Serbia's Sandzak: Still Forgotten
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SERBIA'S SANDZAK: STILL FORGOTTEN Europe Report N°162 – 8 April 2005 TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATIONS................................................. i I. INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................... 1 II. SANDZAK'S TWO FACES: PAZAR AND RASCIA ................................................ 2 A. SEEKING SANDZAK ...............................................................................................................2 B. OTTOMAN SANDZAK.............................................................................................................3 C. MEDIEVAL RASCIA ...............................................................................................................4 D. SERBIAN SANDZAK ...............................................................................................................4 E. TITOISM ................................................................................................................................5 III. THE MILOSEVIC ERA ................................................................................................ 7 A. WHAT'S IN A NAME? .............................................................................................................7 B. COLLIDING NATIONALISMS...................................................................................................8 C. STATE TERROR ...................................................................................................................10 D. POLITICS OF APATHY ..........................................................................................................12 E. ECONOMIC BOOM AND BUST ..............................................................................................14 F. POPULATION MOVEMENTS..................................................................................................16 IV. POST-MILOSEVIC SANDZAK................................................................................. 16 A. THE POLITICAL MAP...........................................................................................................16 1. SDA ascendancy......................................................................................................17 2. Ugljanin's "historic Sandzak" ..................................................................................19 3. Bosniak dissatisfaction with Ugljanin .....................................................................19 4. Change in 2004 ........................................................................................................20 B. THE RELIGIOUS FACTOR .....................................................................................................22 1. Islam: modernity vs. tradition..................................................................................23 2. The Serbian Orthodox Church.................................................................................26 C. EDUCATION, LANGUAGE AND CULTURE .............................................................................28 1. Education in Sandzak...............................................................................................28 2. Duelling universities................................................................................................29 3. Religion in schools ..................................................................................................30 4. Linguistic apartheid .................................................................................................30 5. Civil society .............................................................................................................31 D. LAND WITHOUT JUSTICE: POLICE AND THE JUDICIARY .......................................................32 1. Policing after 2000...................................................................................................32 2. The judicial farce .....................................................................................................33 E. STALLED ECONOMY............................................................................................................34 F. SOURCES OF ETHNIC TENSION ............................................................................................35 G. THE MEDIA.........................................................................................................................38 H. CONSTITUTIONAL AND LEGAL OBSTACLES.....................................................................40 V. CONCLUSION ............................................................................................................. 42 APPENDICES A. MAP OF SERBIA ..................................................................................................................44 B. MAP OF SANDZAK REGION..................................................................................................45 C. ABOUT THE INTERNATIONAL CRISIS GROUP .......................................................................46 D. CRISIS GROUP REPORTS AND BRIEFING PAPERS ON EUROPE SINCE 2002 ............................47 E. CRISIS GROUP BOARD MEMBERS........................................................................................49 Europe Report N°162 8 April 2005 SERBIA'S SANDZAK: STILL FORGOTTEN EXECUTIVE SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATIONS Whenever Balkan politicians discuss Kosovo's future conflict among the leading Bosniak political parties. The status they warn of a "domino effect". One area overwhelming majority of Bosniaks do not seek frequently mentioned as vulnerable and a possible independence from Serbia, nor do they wish to join flashpoint of new violence is Serbia's Sandzak, an Bosnia & Herzegovina. ethnically-mixed Muslim-Slav (Bosniak) majority region sandwiched between Montenegro, Kosovo and Provided the Serbian government in Belgrade uses Bosnia. Its economy is underdeveloped and far poorer wisdom and good judgement in dealing with the than many other regions in Serbia, partly because it region's problems and reins in nationalist forces that was an Ottoman backwater until 1912, partly due to could foment trouble, the potential for ethnically-based deliberate neglect by Serbian authorities between the violence or conflict is relatively small, and there should world wars and under Milosevic. Belgrade should act be no reason for it to increase, even in the event against discrimination and otherwise show both Serbs Kosovo becomes independent. Yet, in many ways the and Bosniaks it is sensitive to their concerns in order current government is deaf to the region's problems to keep the region peaceful, as it presently is, but and continues to discriminate in both overt and subtle Sandzak's problems are mostly the same as those of fashion against the majority Bosniak population. the rest of Serbia and require national solutions. A number of forces on both sides still attempt to Under the Milosevic regime, official state terror against destabilise Sandzak through their actions. These include the Bosniaks included ethnic cleansing of entire villages, extremist elements within the Serbian Orthodox Church, kidnappings, murders, arbitrary arrests, beatings and the Wahhabi movement, the police, state security (BIA) dismissal from jobs. These actions increased tensions in and army security, and nationalist forces associated with Sandzak, and the successor Serbian governments have the Serbian Radical Party (SRS), Democratic Party of addressed them either half-heartedly or not at all. Serbia (DSS) and the Bosniak Party for Democratic Given the recent history of Serbian behaviour, many Action (SDA). All seem to have a vested interest in Bosniaks fear for their welfare and existence, and keeping ethnic tensions at a high level. even otherwise minor grievances often take on ethnic overtones. The Orthodox Church has launched an aggressive campaign aimed at reasserting Serbian presence in the Nevertheless, since Milosevic's ouster some halting and region. Simultaneously the Bosniaks are asserting their partial steps to integrate the Muslims into the Serbian sense of national identity: Islam and linguistic issues political mainstream and treat them as equal citizens play a prominent part in this renaissance. The Bosniak have been undertaken. Progress is slow -- it may take a National Council is taking actions which could create generation for the way Serbia views its minorities truly ethnic apartheid and alienate Serbs. Also on the Bosniak to change -- but it is occurring. While Serbia is learning side, there are some small yet potentially troubling radical how to treat its Muslims without discrimination, the Wahhabi elements, and indications that some Bosniaks Bosniaks must make extra efforts to protect Serb rights are beginning to discriminate against the Serb minority. in those areas where they form a majority and are acquiring political power. Sandzak suffers from significant economic decline and ongoing loss of population. It also has all the problems The atmosphere in Sandzak is tense but peaceful. There endemic to Serbia as a whole: organised crime, corruption, are no indications of armed resistance groups or dysfunctional state structures, and official incompetence. paramilitary formations among the Bosniaks, nor do Some of these could be resolved if Serbia would act to there appear to be any fringe political elements capable end discrimination and make its minorities feel that they or desirous of mobilising