History of the Bosnian Muslim Community in Australia: Settlement Experience in Victoria Dzavid Haveric MA February 2009 Submitted in total fulfillment of the requirements of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Institute for Community, Ethnicity and Policy Alternatives, ICEPA, Victoria University Abstract This thesis examines the settlement experience of the Bosnian Muslims in Victoria. Overall this research exploration takes places against background of the history of the immigration to Australia. The study covers migration patterns of Bosnian Muslims from post World War 2 periods to more recent settlement. The thesis provides contemporary insights on Bosnian Muslims living in a Western society such as Australia. The thesis excavates key issues about Islam and the Muslim communities in Western nations and argues that successful settlement is possible, as demonstrated by the Bosnian Muslim community. By adopting a socio-historical framework about settlement, the thesis reveals the significant, interconnected and complex aspects of the settlement process. Settlement of immigrants takes place within global, historical, economic, political, social and cultural elements of both the sending and receiving countries. Thus any study of settlement must examine theories and concepts on migration, settlement, religion, culture, integration and identity. The purpose for migration, the conditions under which migration takes place, the conditions of immigrant reception are fundamental in the context of Australia. Furthermore, Australia since the 1970s has adopted a policy of multiculturalism which has changed settlement experiences of immigrants. These elements are strongly analysed in the thesis both through a critical conceptual appraisal of the relevant issues such as migration, multiculturalism and immigration and through an empirical application to the Bosnian Muslim community. The theoretical element of the study is strongly supported by the empirical research related to settlement issues, integration and multiculturalism in Victoria. Through a socio-historical framework and using a ‘grounded theory’ methodological approach, field research was undertaken with Bosnian Muslim communities, Bosnian organizations and multicultural service providers. In addition, historical data was analysed by chronology. The data provided rich evidence of the Bosnian Muslims’ settlement process under the various governmental policies since World War 2. The study concluded that the Bosnian community has successfully integrated and adapted to the way of life in Australia. Different cohorts of Bosnian Muslims had different settlement patterns, problems and issues which many were able to overcome. The findings revealed the contributions that the Bosnian Muslim community has made to broader social life in Australia such as contribution to the establishment of multi-ethnic Muslim communities, the Bosnian Muslim community development and building social infrastructure. The study also concluded that coming from multicultural backgrounds, the Bosnian Muslims understood the value of cultural diversity and contributed to the development of Australian multiculturalism and social harmony. Overall conclusion of this research is that the different generations of Bosnian Muslims are well-integrated and operate well within Australian multiculturalism. Doctor of Philosophy Declaration “I, Dzavid Haveric, declare that the PhD thesis entitled History of the Bosnian Muslim Community in Australia: Settlement Experience in Victoria is no more than 100,000 words in length including quotes and exclusive of tables, figures, appendices, bibliography, references and footnotes. This thesis contains no material that has been submitted previously, in whole or in part, for the award of any other academic degree or diploma. Except where otherwise indicated, this thesis is my own work”. Signature Date Acknowledgements First and foremost I would like to acknowledge the assistance, productive instructions and encouragement received from my Principal Supervisor, Associate Professor Danny Ben-Moshe, Director of the Institute for Community, Ethnicity and Policy Alternatives (ICEPA) at Victoria University. I greatly appreciate his support during my research and his review of my thesis. A few years earlier I had the pleasure to meet Associate Professor Ben-Moshe during the forum at Victoria University where Bosniak Victorians attended. At that occasion I brought and was pleased to show him a copy of the famous Sarajevo Haggadah, the medieval Jewish illuminated manuscript, preserved by a Bosnian Muslim librarian and kept in the State Museum in Sarajevo (Bosnia and Herzegovina). My sincere gratitude goes to my Co-Supervisor Professor Hurriyet Babacan (Social and Cultural Development) for her