ENGAGING SERBIA'S MUSLIMS

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 BELGRADE 002007 SIPDIS SIPDIS SENSITIVE DEPT FOR EUR/PGI - IWEINSTEIN; EUR/PPD - LDAVIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KPAO KISL PGOV PHUM PREL SR SUBJECT: ENGAGING SERBIA'S MUSLIMS REF: STATE 185834 ¶1. (sbu) The Republic of Serbia is a multiethnic, multi-religious state. There are two significant indigenous Muslim communities: Bosniak Muslims, who are ethnic Slavs and have extensive ties to the Bosniak community in Bosnia, and Albanian Muslims, who are ethnic Albanians and have extensive ties to the Albanian communities in Kosovo, Macedonia, and Albania. Most of the ethnic Slavic Muslims live in the Sandzak area covering parts of Serbia and Montenegro, and bordering on Bosnia. The majority of ethnic Albanian Muslims live in Southern Serbia along the administrative boundary with Kosovo and the border with Albania. ¶2. (sbu) There have been very few reports of incidents inspired by radical Islamic ideas or anti-Americanism, and claims of the increase of radicalism in the Sandzak have been exaggerated. In fact, because of the role of the United States during the armed conflicts in Bosnia and Kosovo, the great majority of Muslims in Serbia are pro-American. ¶3. (sbu) Embassy Belgrade has undertaken significant efforts to bolster living standards, democracy, peace, and understanding of the U.S. throughout Serbia. Because of the unusual and unique issues present in Serbia, efforts focus mainly on ethnic minorities, rather than religious minorities -- issues are not "Muslim" issues, but rather "Bosniak" or "Ethnic Albanian" issues -- and a great deal of our programming is centered on interethnic cooperation. ¶4. (sbu) The Embassy engages daily to reach out to all audiences, including Muslim audiences in Serbia, particularly in the Sandzak and in Southern Serbia, through a variety of programs in PD and AID, plus through other Embassy offices like POL and ECON. We are continuing our efforts to engage with Serbian and Albanian leaders in southern Serbia, to encourage and support moderate Muslims in the Sandzak and in Belgrade, and to work with Serbia's law enforcement and security infrastructure to discourage transnational terrorists from using Serbia as a transit route or safe haven. As requested reftel, below is an outline in EUR/PPD suggested format, of our ongoing outreach goals and programs. ¶5. (sbu) Public Diplomacy and Related Engagement Strategy, Serbia Negative Narrative: The goal of these programs is to overcome pervasive negative stereotyping of Muslim communities in Serbia by Serbian media and political leadership; secondarily, the goal is to allay feelings of disenfranchisement from Serbian politics and society from Serbia's Muslim communities. Media Environment: -- Radio, TV, and Internet Access: Most Serbians get their information from television (87%) and print media (59%). Less than 4% of the public use the internet as an information source, and less than 8% use the radio. There are five major television stations in Serbia that recently received the national license issued by the Serbian Broadcasting Agency: Public service Radio Television Serbia (RTS); entertainment TV Pink; newly established FOX TV (no regular program yet); independent TV B92; and small Kosava-Happy TV. The Broadcasting agency also granted five national radio licenses - to B92, Radio Index, Radio S, Roadstar and Radio Focus. The allocation of frequencies was an attempt to regulate the previously chaotic state of the broadcast media sector where outlets have long operated without licenses. Many media outlets rely on three local wire agencies (state owned Tanjug, and privately owned BETA and FoNet), as well as international agencies. -- Most widely accessed broadcast stations: The most widely accessed broadcast stations are public service Radio Television Serbia (RTS); popular TV Pink (owned by controversial businessman Zeljko Mitrovic, formerly an official of the now defunct Yugoslav Left party) and independent TV B92 (which grew out of the anti-Milosevic Radio B92.) -- Media obstacles: The Embassy has some concern about declining ethical standards and a rise in tabloid journalism, both in print and electronic media. No censorship exists in Serbia. The government does not own or directly control any print or electronic media, except state-owned TANJUG news agency. The Law on Free Access to Information regulates the rights to access information of public importance held by public authority bodies, with the purpose of the fulfillment and protection of the public interest to know and attain a free democratic order and an open society. Strategic Goals: ¶1. To increase sustained political engagement between Serbian government and ethnic Albanian-majority municipalities in southern Serbia. ¶2. To encourage moderate and progressive Islamic elements in the Sandzak. BELGRADE 00002007 002 OF 003 Target Audiences and Suggested Programs: Goal: Sustained Engagement in Southern Serbia Target Audience - Serbian government ministries (especially Interior, Finance, Trade, Local Administration, Office of Minority Rights) Justification - Despite significant investments over the last five years, Serbian ministries are viewed locally as non-responsive or openly hostile to the needs of ethnic Albanian communities in southern Serbia. In addition, specialized police forces have a reputation for heavy-handedness in dealing with local populations. The USG and the international community are seen as mediators/honest brokers between the Serbian government ministries and local populations. Specific Programs targeting this audience - We are using the American Corner in Vranje and the American Window in Bujanovac to host programs to bring Serbian and Albanian leaders together to encourage dialogue in roundtable formats; we engage regularly with the Serbian Interior and Defense ministries to monitor complaints against their officers in Southern Serbia; we engage regularly, along with the OSCE and EU Missions, with the Coordinating Body for Southern Serbia, a GoS body designed to liaise between Belgrade and ethnic Albanian-majority municipalities and ensure that their