Resolution of Sarajevo Muslims
Encyclopedia
The Resolution of Sarajevo Muslims or Muslim Resolution of 1941 was one of the resolutions of Muslims from Bosnia and Herzegovina
(then parts of the Independent State of Croatia
) declared by 108 notable Muslim citizens of Sarajevo
during the Second World War in Sarajevo on October 12, 1941. The resolution was provoked by the persecution of Serbs
organized by Ustaše
wearing "the fez as a Muslim symbol" and by the consequent respond of Serb Chetniks
who persecuted Muslims believing they were responsible for the crimes of Ustaše. The text of this resolution was based on the resolution of the assembly of El-Hidaje (an association of ulama
from Bosnia and Herzegovina) held on August 14, 1941. By signing the text of the resolution notable Muslims from Sarajevo condemned the persecutions of the Serbs, distanced from the Muslims who participated in such persecutions and protested against the attempts to blame a whole Muslim population for the crimes of Ustaša. The text of the resolution contained their request to government of the Independent State of Croatia to provide the security for all citizens of the country regardless of their identity, to punish those who were responsible for the committed atrocities and to help people who suffered during disorder. Authors of the text of the resolution were Mehmed Handžić
and Kasim Dobrača.
became part of the Independent State of Croatia
. An organized persecution of Serbs
, Jews
and Roma people
took place on the whole territory of Independent State of Croatia (including Bosnia
and Herzegovina
) soon after it was established. Ustaše
wanted to cause conflicts between Muslims and Orthodox Serbs in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Therefore they recruited some members of Muslim population of Bosnia and Herzegovina to participate in the persecution of Serbs. They wore Muslim clothes and shouted Muslim names when they organized attacks on Serb population. Such activities resulted with armed conflicts between Serbs and Muslims. That was the reason why Muslims from many towns of Bosnia and Herzegovina declared their resolutions. Most notable are the resolutions of Muslims from Prijedor
(September 23, 1941), Sarajevo
(October 12, 1941), Mostar
(October 21, 1941), Banja Luka (November 12, 1941), Bijeljina (December 2, 1941), Tuzla
(December 11, 1941) and Zenica
(May 26, 1942).
from Bosnia and Herzegovina on its assembly held on August 14, 2011. It was written by Mehmed Handžić
and Kasim Dobrača. All Muslim resolutions of 1941, including the Resolution of Sarajevo Muslims, contain the following elements:
The conclusion of the Resolution of Sarajevo Muslims included request for providing the security for all citizens of the country, regardless of their identity, punishing the individuals responsible for the committed atrocities and helping the people who suffered during disorder.
The resolution was officially delivered to Jozo Dumandžić when he visited Sarajevo as minister in the government of Independent State of Croatia. By the order of Ante Pavelić
, Dumandžić unsuccessfully attempted to force the signatories of the resolution to recall their signatures. Džafer Kulenović has also been ordered by Pavelić to force the signatories of the resolution to recall their signatures, but he failed too.
, an World War II
Ustaše
Commissioner of Bosnia and Herzegovina
, threatened to send all signatories to the concentration camps.
After Resolution of Sarajevo Muslims has been signed, Muslims from many other towns in Bosnia and Herzegovina signed similar resolutions in following months. On December 1, 1941 Muslims from Sarajevo submitted another protest against actions of Ustaše
"under the fez as a Muslim symbol". Some conservative Muslims realized that their resolutions did not have any effect on Ustasha regime, so they gave up hopes that such regime will protect interest of the Muslims. In August 1942 they established the Committee for National Salvation and sent a petition to Hitler asking for "a region of Bosnia" under direct German patronage, supporting their request with the racial arguments. They also asked Hitler to provide weapons for a Bosnian guard as nucleus of the army of "region of Bosnia" and that request pleased Heinrich Himler and group of SS officers who already had plans to establish separate SS-Division composed of Muslims. That plan was implemented in 1943 when the 13th Waffen Mountain Division of the SS Handschar (1st Croatian)
was established.
Herzegovina
Herzegovina is the southern region of Bosnia and Herzegovina. While there is no official border distinguishing it from the Bosnian region, it is generally accepted that the borders of the region are Croatia to the west, Montenegro to the south, the canton boundaries of the Herzegovina-Neretva...
(then parts of the Independent State of Croatia
Independent State of Croatia
The Independent State of Croatia was a World War II puppet state of Nazi Germany, established on a part of Axis-occupied Yugoslavia. The NDH was founded on 10 April 1941, after the invasion of Yugoslavia by the Axis powers. All of Bosnia and Herzegovina was annexed to NDH, together with some parts...
