In recent years, many Western and Eastern countries have taken legal and security measures against the MB, recognizing the real danger posed by the extremist ideas propagated by this group within communities and Islamic communities. Despite its apparent support for democracy and its lack of an explicit call for violence, especially in the West, where it contributed to paving the fertile ideological soil for terrorist organizations, German intelligence announced in one of its statements that the MB is more dangerous From the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, according to many security authorities
In the face of this scrutiny of the MB in its strongholds in Western Europe and Turkey, the group has begun to seek other safe havens that would enable it to survive and continue its financial and political activities. Recently, the MB has started shifting its center of gravity to the Balkan countries, especially Bosnia, taking advantage of the group’s historical and longstanding presence in these countries. According to many sources
This study examines the key factors that could transform the Balkan countries into a new power center for the MB. It explores the historical and longstanding presence of the group in these countries, as well as the current situation and the most recent movements observed within the MB. What are the effects and implications of the shift in the group’s activities to the Balkan countries?
Why the Balkan countries?
The Balkan countries are considered one of the most promising locations for the MB’s new activities. This is because they represent a vulnerable eastern flank of Europe. The Balkan countries have become somewhat neglected in light of increasing threats to Europe, especially with the onset of the war in Ukraine and the worsening economic problems resulting from Russia’s energy supply disruptions.
Turkey has recently taken several steps against the MB in Turkey in response to pressure from Arab countries. However, it is uncertain whether Turkey has completely abandoned the MB, and the group may benefit from Turkey’s influence in the region to relocate its institutions there. Turkey has been successful in establishing a soft influence within the institutions and communities of the Balkan countries, relying on historical colonial aspirations dating back decades to the presence of the Ottoman Empire in the region. This ancient influence has allowed the Justice and Development Party to strengthen pro-Ankara Islamist currents and penetrate the institutions of these countries. This makes the region a fertile ground for the migration of individuals and institutions from Western countries and possibly from Turkey.
Some former and current politicians have Islamist inclinations and have played a significant role in making the Balkan region a new destination for the MB’s activities. Many experts on Islamic movements have observed the early beginnings of their movement in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the broader Eastern European region. This was through the establishment of the “Muslim Youth Association” by the former president of Bosnia, Alija Izetbegović. Bosnia is governed according to the constitution as two entities: the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Republika Srpska, in addition to the Brčko District as a third entity.
Izetbegović’s Islamic inclinations were a significant factor in the assimilation of the ideas of the new entity, which spread strongly among students who conducted scientific missions in Al-Azhar and were influenced by the MB’s ideas, with the thoughts of Hassan al-Banna being prevalent among Al-Azhar students at that time.
Furthermore, the existence of political tensions between different ethnic groups in the Balkans, especially between Christian Serbs and Muslim Albanians, creates a conducive atmosphere for the activities of Islamic movements. Religious extremism often becomes a reaction to hostile sentiments from the other side. These conducive conditions are favorable for the MB, which can garner sympathy from certain segments of the population due to the religious cause it champions. Additionally, it can find a suitable environment to spread its ideas and establish its institutions.
Bosnia and Herzegovina has become fertile ground for extremism and could once again attract those who aspire to revive the alleged jihad in the Balkans. American researcher at the University of Oxford, Christopher Deliso, points out in his book “The Coming Balkan Caliphate: The Radical Threat to Europe and the West,”
In addition to what has been mentioned, most Balkan countries suffer from a struggling economy and limited resources, leading to widespread poverty among various segments of society. This raises the significance of charitable organizations that provide educational services, humanitarian aid, and more. The MB relies on these organizations to expand its presence and build political and promotional influence in many countries where it was previously present.
For example, a report by Swiss Info Foundation mentioned that Kosovo, one of the newest countries in Europe, suffers from administrative corruption, political instability, a weak economy, and high unemployment, leaving the population disillusioned.
Another significant attraction for the MB is the prevalence of corruption in many Balkan countries. This makes it difficult to trace the group’s financial transactions, complicating the regulation of funds entering or leaving their institutions in these countries. Additionally, the ease of travel, whether through legal or illegal means, to the Balkan countries compared to European Union countries has made the Balkans a major route for illegal migration to Europe in recent years, attracting a significant number of human traffickers and smugglers.
