Bosnian Religious Leaders Fill Political Void

Naik has been banned from Britain and Canada and Indian Muslim clerics have called for a government investigation of his financing, prohibition of his broadcasts, and his expulsion from the Muslim community. Naik has become known for his insults against other religions as well as non-fundamentalist Muslims. In a typical diatribe disseminated to Serbian Muslims, Naik declared “I am a fundamentalist. … I am an extremist!” and called for “terrorizing the unbelievers.”

As 2012 came to an end, Bosnian media reported that the year had seen 26 vandalism attacks on religious structures, Islamic and Christian alike. If the new Muslim chief cleric Kavazovic, and Catholic cardinal Puljic, are to steer their congregations toward traditional Bosnian religious cooperation, there is no better time than the present.