Islam and Nationhood in Bosnia-Herzegovina: Surviving Empires

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Based on substantial fieldwork and thorough knowledge of written sources, Xavier Bougarel offers an innovative analysis of the post-Ottoman and post-Communist history of Bosnian Muslims. Islam and Nationhood in Bosnia-Herzegovina explores little-known aspects of the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina, unravels the paradoxes of Bosniak national identity, and retraces the transformations of Bosnian Islam from the end of the Ottoman period to today. It offers fresh perspectives on the wars and post-war periods of the Yugoslav space, the forming of national identities and the strength of imperial legacies in Eastern Europe, and Islams presence in Europe. The question of how Islam is tied to national identity still divides Bosnian Muslims. Islam and Nationhood in Bosnia-Herzegovina places the history of ties between Islam and politics in Bosnia and Herzegovina in the larger global context of Bosnian Muslims relations both with the umma (the global Muslim community) and Europe from the late 19th century to the present and is a vital contribution to research on Islam in the West.

Reviews

It is highly recommended to all interested in national identity-building and the history of Islam in the Balkans. * Reading Religion *
In this excellent book, Bougarel frequently returns to the paradoxes, continuities and divergences between Islam, nationhood and statehood in Bosnia-Herzegovina. * Journal Southeastern Europe *
Bougarels book on Islam and nationhood should become required reading for any scholar dealing with Bosnia-Herzegovina, and for readers eager to know more about complicated nation-building processes in the Balkans. * Colloquia Humanistica *
[T]he most authoritative and comprehensive work to date on the political history of the Bosniaks/Muslims of Bosnia and Herzegovina. * Slavonic and East European Review *
Bougarels book is the finest analysis of roots and evolution of Islamic ideology in Europe, as well as a thoughtful account of the historical and political trajectory of Bosnia in recent years. Its ultimate input is in elucidating why and how Bosniak Muslims in Europe turned their back on pan-Islam, endorsing instead a special brand of Islamic nationalism, which failed other Muslim nation states in the Middle East. * Maya Shatzmiller, Professor of History, University of Western Ontario, Canada *
This insightful study demonstrates the centrality of Islam and Islamic institutions in the evolution of Bosniak national identity. Drawing upon significant new research, Islam and Nationhood in Bosnia-Herzegovina greatly advances our understanding of Muslim responses to war and nation-building in the 1990s. * Emily Greble, Associate Professor of History and East European Studies, Vanderbilt University, USA *
This is a comprehensive and accessible presentation of a complex situation. The author combines an expert account of the deep history of Bosnia and Herzegovina with a knowledgeable analysis of where the country is today. This is an essential addition to the literature for both students and the general reader. * Jorgen Nielsen, Professor of Contemporary European Islam, University of Birmingham, UK *
In Islam and Nationhood in Bosnia-Herzegovina: Surviving Empires, Xavier Bougarel once again demonstrates why he should be considered one of the outstanding scholars of former-Yugoslavia. The book is meticulously researched and originally argued, and methodology (combining long-term factors and deep understanding of the historical context with relevant theoretical discussions) is apt. Dr Bougarels scholarship and his obvious urge to question, probe and challenge established norms and conventional wisdoms about the region set him apart from most of his peers. A decades-long political and identity crisis in Bosnia-Herzegovina makes the book particularly timely. It should be read not only by students of the modern Balkans, but by anyone interested in such pertinent questions of our era as religion, nationalism, and empire. * Dejan Djokic, Professor of History, Goldsmiths, University of London, UK *

Author Bio

Xavier Bougarel is a researcher at CETOBAC, Centre d'tudes turques, ottomanes, balkaniques et centrasiatiques, in Paris, France. He specializes in the former Yugoslavia and Balkan Islam. He is also co-editor of Europes Balkan Muslims: A New History (2017), Investigating Srebrenica: Institutions, Facts, Responsibilities (2012) and The New Bosnian Mosaic: Identities, Memories and Moral Claims in a Post-War Society (2007).