useful comments, support and encouragement. I was delighted to share fertile discussions with Professor Babacan on many issues related to multiculturalism in Australia, including Islamic social virtues, particularly related to knowledge, ilm. I greatly appreciate her constructive instructions during my research and particularly her assistance with reviewing my work for the submission of my thesis. My thanks go to ICEPA for the financial assistance received for field trips for visiting various Bosnian Muslim community organisations across Victoria, during the time of my research, and final submission of thesis. I am pleased to acknowledge that I was awarded the Australian Postgraduate Award (APA) from Victoria University, which led me to transfer from Deakin University to Victoria University. I appreciate greatly the valued and beneficial support, suggestions and encouragement from Dr Ian G. Weeks (Formerly of the School of International and Political Studies at Deakin University and now a Fellow in the School of Philosophy at the University of Melbourne) who taught Philosophy and Religious Studies, including the history of different philosophical thoughts from ancient eras to contemporary times. And here I recall Soren Kierkegaard’s thought that ‘Life can only be understood backwards, but must be lived forwards’. It was my great pleasure that, over a number of years, I talked to Dr Weeks about multi-religious values by sharing a spirit of cultural diversity, especially as reflects the values of the Golden Rule. I wish to express my appreciation to historians Dr Barry W. Butcher (History, Associate Dean Teaching and Learning, Deakin University) for his continuous academic support and encouragement and to my previous Supervisor Dr Joost Coté (School of History, Heritage and Society, Deakin University) for his suggestions during the first years of my PhD research. My special thanks go to Diane Brown for her editorial contributions, comments and advice for my manuscript. I extend my thanks to Ms Angela Rojter (International Postgraduate Research Adviser), Dr Petre Santry (Academic Consultant) and Mr Dennis Farrugia (Academic Skills Advisor) for their assistance in the preparation of my manuscript. Also, my thanks go to ICEPA staff Ms Joanne Pyke and Dr Ben O’Mara for their encouragement, and to Mrs Sue Butterworth for her administrative assistance. This thesis is very complex and it was a strong challenge for me. The idea for this project was conceived almost ten years ago after I visited many Bosnian Muslim Community settings across Australia. It also incorporates my active commitment in various multicultural agencies, my long expectations and preparations to academically research this significant topic as well as my continuous interest in cultural history. Therefore I express my gratitude for the support and encouragement received from the Bosnian Muslim Community in Victoria and across the nation. Last but not least my wholehearted thanks go to my wife Aida, who often was my first ‘critic’ and our children for their continuous passion and understanding of my ‘over-time research devotion’ during this long journey. Table of Contents Page No. List of Abbreviations……………………………………………………4 Introduction……………………………………………………………..6 1. Who are the Bosniaks (Bosnian Muslims)? ……………………….16 1.1 Who are the Bosniaks? ……………………………………….………..16 1.2 The state of Bosnia-Herzegovina and its historical constitutional forms……17 1.3 Historical ethno-national identifications of the Bosnian Muslims……...….22 1.4 Bosnian Muslims within the Bosnian cultural-religious milieu……………...25 1.5 Bosniak’s challenge of modernity……………………………………………...26 1.6 Departing Bosnia and settling in Australia……………………………………28 2. Literature Review…………………………………………………...33 2.1 Migration…………………………………………………………......33 2.2 Diaspora………………………………………………………….…...42 2.3 Ethnicity………………………………………………………….…...46 2.4 Social capital …………………………………………………….……51 2.5 Religion…………………………………………………….…………54 2.6 Settlement and integration………………………………………..……………64 2.7 Culture………………………………………………..………………74 2.8 Language……………………………………………………………...83 2.9 Conclusion…………………………………………………………….90 3. Methodology………………………………….……………………...92 3.1 Philosophy of research……………………….………………………...93 3.2 Research hypothesis……………………….…………………….…….96 3.3 Ethics and role of the researcher……………………...…………….…………97 3.4 Methodological considerations……………………..……………….….……..102 1 i) Literature review…………………………………..………………….….……..104 ii) Surveys (Email) ………………………………..…………………….….……...105 iii) Interviews (Face-to-Face) …………………..…………………….………......106 iv) Archival and administrative data…………..…………………….…………...108 v) Statistics…………………………………..……………………….…………….108 vi) Internet sources..………………………………………….……..………. ……109 3.4 Data Analysis…………………………………………..………...…………….109