BALKAN ISLAM A BARRIER OR A BRIDGE FOR RADICALISATION? E con titute omic ns Ins s and International Relatio Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung Office Bulgaria 97, Knjaz Boris I St. 1000 Sofia, Bulgaria Tel.: +359 2 980 8747 Fax: +359 2 980 2438 http://www.fes-bulgaria.org
[email protected] © Cover foto: Ivan Stoimenov ISBN 978-954-2979-38-8 The views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung or of the organisation for which the author works. Commercial use of all media, published by the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES), is not permitted without the written consent of the FES. ECONOMICS AND INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS INSTITUTE FRIEDRICH-EBERT-STIFTUNG BULGARIAN DIPLOMATIC SOCIETY BALKAN ISLAM A BARRIER OR A BRIDGE FOR RADICALISATION? Prof. Iskra Baeva, PhD Biser Banchev, PhD Bobi Bobev Peter Vodenski Lyubomir Kyuchukov, PhD Lyubcho Neshkov Lyubcho Troharov Editor Lyubomir Kyuchukov, PhD Sofia, 2018 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. Foreword – Helene Kortländer, PhD; Lyubomir Kyuchukov, PhD; Philip Bokov .....................................3 2. Balkan Islam and Radicalisation: a Barrier in front of the Bridge – Lyubomir Kyuchukov, PhD .....................5 3. Albania: Both a Bridge and a Barrier for Islamic Radicalism – Bobi Bobev, PhD ...................................20 4. Islam in Bosnia and Herzegovina – Lyubcho Troharov ..............34 5. Islam in Bulgaria: Most Muslims in Bulgaria Practice Traditional Islam – Prof. Iskra Baeva, PhD ....................48 6. Kosovo: a Collision Between Traditional Tolerance and Radicalism – Bobi Bobev, PhD .............................61 7. There is No Internal Islamic Threat in Macedonia, Foreign Forces Import Radical Islam – Lyubcho Neshkov ............................................................73 8. The Muslim Communities in Serbia: Between Integration and Radicalisation – Biser Banchev, PhD ................86 9.