Islamism in Serbia Fading, Far-Right Extremism Growing, NGOs Warn

Islamist extremism in Serbia is decreasing but far-right extremism is on the rise, according to research by the Belgrade Centre for Security Policy, BCBP, and the Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in Serbia, presented on Friday.

Izabela Kisic, from the Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in Serbia, said: "Overall, Islamist extremism is in significant decline, there is currently no real danger of violent extremist activities of this type.

"The extreme right in Serbia has been on a serious rise for years, which can be seen in the growing number of violent, ideologically motivated, acts," she added.

Kisic explained that main factor behind this right-wing extremism "is the dominant political narrative about the past, that is, about the wars of the 1990s".

Serbia's strategy for combating terrorism and extremism, which expired at the end of 2021, focused on Islamist extremism and terrorism, neglecting the danger from far right, experts said.

BCBP researcher Marija Ignjatijevic said that despite the focus of both the international and domestic public on Islamist extremism in Serbia, with a focus on the mainly Bosniak southwest Sandzak region, "this community has shown a high level of resistance to this religious Islamist extremism".

Her research identified three main factors behind this resilience in Sandzak.

"The first is the role of the local community, the second is the role of prominent individuals in the community and the third is the role of the diaspora, which is very specific to the Sandzak region," Ignjatijevic said.

"The diaspora, which is not only in Western Europe but also in Turkey, has played a major role in alleviating the economic problems of this region and have helped in various ways to alleviate...