Kosovo: Adherents of the Wahhabi sect of Islam, including influence and areas of operation; recruitment practices (2012-2013)

1. Influence and Areas of Operation

In a December 2012 article, Balkan Insight reports on an "austere strain of Islam [that] is attracting converts across Kosovo" (24 Dec. 2012). The article explains that,

[u]nheard of until 1999, the religious conservatives and hardliners are a tiny but increasingly visible group, with followers in all the big cities and some of the poorest parts of the countryside. [...] The hardliners appear to be more influenced by Arab interpretations of the faith, than by the Ottoman traditions more common to Kosovo. They are often referred to as Wahhabis, or Salafis, although most of them also reject these labels.

The terms derive from Saudi Arabian sects that have become synonyms for puritanical Islam. The hard-liners tend to describe themselves as defenders of the faith who oppose the encroachment of "Western" secularism upon Kosovo. (Balkan Insight 24 Dec. 2012)

In an interview with the privately owned Kosovo Albanian newspaper Koha Ditore, a lecturer in the sociology of religion at Pristina University states that Kosovo "'has become a target of religious missions, especially Islamic ones, such as Wahhabi'," particularly since the end of the Kosovo war (12 Sept. 2013). Similarly, according to an article published by the privately owned Pristina newspaper Express and republished in English by BBC Monitoring, the Independent Staff Union of the Islamic Community of Kosovo (BIK) issued a press release in November 2011 indicating that Wahhabi groups have been "very active" in spreading extremist ideologies in Kosovo since 2003 (Express 1 Dec. 2011). The BIK represents the Muslims of Kosovo (The Jordan Times 7 Aug. 2013; AFPC 18 Sept. 2013). The head of the organization, Mufti Naim Ternava, was accused by the BIK's Independent Staff Union of collaborating with Wahhabis (Express 1 Dec. 2011). Similarly, in September 2013, the Southeast European Times, which covers southeastern European and Balkan news and is sponsored by the US European command, the joint military command responsible for US operations in 52 countries (SETimes n.d.), interviewed a Drenas-based imam, described as "moderate," who suggested that radical Wahhabis and Salafists were operating in Kosovo with the assistance of "BIK heads" (ibid. 10 Sept. 2013). However, Naim Ternava has reportedly denied that there is extremism or Wahhabism in Kosovo (Koha Ditore 8 Sept. 2013).

According to the Southeast European Times, one of the centres of Wahhabi expansion in Kosovo is Prizren (SETimes 6 May 2013). The same source indicates that Wahhabis have a "strong following" in Pristina, Djakovica, Decani, Urosevac and Kacanik (ibid.). Corroborating information could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response.

2. Recruitment

According to Ivan Babanovski, an analyst and former professor of security studies in Skopje, Macedonia, who was interviewed by the Southeast European Times, new members are recruited by Wahhabis in Kosovo who organize "free courses, religious gatherings and lectures" (SETimes 6 May 2013). The analyst and former professor also indicated that Wahhabis in Kosovo finance their activities with profits amassed from mosques under their control (ibid.). Similarly, according to the moderate imam in Drenas interviewed by the Southeast European Times, Wahhabis and Salafists "'have found space to penetrate into Kosovo society through various individuals and organizations, taking control of mosques and different jobs'" (ibid. 10 Sept. 2013).

A "religious expert" interviewed by The Jordan Times in August 2013 indicated that a "set-up allegedly run by a Salafi sect known for its strict approach to Islam" was recruiting people in Kosovo to travel to Syria to fight against the Syrian regime (The Jordan Times 7 Aug. 2013). The Jordan Times adds that, according to experts, recruitment is "voluntary" (ibid.). It also indicates that the BIK denies recruiting fighters for the Syrian opposition (ibid.). The Swiss newspaper Le Temps reports that, according to Balkan media sources, 100 volunteer fighters have left Kosovo to participate in [translation] "jihad" in Syria (Le Temps 3 June 2013). It also states that there is no structured network that organizes such trips; rather, information is found on the Internet and at prayer sites controlled by Wahhabis (ibid.).

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim for refugee protection. Please find below the list of sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

References

American Foreign Policy Council (AFPC). 18 September 2013. "Kosovo." World Almanac of Islamism. [Accessed 22 Nov. 2013]

Balkan Insight. 24 December 2012. Arbana Xharra. "Fissures in the Faith: Rise of Conservative Islamists Alarms Kosovans." [Accessed 22 Nov. 2013]

Express [Pristina]. 1 December 2011. "Kosovo Islamic Community Says Leader "Collaborating with Wahhabis." (Factiva)

The Jordan Times. 7 August 2013. "Balkan Former Guerrillas Join Syria Rebels." (Factiva)

Koha Ditore. 8 September 2013. "Kosovo Scholar Discusses Rifts Between Camps in Islamic Community." (Factiva)

Southeast European Times. 10 September 2013. Linda Karadaku. "Extremists, Moderates Debate Role of Islam in Kosovo." [Accessed 22 Nov. 2013]

_____. 6 May 2013. Misko Taleski. "Law Enforcement Re-examines Islamic Groups in the Balkans." [Accessed 22 Nov. 2013]

_____. N.d. "About Us." [Accessed 26 Nov. 2013]

Le Temps. 3 June 2013. Jean-Arnault Dérens and Laurent Geslin. "Volontaires des Balkans en route pour le djihad; Des dizines de jeunes de Bosnie, d'Albanie, du sud de la Serbie ou du Kosovo sont partis pour rejoindre les rangs du Front al-Nosra. Les premiers 'martyrs' sont déjà tombés." (Factiva)

Additional Sources Consulted

Oral sources: A professor at De Monfort University was unable to provide information for this Response. Attempts to contact academics at Fatih University and the University of Belgrade were unsuccessful. An academic at the Kosovar Center for Security Studies did not provide information within the time constraints of this Response.

Internet sites, including: ADNKronos; ecoi.net; eurodialogue.org; European Journal of Economic and Political Studies; Fatih University; Ma'an News Agency; Radio France internationale; Radio Serbie Internationale; Strategic Culture Foundation; United States - Department of State; The Weekly Standard.