Hybrid nature of extremism: Cohesive characteristics of ethno-nationalism and religious extremism as generators of Balkan insecurity

It will be no mistake to say that the region of the Balkans is the site with 'good soil' for conflicts. A significant number of scholars, who have analyzed the nature of conflicts in the Balkans, recognized the 1990s wars as religious conflicts. Others point out that the nature of these conflicts is based on ethnic and ethno-nationalist reasons. Taking into account the complex character of the 'Balkans powder keg', it could be said that both views are correct. But then again, each of these conflicts had (and has) certain differences that support the thesis by which this particularly sensitive issue must by analyzed with exclusive respect for the role of religion. Namely, the role of religion is prominent and significant in almost all Balkan conflicts inspired by ethno-nationalist ideas and passions. In this regard, the main objective of this paper is to emphasize the so called 'hybrid' character of the Balkans antagonisms and conflicts, which have extremist-religious and ethno-nationalist components at the same time

Religija kao faktor strateške kulture na primerima hrišćanstva i islama

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Religious and ethnic context of the Serbian strategic culture

In the paper entitled "Religion as a factor of strategic culture on the examples of Christianity and Islam" there is an analysis of the ideas and values that distinguish what is "allowed" and what isn't, primarily in the use of force. This paper has a global character, so there was the need to continue the research on how religion participates in the strategic orientation of specific countries. How does Serbia relate to this factor of strategic culture? To what extent does it participate in the current political reality? How does this factor communicate with the equivalent narratives in the surrounding countries, especially in the light of the conflicts during the 1990s? Where is the difference between the ethnic and religious context of the identity? To what extent do these two contexts support each other, and to what extent are they an obstacle to the identity profiling of our society? These are some of the research questions of this paper. The multidisciplinary approach and the referred literature represent a valid framework for correct and objective answers to the mentioned questions