) declared by 108 notable Muslim citizens of Sarajevo
Sarajevo
Sarajevo |Bosnia]], surrounded by the Dinaric Alps and situated along the Miljacka River in the heart of Southeastern Europe and the Balkans....
during the Second World War in Sarajevo on October 12, 1941. The resolution was provoked by the persecution of Serbs
World War II persecution of Serbs
The Serbian Genocide refers to the attempt in extermination made towards ethnic Serbs in 1939-1945 by predominantly ethnic Croat Fascists and Nazi occupational forces....
organized by Ustaše
Ustaše
The Ustaša - Croatian Revolutionary Movement was a Croatian fascist anti-Yugoslav separatist movement. The ideology of the movement was a blend of fascism, Nazism, and Croatian nationalism. The Ustaše supported the creation of a Greater Croatia that would span to the River Drina and to the border...
wearing "the fez as a Muslim symbol" and by the consequent respond of Serb Chetniks
Chetniks
Chetniks, or the Chetnik movement , were Serbian nationalist and royalist paramilitary organizations from the first half of the 20th century. The Chetniks were formed as a Serbian resistance against the Ottoman Empire in 1904, and participated in the Balkan Wars, World War I, and World War II...
who persecuted Muslims believing they were responsible for the crimes of Ustaše. The text of this resolution was based on the resolution of the assembly of El-Hidaje (an association of ulama
Ulama
-In Islam:* Ulema, also transliterated "ulama", a community of legal scholars of Islam and its laws . See:**Nahdlatul Ulama **Darul-uloom Nadwatul Ulama **Jamiatul Ulama Transvaal**Jamiat ul-Ulama -Other:...
from Bosnia and Herzegovina) held on August 14, 1941. By signing the text of the resolution notable Muslims from Sarajevo condemned the persecutions of the Serbs, distanced from the Muslims who participated in such persecutions and protested against the attempts to blame a whole Muslim population for the crimes of Ustaša. The text of the resolution contained their request to government of the Independent State of Croatia to provide the security for all citizens of the country regardless of their identity, to punish those who were responsible for the committed atrocities and to help people who suffered during disorder. Authors of the text of the resolution were Mehmed Handžić
Mehmed Handžić
Mehmed Handžić was one of authors of Resolution of Sarajevo Muslims' and chairman of the Committee of National Salvation...
and Kasim Dobrača.
Background
In the Second World War, the territory of modern Bosnia and HerzegovinaBosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
became part of the Independent State of Croatia
Independent State of Croatia
The Independent State of Croatia was a World War II puppet state of Nazi Germany, established on a part of Axis-occupied Yugoslavia. The NDH was founded on 10 April 1941, after the invasion of Yugoslavia by the Axis powers. All of Bosnia and Herzegovina was annexed to NDH, together with some parts...
. An organized persecution of Serbs
World War II persecution of Serbs
The Serbian Genocide refers to the attempt in extermination made towards ethnic Serbs in 1939-1945 by predominantly ethnic Croat Fascists and Nazi occupational forces....
, Jews
The Holocaust in Croatia
The Holocaust in Croatia refers to the genocide of Jews during World War II within the modern borders of the Republic of Croatia, and in a wider sense the World War II-era Independent State of Croatia.- Background :...
and Roma people
Roma people
The Romani, who are known collectively in the Romani language as Romane or Rromane and also as Romany, Romanies, Romanis, Roma or Roms, are an ethnic group living mostly in Europe, who trace their origins to the Indian Subcontinent...
took place on the whole territory of Independent State of Croatia (including Bosnia
Bosnia (region)
Bosnia is a eponomous region of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It lies mainly in the Dinaric Alps, ranging to the southern borders of the Pannonian plain, with the rivers Sava and Drina marking its northern and eastern borders. The other eponomous region, the southern, other half of the country is...
and Herzegovina
Herzegovina
Herzegovina is the southern region of Bosnia and Herzegovina. While there is no official border distinguishing it from the Bosnian region, it is generally accepted that the borders of the region are Croatia to the west, Montenegro to the south, the canton boundaries of the Herzegovina-Neretva...
