Rediscovering the Umma : Muslims in the Balkans Between Nationalism and Transnationalism

In Rediscovering the Umma , Ina Merdjanova discusses the conditions and role of Islam in relation to post-Ottoman nation-building, the communist period, and post-communist developments in the Balkans, focusing in particular on the remarkable transformations experienced by Muslim communities after the end of the Cold War. Amidst multiple structural and cultural transitions, they sought to renegotiate their place and reclaim their Islamic identities in formally secular legal and normative environments, mostly as minorities in majority-Christian societies. The rising political and cultural self-awareness of Muslims in Southeast Europe was frequently expressed by recourse to two frames of reference: the national and the transnational. Despite a certain level of tension between those two perspectives, they were closely intertwined. Moreover, transnational Islamic influences often reinforced Muslim ethnonational identities rather than prompting a radical redefinition of religious allegiances in the key of a "universalist" Islam. Merdjanova explores the transformations of Muslim identities in the region under the influence of national and transnational, domestic and global factors, while also looking at the historical legacies that inform present complexities. Furthermore, she examines the evolving status and roles of Muslim women both in their religious communities and in the larger societies. The book challenges representations of Islam and Muslims as alien to Europe, which overlook the fact that Europe has considerable indigenous Muslim populations in its southeastern part as well as societies that have developed certain models of negotiating cultural differences. This book discusses the role of Islam in the political and social developments in the Balkans after the end of the Cold War. With the newly-gained religious freedom, and in the context of multiple structural and cultural transitions, Muslim communities there underwent remarkable transformations. They sought to renegotiate their place in formally secular legal and normative environments, mostly as minorities in majority-Christian societies. They reclaimed their Islamic faith, practices and identities in a complex geopolitical situation dominated by anti-Muslim sentiments, particularly after 9/11. The rising political and cultural self-awareness of Muslims in Southeast Europe was frequently expressed by recourse to two frames of reference: the national and the transnational. Despite a certain level of tension between those two perspectives, they were closely intertwined. Transnational Islamic influences often reinforced Muslim ethnonational identities rather than prompting a radical redefinition of religious allegiances in the key of a “universalist” Islam. The study explores comparatively the transformations of Muslim identities in the region under the influence of various national and transnational, domestic and global factors, while also looking at the historical legacies that inform present complexities. Furthermore, it examines the evolving status and roles of Muslim women both in their religious communities and in the larger societies. It challenges representations of Islam and Muslims as external and alien to Europe, which overlook the fact that Europe has considerable indigenous Muslim populations in its southeast part and societies that have developed certain models of negotiation of differences. The book thus adds detail and nuance to ongoing debates about “Islam in Europe.” This Book Discusses The Role Of Islam In The Political And Social Developments In The Balkans After The Fall Of Communism. It Explores Comparatively The Transformations Of Muslim Identities Under The Influence Of Various National And Transnational, Domestic And Global Factors. Islam And National Identities In The Balkans -- Muslim Transnationalism And The Reclaiming Of Balkan Islam -- Islam And Women In The Balkans -- Balkan Muslims And The Discourse On A European Islam. Ina Merdjanova. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [181]-189) And Index. Islam and national identities in the Balkans Muslim transnationalism and the reclaiming of "Balkan Islam" Islam and women in the Balkans Balkan Muslims and the discourse on a "European Islam" Divergent trajectories of Islam in the Balkans.