Religion

Bosnia, like many isolated areas, developed a mixture of religious beliefs and practices that diverged from the mainstream. In the medieval era, Bosnian Christians embraced Bogomilism, considered heretical by the Catholic Church. In the Ottoman era, with the introduction of Islam, many Christians found reason to convert. Society and governmental control under Ottoman rule were even organized along religious group lines. Thus, for the Serbian Orthodox and Catholic believers, religious authorities were also civil ones, responsible to a certain extent for the members of their respective groups. Sufism (a mystical variant of Islam) also became established in Bosnia, and to this day a tekija (a Sufi meeting hall) still exists in Sarajevo.

Islam in modern Bosnia evolved into a tolerant form with some practices diverging sharply from what is considered orthodoxy in other Islamic countries. Alcohol, in particular, had found its way into the diet of many Muslims, especially among the secularized urban population. Many Bosnians treat their religion much as many Americans do theirs, i.e., something restricted to the Sabbath and major religious holidays. Fundamentalism was discouraged by both the Yugoslav government and the religious community itself, reflecting years of accommodation between the mosque and the state. Intermarriage between religious groups was a common phenomenon, with almost half of urban marriages and a quarter of rural ones occurring between partners of different faiths, be they Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, or Muslim.

www.culturalorientation.net
For more information contact sanja@cal.org.
Designed by SAGARTdesign
This site looks best when viewed using Netscape Navigator 3.0 or higher. Last Updated:02/18/04