Roma in Central and Southeastern Europe: Navigating Muslim Identities, Challenges and Activism
Roma in Central and Southeastern Europe: Navigating Muslim Identities, Challenges and Activism
Contributor(s): Ivan Ejub Kostić (Editor), Selma Muhić Dizdarević (Editor)
Subject(s): Ethnic Minorities Studies
Published by: Institut za filozofiju i društvenu teoriju
Keywords: Roma; Muslim Identities; Activism; antigypsyism; anti-Muslim; discrimination ; marginalization
Summary/Abstract: The edited volume addresses the complex and underexplored intersection of ethnic, religious, and activist identities. It focuses on the experiences of Roma communities with Muslim identities, situating their struggles within broader frameworks of discrimination, resilience, and ideas about societal transformation. By examining the nexus of antigypsyism and anti-Muslim hate, as well as the activism emerging from these intersecting oppressions, the volume fills a critical gap in the existing academic literature. It sheds light on a range of issues, including the effects of multiple discrimination on specific groups, such as Roma women, as well as diverse strategies of resistance and advocacy employed to combat marginalization.
- Print-ISBN-13: 978-86-82324-88-1
- Page Count: 191
- Publication Year: 2024
- Language: English
The Genocide against the Roma in Former Yugoslavia: From Antigypsyism to Antigypsyism?
The Genocide against the Roma in Former Yugoslavia: From Antigypsyism to Antigypsyism?
(The Genocide against the Roma in Former Yugoslavia: From Antigypsyism to Antigypsyism?)
- Author(s):Milovan Pisarri
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Nationalism Studies, Ethnic Minorities Studies
- Page Range:17-37
- No. of Pages:21
- Keywords:Genocide; Roma; Racism;
- Summary/Abstract:The history of the Roma genocide in Yugoslavia remains under-researched, with most scholarly attention focused on areas where persecution was most severe, such as Croatia and Serbia. Research is hindered by both subjective factors, like a general lack of interest among historians, and objective ones, such as the difficulty of identifying the Roma population before and during WWII due to their exclusion from official records. Despite widespread racism and persecution in the 1930s, some Roma intellectuals and communities initiated self-organized efforts to improve education, representation, and social standing, marking early acts of resistance and attempts at emancipation.
Invisible Suffering: The Roma Massacres in Bosnia and Herzegovina (1992-1995)
Invisible Suffering: The Roma Massacres in Bosnia and Herzegovina (1992-1995)
(Invisible Suffering: The Roma Massacres in Bosnia and Herzegovina (1992-1995))
- Author(s):Muamer Džananović, Hikmet Karčić
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Criminology, Ethnic Minorities Studies, Wars in Jugoslavia
- Page Range:39-50
- No. of Pages:12
- Keywords:Roma; Bosnian War; Ethnic Tensions ; Marginalization; Skočić Massacre
- Summary/Abstract:The Roma population of Bosnia and Herzegovina, often overlooked in studies of the 1990s Bosnian War, suffered significant violence and displacement, including involvement in all three main military factions but lacking recognition as war crime victims. Their vulnerability, especially among Muslim Roma, was exacerbated by systemic marginalization and targeted ethno-religious violence, exemplified by atrocities such as the 1992 Skočić massacre. These events highlight the compounded impact of ethnic and religious identity in conflict and the necessity of acknowledging all victimized communities to fully understand the war’s human toll.
Beyond Islamophobia: A Critical Analysis of the Religious, Ethnic, and Racial Othering of Roma Muslims within the Muslim Community in Serbia
Beyond Islamophobia: A Critical Analysis of the Religious, Ethnic, and Racial Othering of Roma Muslims within the Muslim Community in Serbia
(Beyond Islamophobia: A Critical Analysis of the Religious, Ethnic, and Racial Othering of Roma Muslims within the Muslim Community in Serbia)
- Author(s):Ivan Ejub Kostić
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Human Rights and Humanitarian Law, Nationalism Studies, Ethnic Minorities Studies
- Page Range:51-74
- No. of Pages:24
- Keywords:Roma Muslims; Discrimination; Marginalization; Islam; Inclusivity
- Summary/Abstract:This chapter examines the triple-layered discrimination Roma Muslims face in Serbia, highlighting their marginalization based on ethnicity, race, and religion within both broader society and the Muslim community. Despite Islamic teachings advocating inclusivity, historical misinterpretations and entrenched prejudices contribute to their exclusion from key roles and community participation. The study calls for systemic reform within Serbia’s Muslim community and a global reexamination of practices to promote true inclusivity and address the challenges faced by Roma Muslims.
