Islamski građanski aktivizam u muslimanskoj prošlosti i njegove forme kod Bošnjaka krajem XIX i tokom XX st.
Islamic Civic Activism in the Muslim Past and Its Forms in Bosniacs at the End of 19th Century and during 20th Century

Summary/Abstract: This paper deals with issues related to the Muslim past in general, and particularly to the past of Bosniacs in the last one hundred years regarding Islamic social-educational and humanitarian thinking and practice, along with the insitutions through which they have been achieved. Islam emphasises the importance of socially beneficial works, setting general aims whose outcome is a strong and safe society wherein an individual can achieve his civil rights and meet his duties and obligations. In the Muslim past social aspects of activism were achieved through the institution of endowment, which in our country had also played an indelible role in the cultural and economic development of our cities and market towns. At the end of the 19th century and during the 20th century our country had been part of several different state arrangements and social orders which, in turn, has greatly impacted the religious and social thinking and practice of Bosniacs through extra-institutional forms of organising. Nevertheless, this practice had remained alive and vibrant in all periods with the exception of a fifty-year- long Communist period when all genuine civil initiatives were frozen. Taking into account that in this context we refer to-extra-institutional and non-state forms of organising and activism of citizens, at this point we should define the concept of civil society through which civic activism was realised in the past and the present. At the end of the paper the most important research findings will be presented with regard to ways and forms of civic organising in today’s transitional Bosnia and Herzegovina when it comes to Bosniacs’ social activism in respect of education and charity work inspired by religion.

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