Monika Skrzeszewska The Influence of Islam on “Our Muslims” in Serbian Nationalistic Discourse
Introduction
The Ottoman heritage is still perceptible in almost every social and cultural aspect in the Balkan Peninsula. One of the most significant Ottoman influence over that region is probably the confession of Islam. Some South Slavs converted to Islam under the authority of the Turkish Empire in the Balkans, therefore, Muslims, both ethnic Turks and Slavs, were denoted “Turks” (Turci) to show their connection with a regime based on the alien religion. However, in Serbian nationalistic and mythological dictionary “Turks” meant the worst enemies, occupiers who were guilty of fall of the medieval Serbian Empire and low position of Serbian nation from the 14th century.
Next to Turci, Islamized local Slavs were additionally recognized as poturice—Turkishness. They became Turks by Islamization but, in biological point of view, still stayed Serbs (two lexemes, Slavs and Serbs, were treated as synonyms in the Serbian national discourse). Because of those roots, poturice became even most dangerous enemies than the ethnic Turks. We could see it in the stereotype of “worse poturica than Turk itself” (poturica gori od Turčina). Its belief was—they adopted the new religion and culture to improve or keep their positions in the social hierarchy so they were worse part of the nation as they betrayed their own Slavic race. Additionally, Islam had to corrupt them. The conversion made them fanatical therefore they thought they were better than the Turks and that position gave them cause to exploit, like Turks, non-Muslim rayah (raja), it means their “old brothers,” who were at the bottom of the ladder.
In the Balkan Peninsula religion was (also the whole tradition associated with), and still is, the most crucial factor in division its societies and also a factor in the perception of “better us” and “worse they.” The dichotomy was an essential way to create unfavourable theories about the personality of poturice. Slavs neophytes were at the same time “ours” because of Serbian heritage and“alien” due to Islam which was considered something outside and negative but something which played a key role for “our world.” That is why the destructive influence of Islam was a dominant feature and the stereotypical image was more negative than the image about Turks. This perception of one of the most perceptible Ottoman influence has been many times updated in the 19th and 20th centuries. The purpose of the article is to show how the stereotype based on religion was duplicated or altered by one of the most important Serbian activists as Vuk Karadžić, Ilija Garašanin, Milenko M. Vukićević, Georgije Magarašević, Spiridon Gopčević, Jovan Cvijić, Jovan Hadži-Vasiljević and Čedomil Mitrinović.
Source: 2019, Zeszyty Naukowe Towarzystwa Doktorantów UJ, www.academia.edu
Image: Likovi Srba Poturčenjaka, ilustracija iz Ilustrovane istorije srpskog naroda Koste Mandrovića. Source: Wikipedia
Introduction
The Ottoman heritage is still perceptible in almost every social and cultural aspect in the Balkan Peninsula. One of the most significant Ottoman influence over that region is probably the confession of Islam. Some South Slavs converted to Islam under the authority of the Turkish Empire in the Balkans, therefore, Muslims, both ethnic Turks and Slavs, were denoted “Turks” (Turci) to show their connection with a regime based on the alien religion. However, in Serbian nationalistic and mythological dictionary “Turks” meant the worst enemies, occupiers who were guilty of fall of the medieval Serbian Empire and low position of Serbian nation from the 14th century.
Next to Turci, Islamized local Slavs were additionally recognized as poturice—Turkishness. They became Turks by Islamization but, in biological point of view, still stayed Serbs (two lexemes, Slavs and Serbs, were treated as synonyms in the Serbian national discourse). Because of those roots, poturice became even most dangerous enemies than the ethnic Turks. We could see it in the stereotype of “worse poturica than Turk itself” (poturica gori od Turčina). Its belief was—they adopted the new religion and culture to improve or keep their positions in the social hierarchy so they were worse part of the nation as they betrayed their own Slavic race. Additionally, Islam had to corrupt them. The conversion made them fanatical therefore they thought they were better than the Turks and that position gave them cause to exploit, like Turks, non-Muslim rayah (raja), it means their “old brothers,” who were at the bottom of the ladder.
In the Balkan Peninsula religion was (also the whole tradition associated with), and still is, the most crucial factor in division its societies and also a factor in the perception of “better us” and “worse they.” The dichotomy was an essential way to create unfavourable theories about the personality of poturice. Slavs neophytes were at the same time “ours” because of Serbian heritage and“alien” due to Islam which was considered something outside and negative but something which played a key role for “our world.” That is why the destructive influence of Islam was a dominant feature and the stereotypical image was more negative than the image about Turks. This perception of one of the most perceptible Ottoman influence has been many times updated in the 19th and 20th centuries. The purpose of the article is to show how the stereotype based on religion was duplicated or altered by one of the most important Serbian activists as Vuk Karadžić, Ilija Garašanin, Milenko M. Vukićević, Georgije Magarašević, Spiridon Gopčević, Jovan Cvijić, Jovan Hadži-Vasiljević and Čedomil Mitrinović.
