Wednesday, March 28, 2018

Radicalization in Bosnia - Islamists Gaining Ground | DW Documentary


Religious extremists are gaining increasing influence in Bosnia. Social workers are trying to keep young people away from radical Islamist preachers.

Bosnian social worker Vahidin Omanovic warns young people about the dangers of religious extremism, and offers them the vision of a peaceful future. 20 years after the end of the Bosnian War, his country still suffers from high unemployment and political stagnation. He’s worried by conservative Islamist preacher Elvedin Pezić, who's now popular with many young Bosnian Muslims. Pezić rejects violence, but advocates Sharia law and an ultra-conservative interpretation of Islam that has its origins in Saudi Arabia. The Saudis have promoted the spread of this variety of the faith in Bosnia and many other countries by financing the construction of mosques and supporting conservative imams.