Turncoats: Dervish Magic, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and Unstable Religious Compounds in a Roma Neighborhood, North Macedonia
Turncoats: Dervish Magic, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and Unstable Religious Compounds in a Roma Neighborhood, North Macedonia
(Turncoats: Dervish Magic, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and Unstable Religious Compounds in a Roma Neighborhood, North Macedonia)
- Author(s):Galina Oustinova-Stjepanovic
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Ethnic Minorities Studies, Sociology of Religion
- Page Range:75-92
- No. of Pages:18
- Keywords:Roma; Ethno-religious identities; Syncretism; Conversion
- Summary/Abstract:This paper briefly explores how Roma citizens of Skopje oscillate between different religiosities that have been increasingly siloed into distinct ethno-religious ‘identities’ in the Balkan nation-state of North Macedonia. Not limited to examples of religious pluralism or syncretism, the oscillation involves the use of religious services regardless of one’s denomination and harnessing the indiscriminatory potency of magical healing and amulets. Alternatively, the oscillation is manifested in serial and back-and-forth conversion from Orthodox Christianity to various Islamic movements, to evangelical congregations such as Jehovah’s Witnesses, and back to Islam. Instead of mere multiplicity of Roma religious affiliations, this is a case of religious promiscuity which contributes to maintaining ethno-religious group boundaries by performatively crossing them and, simultaneously, offers an insight into a ‘turncoat’ model for thinking about religious (and civic) participation. A really difficult question is what do turncoat, promiscuous religiosities tell us about prevalent toxic reliance on politico-racialised and ethno-national metaphor of humankind as naturalised taxonomies of species, be it ethnic or religious.
Gender, Islamophobia and Romaphobia: Intersectional Insights
Gender, Islamophobia and Romaphobia: Intersectional Insights
(Gender, Islamophobia and Romaphobia: Intersectional Insights)
- Author(s):Amina Easat-Daas
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Gender Studies, Nationalism Studies, Inter-Ethnic Relations, Ethnic Minorities Studies
- Page Range:93-110
- No. of Pages:18
- Keywords:Islamophobia; Romaphobia; Racism; antigypsyism; Romani Muslim
- Summary/Abstract:Islamophobia and Romaphobia or antigypsyism remain among the most significant, yet seemingly normalised racisms on the continent, if not across the globe. Both of these forms of racism have historical rootings and distinct gendered dimensions. This chapter seeks to understand and define how gendered Islamophobia and gendered Romaphobia can be understood through theoretical lenses to understand the intersections of the two, and I look forward to potential future research avenues in this novel area of inquiry. The chapter begins with a detailed review of the terms Islamophobia and Romaphobia, taking into consideration the nuances of the respective terms and acknowledging the contestation around the terms both within and external to the racialized Muslim and Romani communities. The chapter continues to examine how a decolonial theoretical lens can be applied to understand both gendered Islamophobia and gendered Romaphobia/antigypsyism before continuing to explore the shortcomings of dominant feminist theory in accounting for the experiences of racialized Muslim and Romani women and the structural factors that shape their exclusion, marginalization, and demonization. This theoretical consideration lays the foundation for the development of a framework for the comparative study of gendered Islamophobia and gendered Romaphobia. The chapter also includes a review of the current nature of gendered Islamophobia and gendered Romaphobia concerning specific theoretical vantage points. It emphasizes how the phenomenon has comparatively impacted Muslim women and Romani women over time and across places. The chapter also reviews the very limited academic study of the Romani Muslim women’s experiences throughout, thus pointing to future avenues for research.
Intersectional Theory and Roma Women´s Activism: Exploring Empowerment, Resistance and Social Change
Intersectional Theory and Roma Women´s Activism: Exploring Empowerment, Resistance and Social Change
(Intersectional Theory and Roma Women´s Activism: Exploring Empowerment, Resistance and Social Change)
- Author(s):Gwendolyn Albert, Selma Muhić Dizdarević
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Gender Studies, Ethnic Minorities Studies
- Page Range:111-131
- No. of Pages:21
- Keywords:Activism; Marginalization; Roma; Roma women
- Summary/Abstract:Roma women, a marginalized and often silenced community, have historically engaged in persistent struggles to assert their rights and amplify their voices through various forms of activism. This article adopts a qualitative approach, drawing on semi-structured interviews, to provide a nuanced understanding of the experiences and strategies employed by Roma women activists. The theoretical framework guiding this research encompasses theories of social movements, theories of social change, and theories of intersectionality, collectively contributing to a comprehensive exploration of Roma women’s activism. These theories explore factors such as resource mobilization, political opportunity structures, and framing processes that shape the formation and development of social movements (Della Porta, Diani 2006). As mentioned, this article utilizes theories of social movements to examine the collective action and mobilization strategies employed by Roma women activists. Building on the work of della Porta and Diani (2006), this framework explores factors that influence the formation and development of social movements. Resource mobilization, political opportunity structures, and framing processes are integral components considered within this framework.
