Islam in Serbia

The Muslims in Serbia are mostly ethnic Bosniaks and Albanians, but also members of the smaller ethnic groups like Muslims by nationality, Ashkali, Egyptians, Gorani, Roma, and Turks.

History

Islam came with the Turks to the Balkans. The Ottoman Turks built mosques. A part of Serbian Slavs of present-day Sandžak converted, the Gorani in southern Kosovo in the 18th century as well, Albanian speaking Roma of Kosovo are muslims, some Serbian speaking Roma are also muslims (often tracing their previous settlement to Macedonia or Bosnia).

Population (excluding Kosovo)

According to the 2002 census, there are 239,658 Muslims in Serbia (Central Serbia and Vojvodina). Most of the Slavic Muslims (Bosniaks and Muslims by nationality) are concentrated in the region of Sandžak. The Albanian Muslims live mostly in Central Serbia's municipalities of Preševo (Albanian: Preshevë), and Bujanovac (Albanian: Bujanoc), as well as in the part of the municipality of Medveđa. Gorani, Muslim Roma, Ashkali, Egyptians, and Turks mostly came to Serbia from Kosovo. Most of the few thousand Arabs who live in Serbia are followers of Islam. The Arabs mostly living in Belgrade.

Islamic communities

Islamic believers in Serbia are organized into two communities:
*"Islamic community of Serbia" (Islamska zajednica Srbije), with seat in Belgrade, administered by self-called reis-ul-ulema (Grand Mufti) Adem Zilkić.
*"Islamic community in Serbia" (Islamska zajednica u Srbiji), with seat in Novi Pazar, administered by mufti Muamer Zukorlić, which include:
**Islamic community in Sandžak (Islamska zajednica Sandžaka), with seat in Novi Pazar, administered by mufti Muamer Zukorlić.
**Islamic community in Vojvodina (Islamska zajednica Vojvodine), with seat in Novi Sad, administered by mufti Fadil Murati.
**Islamic community in Preševo Valley (Islamska zajednica Preševske Doline), with seat in Preševo.
**Islamic community in Central Serbia (Islamska zajednica Centralne Srbije), with seat in Belgrade.

See also

* Sandžak
* Preševo Valley
* Bosniaks of Serbia
* Albanians in Southern Serbia

External links

* [http://www.izs.org.yu/vesti/index/index.php Islamic community of Serbia]
* [http://www.islamskazajednica.org/ Islamic community of Sandžak]
* [http://www.islamvojvodina.com/00home.htm Islamic community of Vojvodina]