Bosnian Muslim women in Sarajevo
© AFP Elvis BarukcicSARAJEVO (AFP) - Upholders of Bosnia's moderate version of Islam say the problem caused by an influx of hardline fighters during the country's 1992-1995 war has worsened in recent months, highlighted by the gruesome murder.
"Bosnia's tradition of Islam is tolerant, it promotes pluralism and we should not allow those representing a one-track ideology to teach us," says Jasmin Merdan.
The 26-year-old -- a practising Muslim who portrays himself as a "victim" of the Wahhabi ideology before abandoning it -- is one of the few courageous voices in Bosnia who dares to criticise extremism.
"They express their convictions with violence, introduce anarchy in mosques and preach intolerance," says Merdan, who recently founded an association in the Bosnian capital Sarajevo to fight against "those who deny basic teachings of Islam".
Mustafa Ceric
© AFP/File Elvis BarukcicSupported by a handful of independent journalists, Merdan recently published a book condemning the harmful influence on Bosnian people of Wahhabism, a radical version of Islam.
Merdan says the book was "warmly welcomed by imams who do not dare to speak" but sparked death threats against him and pressure from members of the Wahhabi community.
Several incidents since the beginning of the year have shaken Sarajevo and confirmed Merdan's fears.
In February, a young man who recently converted to Wahhabism killed his mother reportedly because she refused to join him for morning prayers.
After the murder, the 23-year-old went to a "Wahhabi" mosque with blood on his hands and clothes, telling his fellow believers that he just made a "sacrifice to God".
In addition, several young couples have complained to the local media and police that they had been harassed by "bearded" men in parks while they were kissing and hugging.
Muslim women in Sarajevo
© AFP Elvis BarukcicAccording to Merdan, they were members of the so-called "Sharia militia" -- a group of self-styled religious police. However local police said they were not aware of the group's existence.
Wahhabism is a hardline version of Islam that originated in 18th century Saudi Arabia. It took its roots in Bosnia, whose Muslims are mostly followers of moderate Islam, in the country's 1992-1995 war.
During the conflict, hundreds of volunteers from Islamic countries -- known as "holy warriors" or mujahedin -- came to Bosnia to fight alongside its mainly Muslim army.
All of the foreign fighters were expected to leave the country following the war, but an unknown number of them remained and obtained Bosnian citizenship mostly by marrying local women.
"Since the war, the number of followers of Wahhabism has been growing," says Merdan, slamming the "passiveness" of Bosnia's laic and religious authorities.
Some 40 percent of Bosnia's 3.8 million inhabitants are Muslims. Orthodox Christian Serbs represent about 31 percent, while Roman Catholic Croats account for around 10 percent.
Bosnian Muslims praying in Sarajevo
© AFP/File Elvis BarukcicMerdan voiced regret that the Bosnian Muslim religious leader, Mustafa Ceric, has never publicly condemned the activities of the Wahhabists.
Meanwhile, the editor-in-chief of a Bosnian weekly, Vildana Selimbegovic, deplored the "isolation" of the few Muslim theologians who voice their dissatisfaction with the presence of Wahhabists.
"Politicians do no want to or are too afraid to talk. The majority of Muslims remain silent. It seems that they will remain silent until the devil claims his due," Selimbegovic wrote in the weekly Dani.
Sarajevo's imposing King Fahd Mosque, named after the late Saudi monarch who financed its construction, has in the past few years become the core of Bosnian followers of Wahhabism.
"Sometimes I ask myself whether I am really in Sarajevo. The number of bearded men and women dressed in chadors will soon be equal to other people," comments Adnan, a young Muslim who lives near the mosque.
Adnan says that the King Fahd Mosque has attracted a number of Wahhabi families from surrounding neighborhoods.
"They try the same recipe as in Sudan or other Arab countries," says Merdan.
"If we allow them, in 20 years, people like me will not be allowed to speak," he stresses.
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