The Bosniak/Muslim identity in Sandjak: Prospects and challenges

The Sand?ak region populated mostly by South Slav Muslims was a constituent part of the Ottoman Bosnia. Following the Balkans Wars this region was partitioned between Serbia and Montenegro which changed the course of national developments of Muslim/Bosniak community dispersed in Bosnia, Serbia and Montenegro. The maelstrom of events introduced by the end of the Cold War and Yugoslavian bloodshed brought to the fore redefinition of identities deeply embedded in history of relations of the Balkan peoples. Geopolitical transformations exerted substantial influence on the character of Muslim/Bosniak national identity given that their sociopolitical position has been drastically changed. The Sand?ak region for its multiethnic composition and border character continued to serve as a hot point for many further developments. The Sand?ak case involves questions of Bosniaks? relationship toward state, toward majority religious or national communities and toward their own identity. These relationships are deeply influenced by their co-existence and conflict with other communities, pressure or tolerance of the authorities and particular patriotism or alienation within their own countries.This thesis will try to explain the character of the Bosniak identity by demonstrating that it is not homogenous across the Balkan states and that it is reactive to the dominant political discourse of the countries they live in and the attitudes of the surrounding populations. Within this framework, this thesis will try to examine the main patterns and factors for development of more closed, homogenized and mildly radicalized environment of the Serbian part of Sand?ak on one hand, and formation of the more integrative, civic and reactive stand of Bosniaks in Montenegro on the other hand. Consequently, the focus will be on the position of Bosniaks in Montenegro and their position, stand and contributions to the Montenegrin efforts to create a civic and multinational state.Key Words: The Sandžak region, South Slav Muslims, national identity, civic state, multinational state