In addition, the Balkan countries are considered important areas of conflict between Russia and the West. With the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, Europe’s attention has turned to the Balkans, anticipating the possibility of a new war erupting in this already turbulent region. Historical tensions in the Balkans have often paved the way for large-scale wars in Europe, similar to the First World War.
Concerns persist about Moscow’s potential exploitation of its influence in several Balkan countries, particularly Serbia, to ignite conflict in the Balkans. Signs of escalating political crises between Serbia and Kosovo have already emerged since 2022, along with Bosnia’s request to join the European Union. This could potentially turn the Balkans into a new arena for geopolitical competition between Moscow and Brussels. These circumstances are favorable for the MB, which may use its influence and the military and mobilization expertise of some of its leaders to become one of the influential political and military forces in the escalating competition.
The MB’s historical presence in the Balkans
The three major Muslim communities in Bosnia and Herzegovina are primarily of Slavic origin, with many of them having converted to Islam over the centuries. There are also individuals of Turkish, Arab, and other origins. The total number of Muslims in Bosnia is approximately two million out of a population of four and a half million.
The second-largest Muslim community is found in Kosovo, with a total estimated population of around 1.2 million. The third group is in North Macedonia and consists of Macedonian Muslims, estimated at about 100,000, along with half a million Albanians and 100,000 Turkish Muslims. Other smaller groups of Muslims are dispersed throughout Montenegro, numbering in the tens of thousands, along with approximately one hundred thousand more Muslims of Romani and various other ethnic origins. They are distributed across various regions, cities, and villages in the former Yugoslavia.
Eurasia Review has revealed how political Islamic groups and religious organizations with political agendas originally infiltrated the Balkan societies through the cover of humanitarian and charitable associations, economic partnerships, and development initiatives.
The former Yugoslav region (Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Kosovo) witnessed a significant presence of politically Islamic groups supported by Qatar and Turkey. These groups exploited the deep economic crisis and political tensions that prevailed in the former Yugoslav region during the past two decades of the 20th century, especially the circumstances of the wars in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo. According to the website.
In a recent study published by the European Center for Counterterrorism in December 2020, Alija Izetbegović, who is praised by certain segments of the population, is actually one of the poles that attempted to replicate the experience of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Bosnia. His ties with Iran and his visits there are longstanding, and the MB’s relationship with his country also dates back to 1938.
The Documentation Center for Political Islam in Austria revealed that the MB, after the end of the war in Bosnia, was keen on strengthening ties with prominent figures, such as former President Alija Izetbegović, former Grand Mufti Mustafa Cerić, and current Grand Mufti Hussein Kavazović. The European Council for Fatwa and Research, associated with the MB, organized various events in the Bosnian capital, Sarajevo, in 2007 and 2013. The latter saw the appearance of one of the prominent figures of the MB Yusuf al-Qaradawi.
The Bosnian capital, Sarajevo, has become a hub for extremist groups since the outbreak of the civil war in the 1990s, in which the MB played a significant role, alongside the armed militias that formed during the Afghan war, known in the media as the “Arab mujahideen.” According to sources
The “Muslim Youth Association” (BHS: Mladi Muslimani) was founded in 1938 by the late President Alija Izetbegović. It included several departments and internal committees that aligned with the organizational structure of the MB in Cairo.
The founding of the “Muslim Youth Association” was contributed to by Mohammad Hangić, the head of the “Hidaya” organization of scholars, who had ties with the MB in Cairo during his studies at Al-Azhar University and his doctorate in 1935. Mustafa Bosnalić, one of the prominent Islamic thinkers in Bosnia, and the author of books such as “Muslims in Europe” and “Muslims in Russia,” also played a role, along with Hasan Bebner, Omar Bahman, Nasrat Fazlibegović, Khalid Kaytaz, Omar Stobac, and Tariq Muftić.
President Alija Izetbegović received significant support from the leadership of the MB in Cairo during the civil war in the 1990s. This support came in various forms, including the creation of Arab support on both the popular and political levels, as well as the backing of armed elements trained during the Afghan war. Furthermore, international organization machinery played a role in providing financial support (charitable funds and donations) through organizations like the “Islamic Relief” and “Third World Relief,” from within the Arab region or among Arab and Islamic communities in the West.
Following the fall of the MB’s leadership in Cairo, the group received political support from Bakir Izetbegović, the President of the Bosnian Presidency at the time and the leader of the Democratic Action Party. Bakir Izetbegović is the son of Alija Izetbegović and prominently displayed the “Rabaa” symbol during his receptions of delegations from Egyptian MB leaders.