Source: 2019, Zeszyty Naukowe Towarzystwa Doktorantów UJ, www.academia.edu
Image: Likovi Srba Poturčenjaka, ilustracija iz Ilustrovane istorije srpskog naroda Koste Mandrovića. Source: Wikipedia
Introduction
The Ottoman heritage is still perceptible in almost every social and cultural aspect in the Balkan Peninsula. One of the most significant Ottoman influence over that region is probably the confession of Islam. Some South Slavs converted to Islam under the authority of the Turkish Empire in the Balkans, therefore, Muslims, both ethnic Turks and Slavs, were denoted “Turks” (Turci) to show their connection with a regime based on the alien religion. However, in Serbian nationalistic and mythological dictionary “Turks” meant the worst enemies, occupiers who were guilty of fall of the medieval Serbian Empire and low position of Serbian nation from the 14th century.
Next to Turci, Islamized local Slavs were additionally recognized as poturice—Turkishness. They became Turks by Islamization but, in biological point of view, still stayed Serbs (two lexemes, Slavs and Serbs, were treated as synonyms in the Serbian national discourse). Because of those roots, poturice became even most dangerous enemies than the ethnic Turks. We could see it in the stereotype of “worse poturica than Turk itself” (poturica gori od Turčina). Its belief was—they adopted the new religion and culture to improve or keep their positions in the social hierarchy so they were worse part of the nation as they betrayed their own Slavic race. Additionally, Islam had to corrupt them. The conversion made them fanatical therefore they thought they were better than the Turks and that position gave them cause to exploit, like Turks, non-Muslim rayah (raja), it means their “old brothers,” who were at the bottom of the ladder.
In the Balkan Peninsula religion was (also the whole tradition associated with), and still is, the most crucial factor in division its societies and also a factor in the perception of “better us” and “worse they.” The dichotomy was an essential way to create unfavourable theories about the personality of poturice. Slavs neophytes were at the same time “ours” because of Serbian heritage and“alien” due to Islam which was considered something outside and negative but something which played a key role for “our world.” That is why the destructive influence of Islam was a dominant feature and the stereotypical image was more negative than the image about Turks. This perception of one of the most perceptible Ottoman influence has been many times updated in the 19th and 20th centuries. The purpose of the article is to show how the stereotype based on religion was duplicated or altered by one of the most important Serbian activists as Vuk Karadžić, Ilija Garašanin, Milenko M. Vukićević, Georgije Magarašević, Spiridon Gopčević, Jovan Cvijić, Jovan Hadži-Vasiljević and Čedomil Mitrinović.
Source: 2019, Zeszyty Naukowe Towarzystwa Doktorantów UJ, www.academia.edu
Image: Likovi Srba Poturčenjaka, ilustracija iz Ilustrovane istorije srpskog naroda Koste Mandrovića. Source: Wikipedia
Introduction
The Ottoman heritage is still perceptible in almost every social and cultural aspect in the Balkan Peninsula. One of the most significant Ottoman influence over that region is probably the confession of Islam. Some South Slavs converted to Islam under the authority of the Turkish Empire in the Balkans, therefore, Muslims, both ethnic Turks and Slavs, were denoted “Turks” (Turci) to show their connection with a regime based on the alien religion. However, in Serbian nationalistic and mythological dictionary “Turks” meant the worst enemies, occupiers who were guilty of fall of the medieval Serbian Empire and low position of Serbian nation from the 14th century.
Next to Turci, Islamized local Slavs were additionally recognized as poturice—Turkishness. They became Turks by Islamization but, in biological point of view, still stayed Serbs (two lexemes, Slavs and Serbs, were treated as synonyms in the Serbian national discourse). Because of those roots, poturice became even most dangerous enemies than the ethnic Turks. We could see it in the stereotype of “worse poturica than Turk itself” (poturica gori od Turčina). Its belief was—they adopted the new religion and culture to improve or keep their positions in the social hierarchy so they were worse part of the nation as they betrayed their own Slavic race. Additionally, Islam had to corrupt them. The conversion made them fanatical therefore they thought they were better than the Turks and that position gave them cause to exploit, like Turks, non-Muslim rayah (raja), it means their “old brothers,” who were at the bottom of the ladder.
In the Balkan Peninsula religion was (also the whole tradition associated with), and still is, the most crucial factor in division its societies and also a factor in the perception of “better us” and “worse they.” The dichotomy was an essential way to create unfavourable theories about the personality of poturice. Slavs neophytes were at the same time “ours” because of Serbian heritage and“alien” due to Islam which was considered something outside and negative but something which played a key role for “our world.” That is why the destructive influence of Islam was a dominant feature and the stereotypical image was more negative than the image about Turks. This perception of one of the most perceptible Ottoman influence has been many times updated in the 19th and 20th centuries. The purpose of the article is to show how the stereotype based on religion was duplicated or altered by one of the most important Serbian activists as Vuk Karadžić, Ilija Garašanin, Milenko M. Vukićević, Georgije Magarašević, Spiridon Gopčević, Jovan Cvijić, Jovan Hadži-Vasiljević and Čedomil Mitrinović.
Source: 2019, Zeszyty Naukowe Towarzystwa Doktorantów UJ, www.academia.edu
Image: Likovi Srba Poturčenjaka, ilustracija iz Ilustrovane istorije srpskog naroda Koste Mandrovića. Source: Wikipedia