From Roma to Muslim and Back: Anti-Roma and Anti-Muslim Prejudice in the Czech Republic
From Roma to Muslim and Back: Anti-Roma and Anti-Muslim Prejudice in the Czech Republic
(From Roma to Muslim and Back: Anti-Roma and Anti-Muslim Prejudice in the Czech Republic)
- Author(s):Zora Hesová
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Inter-Ethnic Relations, Ethnic Minorities Studies
- Page Range:133-154
- No. of Pages:22
- Keywords:Prejudice; Racism; Exclusion; Roma; Anti-Roma; Anti-Muslim;
- Summary/Abstract:If anti-Roma prejudice was a hallmark of the 1990s in Central Europe, anti-Muslim prejudice marked the second half of the 2010s. The change of political and social order in 1989 led to the emergence of political radicalism and open racism. Many Roma became targets of neo-Nazi violence and far right rhetoric. Gradually, the courts, the media and the state have recognized anti-Roma discrimination as a problem and have slowly taken measures to implement anti-racist laws and policies towards a social re-integration of the Roma. Yet in early 2010s, anti-Roma protests erupted again in dozens of peripheral cities in the Czech Republic. There was a feeling that racism was back. It ran against the assumption that anti- Roma prejudice and discrimination was being tackled in the consolidated democratic order. Then, in 2015, along with its Central European neighbors, the Czech Republic was gripped by widespread expressions of anti-Muslim prejudice. The so-called refugee crisis was framed not as a humanitarian challenge but as a threat by Islam to the European tradition and caused large anti-Islam mobilizations. For a while, it seemed that a sort of an extremist rage turned from the Roma against another minority, and that the Muslim refugee replaced the Roma as a target of social frustration and political extremism, driven by the media (Romea 2016). But several years later, openly discriminatory discourse and sometimes violent acts gradually ceased to target perceived Muslims and began targeting LBGTQ persons and as well as the Roma again (Hesová 2022). It confirmed that anti-Roma prejudice remains a constant in the Czech public and that public enmity takes fluid forms.
Discrimination Toward Roma and Balkan Egyptians in the Western Balkan States
Discrimination Toward Roma and Balkan Egyptians in the Western Balkan States
(Discrimination Toward Roma and Balkan Egyptians in the Western Balkan States)
- Author(s):Rubin Zemon
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Nationalism Studies, Inter-Ethnic Relations, Ethnic Minorities Studies
- Page Range:151-167
- No. of Pages:17
- Keywords:Discrimination; Racial prejudice; Roma; Balkan Egyptians; Social exclusion
- Summary/Abstract:There are no agreed-upon definitions of intolerance, racism, xenophobia, or racial prejudice. For example, there is currently no definition of “racism” in any interstate agreement. Nonetheless, definitions of “discrimination,” including “racial discrimination,” can be found in certain international documents. This study looks at the definitions that different organizations and bodies use. “Racism” shall mean the belief that a ground such as race, color, language, religion, nationality or national or ethnic origin justifies contempt for a person or a group of persons, or the notion of superiority of a person or a group of persons,” states the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) of the Council of Europe (OSCE/ ODIHR 2004:11).
In Dialogue with Roma Intellectuals
In Dialogue with Roma Intellectuals
(In Dialogue with Roma Intellectuals)
- Author(s):Ivan Ejub Kostić, Selma Muhić Dizdarević
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Nationalism Studies, Inter-Ethnic Relations, Ethnic Minorities Studies
- Page Range:169-189
- No. of Pages:21
- Keywords:Roma; Roma intellectuals; Western Balkans;
- Summary/Abstract:The concluding chapter of this edited volume reflects several critical aspects. First, while the political, historical, sociological, and gender analyses presented in individual contributions are undoubtedly significant, the pivotal moment lies in amplifying the voices of the Roma themselves ‒ their direct, almost raw expressions that emerge from the depths of lived experiences. Second, complementing the preceding works (except for Rubin Zemon’s contribution), we expand on the authenticity and representation of Roma societal positions by including narrative interviews with selected Roma intellectuals. Narrative interviews are particularly suitable for research contexts where power dynamics are imbalanced.1 This approach enriches the discussion of activism, religion, marginalization, and empowerment, which form the central themes of this volume. We selected our interlocutors based on the following criteria: relevance of experience in the Western Balkans (Serbia, Kosovo, Bosnia and Herzegovina); their roles as leaders within Roma communities in the region, both through their activities and societal positions; a demonstrated ability to articulate general issues affecting the Roma community, fostering more profound reflections on societal attitudes toward Roma men and women; a capacity to represent a range of perspectives within the community, spanning political, national, and religious dimensions. In line with the narrative interview methodology and to preserve authenticity, the interviews were edited only where clarity and conciseness were required. Reflecting on our positionality as interviewers, we emphasize that our approach followed a maieutic intention, merely guiding the conversations toward areas of interest while striving to foreground the voices of the interlocutors. However, as a result, some responses extend well beyond the scope of the initial questions, which we consider an authentic contribution to the dialogues.
