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Experts had gloomy predictions about violent Islamist extremism and terrorism in Serbia. Sanjak – the southwestern region in Serbia populated by a Muslim majority – was dubbed a Jihadist hotbed as it was the center for spreading ultra-conservative Salafism from the neighboring Bosnia-Herzegovina into Serbia and a region where the recruitment of Syrian foreign fighters took place. However, despite the presence of both push- and pull factors of violent extremism, Sanjak has proven to be very resilient to violent Islamist extremism. Compared to other countries in the Western Balkans, a relatively small number of people from Serbia joined militant Islamist groups in Syria, and only a few incidents involving militant Salafis and failed terrorist plots took place. People in Sanjak show resilience to violent extremism, and several factors are cited as important drivers of resilience, such as a local rejection of the ultra-conservative interpretation of Islam; influential authority figures, and; diaspora support for the local community. However, the deteriorating economic situation, high unemployment, poor education, widespread (political) corruption, violent conflicts between local political parties, and malfunctioning institutions illustrate that this region remains a possible environment for various forms of extremism.
Based on extensive field research in Serbia, in this research report PREVEX-researcher Predrag Petrović and Marija Ignjatijević identify cases of violent extremism, map and analyse factors making it an enabling environment, and aim to understand key resilience factors to violent extremism, all in the Serbian region of Sanjak. The report ends with policy recommendations.
The research report can be found here.
