islamic communities

Islamic believers in Serbia are organized into two communities:

Islamic community of Serbia (Islamska zajednica Srbije), with seat in Belgrade, administered by reis-ul-ulema (Grand Mufti) Adem Zilkić. It is divided into:
- Meshihat of Serbia, with seat in Belgrade
- Meshihat of Sandžak, with seat in Novi Pazar
- Meshihat of Preševo, with seat in Preševo
Islamic community in Serbia (Islamska zajednica u Srbiji), with seat in Novi Pazar, administered by mufti Muamer ef. Zukorlić, which include:
- Islamic community in Sandžak (Islamska zajednica u Sandžaku) or Muftiship of Sandžak, with seat in Novi Pazar, administered by mufti Muamer Zukorlić.
- Islamic community in Vojvodina (Islamska zajednica u Vojvodini) or Muftiship of Novi Sad, with seat in Novi Sad, administered by mufti Fadil Murati.
- Islamic community in Preševo Valley (Islamska zajednica u Preševskoj Dolini) or Muftiship of Preševo, with seat in Preševo.
- Islamic community in Central Serbia (Islamska zajednica u Centralnoj Srbiji) or Muftiship of Belgrade, with seat in Belgrade.

[edit] See also

[edit] References

^ Turkey Mediates Between Serbia’s Battling Muslims

[edit] External links

Percentage of Muslims in the Districts of Serbia (census 2002)
Organization of the Rijaset of the Islamic Community of Serbia (as of 2007)
Organization of the Meshihat of the Islamic Community in Serbia, which is part of the Rijaset of the Islamic Community in Bosnia and Herzegovina (as of 2007)
Mosque in Sjenica
Mosque in Preševo
Masjid of Islamic Religious Community in Novi Sad