ISLAMIC EXTREMISTS IN BiH ARE DANGER TO ALL OF CHRISTIANITY IN EUROPE

It is important to emphasize, says Vukelić, that the actions of Islamic extremists in BiH do not pose a threat only to Orthodox Serbs, but to all of Christianity across the entire region, even beyond. The goals of Islamic extremists are global, until the entire Balkans, and eventually Europe and the world, become a single "Islamic state – caliphate." By: Vesna ŠURBAT

BELGRADE, OCTOBER 5 /SRNA/ – Religious hatred toward Serbs in BiH has not subsided, while the increasingly frequent attacks on them, as well as on clergy and facilities of the Serbian Orthodox Church /SOC/, are proving that Islamic extremism remains deeply rooted among the Bosniak population, Belgrade-based political scientist Milan Vukelić, who specialized in religious extremism issues, told SRNA. He points out that the most recent religiously motivated attacks in BiH are undoubtedly a consequence of past events and the wars in the former Yugoslavia. "All data shows that Islamic extremism in BiH has remained deeply entrenched among the population, even decades after the war of the 1990s. The current and increasingly frequent attacks on Serbs, clergy, and SOC properties prove that the situation is no different today," Vukelić stated. This religious fundamentalism and extremism expert warns that the Islamic extremists activities in BiH are not only a danger to Orthodox Serbs but to Christianity in general, which is facing serious challenges across the region and beyond. He recalls that, according to Islamic fundamentalist ideology, the world is divided into the land of peace /dar al-Islam/ and the land of war /dar al-harb/, which must remain in constant conflict until Sharia law rules the entire planet. Vukelić says this demonstrates that the goals of Islamic extremists are global, not limited to a single territory - in this case, the full Islamization of BiH - but instead include expanding borders to neighbouring countries, until the entire Balkans, and later Europe and the world, become a unified “Islamic state – caliphate.” "I sincerely hope the international community will strongly condemn the uncivilized acts we have witnessed in recent days, and that prosecutor’s officies in BiH will prosecute all those who endanger the safety of others, as well as the right to freedom of thought, conscience, and religion, which is, after all, guaranteed by the BiH Constitution," Vukelić emphasized. BiH PROVIDES REFUGE TO INDIVIDUALS CONNECTED TO ISLAMIC EXTREMISM Looking at the per capita figures, Vukelić stresses that BiH is a country that had a very high rate of its citizens traveling to Syria and Iraq. On the other hand, even years after the end of the war, there are still ongoing allegations that BiH provides refuge to individuals connected with Islamic extremism. He says that the 1990s conflicts, which were mostly portrayed as civil wars, were essentially religious in nature. He reminds that the three nations from the same region, who speak the same language, were differentiated only by religion. Vukelić notes that many mujahideen from Islamic countries saw the conflict of their Bosnian brothers in faith against the Serb “infidels” as a jihad and a religious obligation, but also as an opportunity to plant the seed of a new pan-Islamic caliphate in the Balkans. It is estimated that around 4,000 of them, mostly from Arab countries, were present in BiH during that period, says Vukelić. He recalls that the so-called Army of BiH included a unit called “El Mujahideen,” composed of fighters from Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Pakistan, Algeria, Syria, Afghanistan, as well as jihadists from Western European countries, such as David Vallat, who was convicted for participating in the war in BiH. "Numerous sources indicate that several hundred mujahideen remained in the territory of BiH, and that they even enjoyed the support of certain politicians close to Islamic fundamentalist circles, notably the Party of Democratic Action /SDA/," he emphasizes. Some of them, Vukelić notes, were also connected to Al-Qaeda, as confirmed by a report from the U.S. Congressional Commission that investigated the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack, which mentions three individuals who fought in BiH from 1992 to 1995 against the Serbs. He also points out that many suspicious non-governmental organisations took root in BiH after the war, primarily funded by Saudi Arabia, whose main goal was to spread the Wahhabi network in the region, often under the guise of humanitarian work and education. Many of these organisations have also been accused of financing terrorism, such as the Al Haramain Foundation. After the outbreak of conflicts in Syria and Iraq and the rise of the "Islamic State" on the global jihadist scene, Vukelić says that more than 1,000 fighters from the Balkans joined this or similar terrorist organisations, primarily Jabhat al-Nusra. "From the territory of BiH, between 250 and 300 fighters traveled to the Middle Eastern battlefield from 2012 to 2016, and between 50 and 70 of them returned home. Some of them were prosecuted and convicted for participating in foreign conflicts, as well as for recruiting and encouraging others to go to the front lines," Vukelić points out. He emphasizes that highlighting Islamic extremism as a threat to the entire region is not intended to offend moderate Muslims, including Bosniaks, nor to equate them with terrorists affiliated with the Islamic State, Al-Qaeda, or other extremist organisations. "Islam is certainly not a religion that promotes terrorism, quite the opposite. Numerically speaking, Muslims themselves are actually the largest victims of terrorist acts committed by Islamic extremist organisations," says Vukelić.