Are Islamic Missionaries Making Another Lebanon in the Balkans?
Author: Isa Blumi, Ph.D. Candidate at New York University, Fellow at the American Research Institute in Turkey, and a Title VIII JSTS alumnus. Back to Document List “Albanians have been Muslims for more than 500 years and they do not need outsiders [Arabs] to tell them what is the proper way to practice Islam.” – Rexhep Boja, Mufti of Kosova Rexhep Boja’s recent retort to Arab “non-governmental organizations” (NGOs) efforts to impose their literalist (Wahabbi/Salafi) interpretation of Islamic tradition in Kosova reflects a largely ignored phenomenon in the post-Communist Balkans. While most of the international organizations (UN, OSCE etc.) and governments who fund them have ignored the needs of the victims of Communism to rebuild their shattered spiritual lives, a significant combination of forces have converged on the region, instigating a “Lebanonization” of the Balkans. Understanding the process of social fragmentation in multi-faith societies requires a greater appreciation for th
