Religion and Ethnic Conflict in the South Slavic Area (Sociological and Socio-Historic Notes)

Abstract

U radu se, uglavnom sociologijski i socijalno-historijski, pristupa povezanosti religije i etničkog konflikta na "južnoslavenskom prostoru". Govori se o konkretnim povijesnim religijama (i konfesijama) i etničkim grupama, kao stvarnim, složenim i proturječnim pojavnostima. No, o tome se ne raspravlja sistematski već se ukazuje samo na prilike koje unekoliko paradigmatički ocrtavaju genezu i strukturu problema (pa i konflikata) vezanih za odnos religije i etničkog identiteta. Religijski je i etnički mozaik južnoslavenskog prostora po mnogome osobit. Na relativno malu prostoru susreću se mnogi narodi, kulture i religije, te raznolike državno-političke tvorevine. Vjerski sukobi tokom više stoljeća (primjerice između islama i kršćanstva te pravoslavlja i katoličanstva) značajno su utjecali i na suvremenu sliku međukonfesionalnih i međuetničkih odnosa. Kako i u prošlosti, tako i u većini novijih i aktualnih političkih i etničkih previranja i sukoba gotovo je nezaobilazna i manja ili veća uloga religija (i konfesija), a u svim "slučajevima" osnovni razlog sukoba jest izjednačavanje religijske i etničke/nacionalne pripadnosti. Iz svega proizlazi da s kulturnim i religijskim pluralizmom kao i etničkim pluralizmom i u (postsocijalističkim) društvima južnoslavenskog prostora valja računati kao s mogućim čimbenikom bogatog ljudskog i društvenog života, ali i kao mogućim čimbenikom sukoba. Smanjivanje pretpostavki nesuglasica zbog poistovjećivanja religijskoga i etničkog identiteta osobit je izazov upravo u većini postsocijalističkih južnoslavenskih društava. Ishod umnogome zavisi i od (samo)razumijevanja mjesta i uloge "revitalizirane" (tradicionalne) religije (i religijske kulture) kao i religijskih ustanova u promijenjenim društveno-sistemskim okolnostima.Primarily from a sociological and socio-historic standpoint the paper deals with the inter-connection between religion and ethnic conflict in the South Slavic area. It treats concrete historical religions (and confessions) and ethnic groups as real, complex and contradictory phenomena. However, the paper does not deal with this systematically, but rather only indicates certain points which provide somewhat a paradigmatic illustration of the genesis and structure of the problem (and the conflicts) linked with the relationship between religion and ethnicity. The religious and ethnic mosaic of the South Slav area is in many ways specific. On a relatively small area many peoples, cultures, religions and socio-political formations come into contact. Religious conflicts through the centuries (e.g. between Islam and Christianity, between Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy) have significantly effected the present picture of inter-confessional and inter-ethnic relations. As in the past, so too in most of the recent and present political and ethnic tensions and conflicts, a greater or lesser role of religion (and confessions) has been practically inevitable, and in practically all “cases” the basic reason of conflict has derived from the equalizing of religious and ethnic/national affiliations. From this one can deduce that cultural and religious pluralism, as well as ethnic pluralism – likewise in the modern (post-socialist) societies in the South Slav area – should be considered as possible factors in enriching human and social life, but also as possible factors of conflict. Lessening the assumptions of discord due to the equalisation of religious and ethnic identities is a challenge in most post-socialist South Slav societies. The out-come in many respects depends on a (self-)understanding of the place and role of “revitalised” (traditional) religion (and religious culture) as well as on religious organisations in changed socio-regimal surroundings