BOSNIA - REIS CERIC CALLS FOR "NATIONAL BOSNIAK

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 SARAJEVO 000507 SIPDIS EUR/SCE FOR FOOKS/MCGUIRE; NSC FOR HELGERSON E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/19/2019 TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM BK SUBJECT: BOSNIA - REIS CERIC CALLS FOR "NATIONAL BOSNIAK STATE" REF: SARAJEVO 226 Classified By: Political Counselor Michael J. Murphy, for reasons 1.4 ( b) and (d). ¶1. (C) Summary: Reis Mustafa Ceric, head of the Islamic Community of Bosnia and Herzegovina, continues to shoot from the hip on political matters, this time calling into question the country's multi-ethnic identity. While Islamic Community representatives were quick to dismiss this as a misunderstanding of a call by the Reis for greater national pride in Bosnian-ness, the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and Nasa Stranka noted with great concern the Reis' precise wording calling for a "national Bosniak state." Ceric once again demonstrates his willingness to use the language of "peaceful coexistence" to the West, and more Islamically-minded, politically-targeted, and nationalist language among his more conservative followers. End Summary. Talkin' 'bout Islam -------------- ¶2. (SBU) On April 15, Reis Ceric spoke at the third annual session of the Association of Islamic Scholars in BiH. Though the Islamic Community's website offered only a brief press release regarding the event with little substantive information, several press sources quoted Ceric as expounding at length on the need to build and reinforce Bosniak (Bosnian Muslim) nationality, criticizing Bosniak intellectuals for not having done more to foster such identity. Ceric added that there was a need for Bosniaks to build a state that would protect them from genocide. Bosnia's largest circulation daily, Dnevni Avaz (itself strongly allied with Ceric in its editorial policy) characterized the Reis as suggesting that "Bosnia and Herzegovina is no longer unquestionable to him." Avaz also quoted Ceric as asserting that the Islamic Community of BiH, beyond its religious role, is becoming a substitute for a "national Bosniak state." SDP, Nasa Stranka fire back -------------- ¶3. (C) Nasa Stranka (a small, relatively new political party with multi-ethnic aspirations) was quick to criticize the Reis "manipulating religion, religious feelings and traumas of Bosnian Muslims in order to promote ideas that proved to be tragic for BiH in recent history." The Social Democratic Party (SDP) -- a left-leaning, nominally multi-ethnic, though largely Bosniak party -- was also highly critical of the Reis, saying that Ceric and others had no right to criticize the borders of today's Bosnia. SDP claimed Ceric's speech was evidence of his abandoning of a purely religious role in favor of taking up a national political agenda. The same day, the Islamic Community deplored SDP and Nasa Stranka's statements, and argued that the Reis had been misunderstood, and was only been advocating a greater sense of "Bosnianhood," without seeking to deny the diverse ethnic identities of other groups in BiH. RS Parties' Belated Reaction -------------- ¶4. (C) Republika Srpska (RS) media outlets and political commentators were oddly quiet throughout the April 17-20 time period, though the observance of Orthodox Easter holidays likely contributed. On April 21, Glas Srpske noted the Reis' call for the "creation of a national component among the Bosniaks" and his comment that this would likely lead to an eventual "national Bosniak state." Several Serb and Croat political representatives were quoted as harshly criticizing Ceric's comments, including SNSD and PDP representatives and the Head of the Croat Caucus in the BiH House of Peoples, Josip Peric. RS senior leadership, such as Dodik, Radojcic and others did not comment on Ceric's statements. Comment: The Road to Perdition -------------- ¶5. (C) The fact that Avaz (so strongly supportive of the Ceric) quoted the Reis as calling for a "national Bosniak state" indicates he likely in fact used those words. Regardless of how this is statement is "spun," Ceric seems to be banging a very dangerous drum that could easily be percieved by Serbs, Croats and others as support for Muslim SARAJEVO 00000507 002 OF 002 dominance within a certain geographic area. Ceric continues down the unconstructive path of catering to the most narrow-minded segments of the Bosniak population, something we have highlighted in previous reporting (reftel). His abandonment of political impartiality only serves to detract from the moral authority an institution such as the Rijaset needs to wield in an environment like Bosnia. End comment. ENGLISH