The Egyptian MB members played a prominent role within Bosnia, including figures like Dr. Ahmed El-Moltah, the former Deputy Supreme Guide of the MB and a key leader within the organization. He oversaw the missions of the MB in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, and Chechnya. Other individuals like Abdel-Moneim Abul-Fotouh, Gamal Abdel-Salam, the Executive Director of the Arab Physicians’ Union Emergency Relief Committee, and Ashraf Abdel-Ghaffar also had roles.
The MB leveraged the Bosnian crisis to strengthen its legitimacy as the official representative of Islam and Muslims. They promoted slogans such as “conspiracy against Islam” and propagated their vision of the “return of the caliphate” through various propaganda methods.
Migration Season to Sarajevo
Among the extremist Muslim organizations in Kosovo is the Islamic Forum, which has consistently promoted hatred and religious extremism. According to some analysts, the Islamic Forum represents the ideology of the MB in Kosovo.
Outside of official government and institutions, the most significant influence of them was seen in the “Association for Culture, Education, and Sport” (AKOS), which has links to the “Federation of Islamic Organizations in Europe” (FIOE), an Islamist organization based in Brussels. Although AKOS is a relatively small organization with a website that receives only a few thousand visits daily, it serves as a gateway to attract individuals to the streams of political Islam.
As reported by the Austrian Center, the focus was placed on the Association for Culture, Education, and Sport in Bosnia, describing it as a “shadowy organization for the MB in Bosnia,” encompassing five organizations throughout the country that actively work to penetrate society. They do so by emphasizing religious education and awareness among youth and teenagers.
Leaks from successive meetings of the international organization of the MB held recently in various locations, including Istanbul, revealed the group’s intention to capitalize on the presence of its branches in Sarajevo. Their strong and close relationships at the presidential and governmental levels have transformed Sarajevo into a secure center for its organizational bases and financial investments, particularly in the face of security restrictions imposed on it across various European and Arab regions.
The MB’s gradual shift towards Sarajevo has become a necessity due to security crackdowns and the pursuit of its leaders on both the Arab and regional levels. This is in addition to the scrutiny it faces in its strongholds in major European countries.
Heading towards the Bosnian capital seems logical, especially with the current presidency of Shafik Ja’farović, representing the Democratic Action Party, which is affiliated with the MB. This party was established by the late President Begović in 1990 as the political representative of them in Sarajevo.
Sudanese MB leader Dr. Al-Fateh Ali Hassanein is considered the shadow man and commissioner appointed by the international organization for the resettlement of the MB. His influence extends not only to Bosnia and Herzegovina but also deep into Eastern European countries such as Bulgaria, Greece, Romania, Albania, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Kosovo, Hungary, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Poland, and Moldova. This influence is established through the creation of various MB entities, including the “Muslim Students Union” and the “Islamic Council for Eastern European Countries.” According to reports.
At the end of 2020, a joint project between the GLOBSEC Center in Slovakia and the European Counterterrorism Center (CEP) produced a report on the activities of the MB and its branches in North Macedonia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. The European report highlighted their control over official positions of power in Bosnia and Herzegovina and shed light on the connection between former Bosnian Mufti Dr. Mustafa Cerić and the MB. Dr. Cerić was a member of the “European Council for Fatwa and Research” and also had ties to the “Association for Culture, Education, and Sport” (AKOS), which is directly linked to the “Federation of Islamic Organizations in Europe” (FIOS).
Conclusions:
Despite the alarming reports indicating that the Balkan countries have become a refuge for the MB, this move signifies a clear indication of the group’s weakness and its inability to continue as it once did in Western European countries, Turkey, and even in Arab countries where it used to be active.
It is important for European countries to consider the Balkan states not only as a gateway for facilitating illegal migration but also as potential centers for the spread of extremist ideologies, posing accompanying security risks.
Promoting awareness about the true nature of the MB among Muslim populations in the Balkans is beneficial, and counteractive efforts should be made by both Arab and Western countries to support educational institutions and invest in Balkan countries. The absence of such efforts leaves a void that the MB exploits to enhance its presence.
Sources:
- (Al-Arab Newspaper) on January 5, 2021
- (Swissinfo) on February 15, 2022
- )Al-Dustour Newspaper) on February 11, 2022
- )Al-Nahar Newspaper) on June 15, 2023
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