Balkan watching (catch all)

[Jedburgh]

ARAG, 3 Mar 08: Wahhabism in the Balkans

Key Points

* Growing concern over the rise of Wahhabism in the Balkans have dictated that the issue has shifted from the margins to the mainstream, fast becoming recognised as one the key political-security issues in the Western Balkan region.

* The growth of Wahhabi groups in the region should be treated with caution. Incidents involving Wahhabi groups in Serbia (including Kosovo), Montenegro, and Macedonia demonstrate that the Wahhabi movement is no longer isolated within the territorial confines of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

* Its proliferation presents a challenge for already strained inter-ethnic relations and, more importantly, intra-Muslim relations in the region. It is imperative that the ongoing situation is not ignored or misunderstood by Western policy-makers.

Complete 19 page paper at the link.

[Jedburgh]

ARAG, 4 Aug 08: Political and Religious Conflict in the Sandžak

Key Points

* The rising tensions within the Islamic Community are causing growing concern. The split within the Community has led to an increase in violent incidents in the past year.

* The current conflicts are linked to political struggles, but the instrumentalisation of the split threatens to destabilise intra-Bosniak relations, as well as inter-ethnic relations throughout the Sandžak and within an unstable Serbia.

* The Balkan region is in a state of flux in the aftermath of Kosovo’s independence, and thus areas of potential instability such as the Sandžak should be closely monitored and treated with sensitivity.

Complete 23 page paper at the link.

[Hajduk]

Wahhabi gathering held in Bosnia

Source: http://www.serbianna.com/news/2008/02912.shtml

August 18, 2008
SERBIANNA

A Wahhabi gathering was held over the weekend in a Bosnian village of Grmusa near the city of Bosanska Krupa where over 50 senior Bosnian Muslim wahhabi representatives met on the property owned by Fuad Vukovic.

"There is nothing to record. This is a private gathering and reporters are not invited," said leader to the interested media that was stopped by the Wahhabi security at the outskirts of the village.

A spokesman for the group who identified himself as Emir then told the media that the gathering is private and that its intent is to exchange ideas and to talk, mostly, about religious topics.....

[Hajduk]

Bosnian Wahhabis recruiting al-Qaeda


Source: http://www.serbianna.com/blogs/newspost/?p=370

Serbianna, August 20, 2008

Bosnian politician Dzevad Galijasevic says that the reason for the recent gathering of Bosnian Wahhabis in the village of Bosnian Krupa was to plan a recruitment strategy of Bosnian Muslims via its Active Islamic Youth organization and their media outlets such as SAFF and others.