Bosnian nationalism

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The flag of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, in use from 1992 to 1998. The symbol is the coat of arms of the
Bosnian medieval Kotromani dynasty. Although intended to represent the country as a whole, the flag effectively became
the symbol of Bosniaks as the Croats and Serbsfought against the Bosnian government during Bosnian War.

A Bosniak Islamic flag common in the early 1990s.

Bosnian nationalism refers to the nationalism of Bosniaks.[1] It is variably referred to as

either Bonjatvo(Bosniakhood/Bosniakism/Bosniakdom)
or Bosanstvo (Bosnianhood/Bosnianism/Bosniandom).
In both the past and present, Bosnian nationalism has been largely based upon a focus to preserve
the territorial integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina and to ensure the national rights of Bosniaks.[2]
Contents
[hide]

1History

2References

3Bibliography

4See also

History[edit]
The earliest vestige of a Bosnian identity initially emerged in medieval Bosnia and lacked any
religious connotation. The situation remained largely unchanged throughout the Ottoman period with
terms such as "Bonak milleti", "Bonak kavmi", and "Bonak taifesi" (all meaning, roughly, "the
Bosnian/Bosniak people") being used to describe Bosnians in an ethnic or "tribal" sense. After
the Austro-Hungarian occupation of Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1878, the Austrian administration
officially endorsed Bonjatvo ('Bosniakhood') as the basis of a continued multi-confessional
Bosnian nation. The policy aspired to isolate Bosnia and Herzegovina from its irredentist neighbors

(Orthodox Serbia, Catholic Croatia, and the Muslims of the Ottoman Empire) and to negate the
concept of Croatian and Serbian nationhood which had already begun to make headway among
Bosnia and Herzegovina's Catholic and Orthodox communities, respectively.[3][4] Nevertheless, in part
due to the dominant standing held in the previous centuries by the native Muslim population in
Ottoman Bosnia, a sense of Bosnian nationhood was cherished mainly by Muslim Bosnians, while
fiercely opposed by nationalists from Serbia and Croatia who were instead opting to claim the
Bosnian Muslim population as their own, a move that was rejected by most Bosnian Muslims. [5][6][7]
In an article of the journal Bonjak ("The Bosniak"), Bosniak author and mayor of Sarajevo Mehmedbeg Kapetanovi declared that Bosnian Muslims were neither Croats nor Serbs but a distinct, though
related, people:[8]
Whereas the Croats argue that the Orthodox are our greatest enemies and that Serbdom is the
same as Orthodoxy, the Serbs wear themselves out calling our attention to some bogus history, by
which they have Serbianized the whole world. We shall never deny that we belong to the South
Slav family; but we shall remain Bosniaks, like our forefathers, and nothing else. [9]
Mehmed-beg Kapetanovi, 1891
Upon the founding of Yugoslavia in 1918, Yugoslav unitarists claimed that there was only one single
Yugoslav nation and that the Croats, Serbs, and Slovenes were recognized as the "tribes" of the
Yugoslavs, this excluded recognition of Bosniaks as a distinct people of Yugoslavia and provoked
frustration amongst Bosniaks.[6] In response to a lack of recognition, the Yugoslav Muslim
Organization (JMO) was founded in 1919 with support of most Bosniaks and other Slavic Muslims in
entire region, including the Muslimintelligentsia and social elite, that sought to defend Bosniak and
Muslim identity - including religious, social, and economic rights within Bosnia and Herzegovina.
[6]
The JMO took part in government briefly in 1928 and then longer from 1935 to 1938 in which it
participated in government with the goal of preserving the territorial integrity of Bosnia and
Herzegovina in opposition to plans to create an autonomous Croatia that held territory of Bosnia and
Herzegovina.[6] The JMO's efforts to prevent the partition of Bosnia and Herzegovina failed and
the Banate of Croatia was created in 1939.[2]

Husein Kapetan Gradaevi, also known as "Zmaj od Bosne" (Dragon of Bosnia) is one of the most important Bosniak
national heroes.

Bosnian nationalism received a severe setback during World War II when Yugoslavia was invaded
by the Axis Powers and Bosnia and Herzegovina was annexed by the Independent State of
Croatia (NDH) that regarded the Bosniaks as "Muslim Croats". [2] By late 1941, much of the Bosniak
elite openly criticized the NDH regime for its policy toward its minorities, and demanded autonomy
for Bosnia and Herzegovina.[2]
With the creation of communist Yugoslavia in 1945, Bosnia and Herzegovina was restored as
a territorial entity and as one of the six constituent republics of the federal state of Yugoslavia. [2] To
resolve the Serb-Croat dispute over Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Yugoslav government in 1971
recognized Bosnian Muslims as a nationality.[2]
Bosniak nationalism rose in strength since the 1980s, especially following Alija Izetbegovi's
publishing of the Islamic Declaration that called for an Islamic renewal amongst Bosniaks,
Izetbegovi was arrested by Yugoslav state authorities in 1983 on allegations that he was promoting
a purely Muslim Bosnia, and served five years in prison.[2] In 1990, Izetbegovi and others founded
the Party of Democratic Action, that became the main Bosniak party in the Bosnian parliament.[2] The
eruption of the Bosnian War from 1992 to 1995 strengthened Bosnian Muslim identity.[2] In 1993,
"Bosniak" was officially revived as the ethnic or national designation to replace "Muslim by
nationality" employed by the Yugoslav authorities.[2]

References[edit]
1.

2.

Jump up^ Jack David Eller. From culture to ethnicity to conflict: an anthropological perspective on
international ethnic conflict. University of Michigan Press, 1999. Pp. 262.
^ Jump up to:a b c d e f g h i j Motyl 2001, pp. 57.

3.

Jump up^ Velikonja, Mitja (2003). Religious Separation and Political Intolerance in Bosnia-Herzegovina,
pp. 130-135. Texas A&M University Press. ISBN 1-58544-226-7.

4.

Jump up^ Robert Donia, John VA Fine (2005). Bosnia and Hercegovina: A Tradition Betrayed. Columbia
University Press. Retrieved 30 October 2012.

5.

Jump up^ Central and South-Eastern Europe 2004, Volume 4, Routledge, p 110.

6.

^ Jump up to:a b c d Motyl 2001, pp. 56.

7.

Jump up^ Jack David Eller. From culture to ethnicity to conflict: an anthropological perspective on
international ethnic conflict. University of Michigan Press, 1999. Pp. 262.

8.

Jump up^ Jack David Eller. From culture to ethnicity to conflict: an anthropological perspective on
international ethnic conflict. University of Michigan Press, 1999. Pp. 263.

9.

Jump up^ Jack David Eller. From culture to ethnicity to conflict: an anthropological perspective on
international ethnic conflict. University of Michigan Press, 1999. p. 263.