Who are the Bosnian Muslims?

[Jake Featherston]

Who are the Bosnian Muslims?

Are they Albanian Muslims in Bosnia? Bosnian Serbs forcibly converted to Islam under the Ottoman Empire? Croats converted to Islam during the Ottoman period? Turkish colonists? What is the ethnic background of the Bosnian Muslim populace?

[Bartholomew Roberts]

They have nothing to do with Albanians ethnically, rather they are converts to Islam from catholicism and eastern orthodoxy - Croats and Serbs respectively, however, the real debate is how many were Croats and how many were Serbs.

From what I am able to gather, more then half were of Croat descent.

[Zrinski]

The Bosnian Muslims are by majority Croats converted to Islam during Ottoman rule of Bosnia. Many of them retained and preserved their Croatian identity for centuries though in last few generations this is now almost completely lost.

Turkish and Arabic sources mentioned them (Bosnians) as "Croatian tribe which calls itself by the waters that flow there [River Bosna/Bosnia]".

[VAMPIR]

Methinks that Bosniaks are half Serbs, half Croats.

[6(sic)6]

Bosnian are slavic people, albanians are not slavic so they are not albanians.:)

Have some bosnian freinds and they ofcourse don't like serbs and they don't want to identify with serbs.
Even if they are converted serbs one still get's amazed that serbs greed can kill their own brothers.

[Slavic Enforcer]

Have some bosnian freinds and they ofcourse don't like serbs and they don't want to identify with serbs.
Even if they are converted serbs one still get's amazed that serbs greed can kill their own brothers.

Stick to the topic. The question was "Who are the Bosnian muslims?".
There's another thread for your clichés regarding the Serbo-muslim relations.
http://www.thephora.net/forum/showthread.php?t=17127

[Ace Rimmer]

Bosnians are indigenous people to the area with seperate ethnogenessis from both, Serbs and Croats.

[The Serb]

Who are the Bosnian Muslims?

Are they Albanian Muslims in Bosnia? Bosnian Serbs forcibly converted to Islam under the Ottoman Empire? Croats converted to Islam during the Ottoman period? Turkish colonists? What is the ethnic background of the Bosnian Muslim populace?

The vast majority of Bosnians are Serbian people, I am half Bosnian.

This text will shed some light on the situation regarding Bosnia and 'Bosnians'. I hope you find them helpful in gaining a general understanding and grasp of the situation.


Who Are Bosnians and Bosniaks?

Using the designation 'Bosniak', Bosnian Muslims are intruding themselves as a chief constituent in Bosnia and Herzegovina, abiding by the idea that Croats are the dominant ones in Croatia, Serbs in Serbia, thus Bosniaks should be in Bosnia. This word portrays them as people who gave rise to Bosnia and have a sort of supposed, legitimate and birth right to this territory. Besides, the term Bosniak is often confused with the term Bosnian, which is alike, yet not the same.


Throughout the past, the meaning of this term has been associated with various concepts, depending on the time it was used in. The proceeding text illustrates one of them.

In 1895 the population, which tends to increase slowly... numbered 1,568,092. The alien element is small, consisting chiefly of Austro-Hungarians, gipsies, Italians and Jews. Spanish is a common language of the Jews, whose ancestors fled hither, during the 16th century, to escape the Inquisition.
The natives are officially described as Bosniaks, but classify themselves according to religion. Thus the Roman Catholics PREFER the name of CROATS, Hrvats or Latins; the Orthodox, of SERBS; THE MOSLEMS, OF TURKS.
All alike belong to the Serbo-Croatian branch of the Slavonic race; and all speak a language almost identical to Serbian, though written by the Roman Catholics in Latin instead of Cyrillic letters.
TO AVOID OFFENDING EITHER "SERBS" OR "CROATS," IT IS OFFICIALLY DESIGNATED "BOSNITCH." ... The Bosnians or Bosniaks resemble their Serbian kindfolk in both appearance and character. They have the same love for poetry, music and romance; the same *intense* pride in their race and history; many of the same superstitions and customs. The Christians retain the Serbian costume, modified in detail, as the occasional use of the turban or fez. The "Turkish" women have in some districts abandoned the veil; but in others they even cover the eyes when they leave home.
[Adopted from the Britannica encyclopaedia, 11th Edition, 1910, book 4, pg. 281, title Bosnia and Herzegovina, subtitle Population and National Characteristics].

*************************************
Interestingly, Bosnian Muslims from this period called themselves Turks, who by the way, did dwell in Bosnia and Herzegovina of that time, only in a negligible number. Nowadays, on the contrary, they do not want to be called Turks. Instead, they rather be called Bosniaks. Their insidious authors have built a complete historic system, ravaging previous historical documentation and throwing into the shadow hundreds of world wide recognized historians. According to Bosnian Muslims' theory, they are the original, ancient inhabitants of Bosnia, at first bearers of the Bogomil religion, who embraced Islam later. In compliance with this theory, Serbs are newcomers to Bosnia from the eighteenth century, or perhaps, they are indeed Bosniaks of Orthodox religion, only unaware of that. Muslims are constantly pointing out that Serbs are overwhelmed with the idea of Great Serbia, the chauvinistic and artificial creation, emerged on the territorial account of others. Additionally, in their opinion, it was the Serbian nationalism and numerous political forgeries that managed to persuade us that we are Serbs.