economic, educational, and social development needs are being addressed; Democracy Commission grants have been used in part to fund capacity-building workshops for local ethnic Serb and ethnic Albanian leaders. Embassy visitors frequently speak to local electronic and print media in Southern Serbia. Target Audience - Serbian Media Justification - Some mainstream Serbian media has an implicit or explicit anti-Muslim or anti-Albanian bias. Local ethnic Albanian media can have a similar, anti-Serb bias. This has increased as Kosovo final status talks have progressed. Sensitizing the Serbian mainstream media to ethnic Albanian concerns and vice versa is an important part of creating an atmosphere of tolerance. Specific Programs targeting this audience - PD has been engaging actively with Belgrade and local journalists to educate them on Kosovo-related issues, including JOURNALIST exchanges to take Serbian journalists to Kosovo and Kosovar journalists to Belgrade; through the Information Resource Center, PD is providing educational materials on Kosovo via Web link in the Serbian and Albanian languages. Target Audience - ethnic Albanian political parties in southern Serbia Justification - Local ethnic Albanian Muslim political leaders can have the most influence on determining the amount of engagement in the Serbian political process in ethnic Albanian-majority towns in southern Serbia. Specific Programs targeting this audience - The Embassy routinely and aggressively engages with ethnic Albanian political leaders to encourage them to sustain their participation in the Serbian political process at both the local and the national level; Embassy and the international community encourage continued contact between ethnic Albanian leaders and the Coordinating Body; our annual Iftar dinner always includes key ethnic Albanian Muslim leaders from southern Serbia. Target Audience - General public in southern Serbia Justification - Supplementing our work with political elites, our people-to-people diplomacy fosters individual contacts that break down stereotypes and encourages tolerance and communication. Specific Programs Targeting this Audience - US Speaker programs have engaged local audiences on religious tolerance; Democracy Commission programs have encouraged assistance to socially vulnerable groups and encouraged greater political participation among youth; IV programs have brought Albanian and Serb youth leaders together on grassroots democracy programs; high school exchange programs regularly mix ethnic Albanian Muslim and ethnic Serb Orthodox children on programs; USAID has provided substantial support to development of SME, job creation and training, and assistance to youth, to create feelings of belonging in these communities. Measures of Effectiveness - (A). Ethnic Albanian political parties participate in parliamentary, presidential, and local Serbian elections; (B). The Coordinating Body for Southern Serbia continues to receive funding and ministerial-level participation from the GoS, and budgets for economic development projects in the region; (C). Equivalent references to "Albanians" and "terrorists" ceases in BELGRADE 00002007 003 OF 003 mainstream Serbian media, as does common usage of the pejorative "shiptar" to refer to ethnic Albanians; (D); "Flag Day" celebrations in ethnic Albanian majority towns include invitations to Serb leaders and public statements by ethnic Albanian leaders encouraging engagement. Goal - Encouraging and Supporting Moderate Islamists in the Sandzak Target Audience - Muslim religious leaders in the Sandzak Justification - The Sandzak Mufti is the spiritual leader of most of the Muslims in Serbia, and has been a moderate leader in dealings with us. Supporting him and other moderate Islamic leaders in the Sandzak and elsewhere in Serbia will strengthen their authority within their communities and prevent more radical influences from neighboring countries from gaining purchase. Specific Programs targeting this audience - IV Programs have included Serbian Muslim spiritual leaders; our annual iftar dinner includes invitations to key Muslim leaders from throughout Serbia, including the Muftis in Novi Pazar and Belgrade; we have also held additional iftars in Novi Pazar itself to include a broader range of Muslim spiritual and civic leaders in the Sandzak. Target Audience - regional and national Serbian media Justification - Some mainstream Serbian media has an implicit or explicit anti-Muslim bias. This can lead to feelings of anomie in the Muslim community towards the Serbian state. Sensitizing the Serbian mainstream media to Muslim concerns is an important part of creating an atmosphere of tolerance. Specific programs targeting this audience - PD has been engaging actively with Belgrade and local journalists to educate them on our Muslim outreach activities. Target Audience - general population Justification - People-to-people diplomacy fosters individual contacts that break down stereotypes and encourages tolerance and communication, creating a stronger bond between Serbian Muslims and their state. Economic and social development and protection of minority rights buffers against extremist influences Specific programs targeting this audience - US Speaker programs have focused on communities in the Sandzak; Democracy Commission grants have targeted raising political awareness among youth in Novi Pazar; high school exchange programs look to include children from the Sandzak wherever possible; an American Corner is planned for Novi Pazar to increase our outreach capabilities; USAID assistance has targeted economic and social development programs, to include SME development, in the Sandzak; the Ambassador's Fund for Cultural Preservation has focused on rebuilding Islamic cultural and educational facilities in Novi Pazar and in Belgrade; our POL section meets regularly with political, cultural, and religious leaders in the Sandzak, and engages regularly with high school students, to discuss current events. Measures of Effectiveness - increasing levels of participation from the Sandzak in USG sponsored outreach events and IV and exchange programs, decrease in reports of Wahhabist influence in the Sandzak. POLT