Obviously, such attitude seems way too irrational, that there is no point discussing it. When combined, however, with Gebel's theory that a lie told thousand times becomes the truth; plus with the help of the New World Order authors and their faithful vassals, the media, all this nonsense is gradually growing roots around the world, primarily in the West. Contents of the books are changing, new ones are being published, and conclusively, history is being desecrated and falsified before our very eyes.

Too bad our leaders were unaware of this, and the fact that the appellation Bosniak was given as a gift to Muslims, by the Dayton Peace Agreement. This was the outset of the intention of further enslavement of Serbs, stealing and falsification of history; then the genesis of a full domination of Muslims in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which opened up the path for American and Islamic influence in this region.

By using the designation Bosniak, Muslims are trying to intrude themselves as a chief constituent in Bosnia and Herzegovina, abiding by the idea that Croats are the dominant ones in Croatia, Serbs in Serbia, thus Bosniaks should be in Bosnia. With this name, they portray themselves as people who gave rise to Bosnia and have a sort of supposed, legitimate and birth right to this territory. Besides, the term Bosniak is often confused with the term Bosnian, which is alike, yet not the same.

Soundly reasoning, Bosnians are all settlers of Bosnia and Herzegovina, as a geographical region. Bosniaks are an ethnical group, a part of Bosnians; but due to the similarities of these two notions, the meaning of the two words will be unified. Then, Bosniaks will represent Bosnians, аnd these are all inhabitants of Bosnia. For someone not familiar with these circumstances, Bosnia will not consist of Serbs, Muslims and Croats, but instead, Bosnians. This paves the road for evolvement of the Bosnian nation. Posterior to the malicious confusion of these two terms, which is happening at the moment, a more intensified assimilation of Serbs follows, stripping them off of their national identity. Likewise, the composition of a new, unnatural and perverse identity of the Bosnian nation is on the way. According to all these plans, the history will be falsified and twisted; having Serbs, residing on the left side of the Drina river, converted into exemplary Bosniaks.

Unselfish support and assistance from the West forwarded to Muslims regarding this matter is quite apparent. A case in point is a constant intrusion of various laws by Petrich, along with the "well-intentioned" advices coming from Tomass Miller, the US ambassador. Furthermore, strict and unambiguous demands for the mutual use of school textbooks for all students, regardless of their ethnical background, are confirming the true intentions of those wishing us "well". It is necessitated that the essential elements from Serbian history, literature and other subjects, crucial in the development of the Serbian youth, are excluded from those textbooks.

Even so, we are able to defend ourselves and preserve what we haven't lost in previous occupations. The concern is the deficiency of our unity, the fact that we are scattered and broken up into different political parties; along with the reality that up to a certain, fairly high degree, criminals dominate our society.

No law can be imposed by an occupier that cannot be shunned and won through. The pursuit of our identity and culture protection should be given to the church, who dealt with this successfully earlier; then family, a crucial and utmost significant cell of the society. Authority of our government is considerably weakened due to lack of unity, in addition to control and various threats enforced by the occupier.

It is of vital concern that our government establishes appropriate institutions that will take care of this situation in the long run, and that it never gives in before the many assaults of the International Community. The International Community is forcing us to accept what we are not obliged to, according to any convention or agreement, and to accept what is straightforwardly pointed against us.


Nn interesting point is that in all censuses up to today, Muslims were denoted as Serbs (Austro-Hungaria, Yugoslavia, Germany). Their population back then, could have been determined by maps and such information on religion in Bosnia, which is shown in the segment covering the overview of population according to the census.

It was after 1963 that Josip Broz Tito, the first president of Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, officially recognized Bosnian Muslims as a nation. Ever since, one may come upon the name of their "nation" on the maps, though they were not recognized as a nation living in the Balkan Peninsula, by numerous authors.
Apparently, Bosnian Muslims were not very pleased with this, and in 1995, they altered the name they go by into Bosniaks.

Also check out this link for more info on the history of Serb Bosnia.

Serb Land of Bosnia (http://members.tripod.com/cafehome/serbdom-eng.htm)

[Zrinski]

The vast majority of Bosnians are Serbian people, I am half Bosnian.

No they are not.

[Bartholomew Roberts]

The vast majority of Bosnians are Serbian people, I am half Bosnian.



Yeah and I suppose this is fact because you have a lot of scientific proof to back this up?

[Edzamon]

Bosniaks are separate south slavic people, who share the same origins, similarity of language and blood with other yugoslavian peoples.

[Slavic Enforcer]

The vast majority of Bosnians are Serbian people, I am half Bosnian.


I guess you mean half Bosnian Serb?

[Zrinski]

Bosniaks are separate south slavic people...

Today yes.

[VAMPIR]

Today yes.
Like all of us...

[Watzy]

Bosniaks are a new nation established on religious criteria (Islam) in ethnically mixed ex-Yugoslav republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

They mostly descended from medieval Bosnians - originally Croat inhabitants of pre-Ottoman Bosnian kingdom.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bd/Bosna.jpg