) soon after it was established. Ustaše
Ustaše
The Ustaša - Croatian Revolutionary Movement was a Croatian fascist anti-Yugoslav separatist movement. The ideology of the movement was a blend of fascism, Nazism, and Croatian nationalism. The Ustaše supported the creation of a Greater Croatia that would span to the River Drina and to the border...
wanted to cause conflicts between Muslims and Orthodox Serbs in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Therefore they recruited some members of Muslim population of Bosnia and Herzegovina to participate in the persecution of Serbs. They wore Muslim clothes and shouted Muslim names when they organized attacks on Serb population. Such activities resulted with armed conflicts between Serbs and Muslims. That was the reason why Muslims from many towns of Bosnia and Herzegovina declared their resolutions. Most notable are the resolutions of Muslims from Prijedor
Prijedor
Prijedor is a city and municipality in the north-western part of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is situated in the Bosanska Krajina region....
(September 23, 1941), Sarajevo
Sarajevo
Sarajevo |Bosnia]], surrounded by the Dinaric Alps and situated along the Miljacka River in the heart of Southeastern Europe and the Balkans....
(October 12, 1941), Mostar
Mostar
Mostar is a city and municipality in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the largest and one of the most important cities in the Herzegovina region and the center of the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton of the Federation. Mostar is situated on the Neretva river and is the fifth-largest city in the country...
(October 21, 1941), Banja Luka (November 12, 1941), Bijeljina (December 2, 1941), Tuzla
Tuzla
Tuzla is a city and municipality in Bosnia and Herzegovina. At the time of the 1991 census, it had 83,770 inhabitants, while the municipality 131,318. Taking the influx of refugees into account, the city is currently estimated to have 174,558 inhabitants...
(December 11, 1941) and Zenica
Zenica
Zenica is an industrial city in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is the capital of the Zenica-Doboj Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina entity...
(May 26, 1942).
The resolution
The basis for the Resolution of Sarajevo Muslims was a resolution declared by El-Hidaje, an association of ulamaUlama
-In Islam:* Ulema, also transliterated "ulama", a community of legal scholars of Islam and its laws . See:**Nahdlatul Ulama **Darul-uloom Nadwatul Ulama **Jamiatul Ulama Transvaal**Jamiat ul-Ulama -Other:...
from Bosnia and Herzegovina on its assembly held on August 14, 2011. It was written by Mehmed Handžić
Mehmed Handžić
Mehmed Handžić was one of authors of Resolution of Sarajevo Muslims' and chairman of the Committee of National Salvation...
and Kasim Dobrača. All Muslim resolutions of 1941, including the Resolution of Sarajevo Muslims, contain the following elements:
- public condemning of the persecutions of the SerbsSerbsThe Serbs are a South Slavic ethnic group of the Balkans and southern Central Europe. Serbs are located mainly in Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and form a sizable minority in Croatia, the Republic of Macedonia and Slovenia. Likewise, Serbs are an officially recognized minority in...
by Ustaše - distancing from the Muslims who participated in such persecutions and protesting against the attempts to blame the whole Muslim population for the crimes of Ustaša
- presenting informations about the persecutions of Muslims
The conclusion of the Resolution of Sarajevo Muslims included request for providing the security for all citizens of the country, regardless of their identity, punishing the individuals responsible for the committed atrocities and helping the people who suffered during disorder.
The resolution was officially delivered to Jozo Dumandžić when he visited Sarajevo as minister in the government of Independent State of Croatia. By the order of Ante Pavelić
Ante Pavelic
Ante Pavelić was a Croatian fascist leader, revolutionary, and politician. He ruled as Poglavnik or head, of the Independent State of Croatia , a World War II puppet state of Nazi Germany in Axis-occupied Yugoslavia...
, Dumandžić unsuccessfully attempted to force the signatories of the resolution to recall their signatures. Džafer Kulenović has also been ordered by Pavelić to force the signatories of the resolution to recall their signatures, but he failed too.
Aftermath
Muslims who signed the resolution were exposed to explicit treats of Ustaša regime. Jure FrancetićJure Francetic
Jure Francetić was an World War II Ustaše Commissioner of Bosnia and Herzegovina, responsible for the massacre of Bosnian Serbs and Jews.-Early life and activities prior to formation of NDH:...
, an World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
Ustaše
Ustaše
The Ustaša - Croatian Revolutionary Movement was a Croatian fascist anti-Yugoslav separatist movement. The ideology of the movement was a blend of fascism, Nazism, and Croatian nationalism. The Ustaše supported the creation of a Greater Croatia that would span to the River Drina and to the border...
Commissioner of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
, threatened to send all signatories to the concentration camps.
After Resolution of Sarajevo Muslims has been signed, Muslims from many other towns in Bosnia and Herzegovina signed similar resolutions in following months. On December 1, 1941 Muslims from Sarajevo submitted another protest against actions of Ustaše
Ustaše
The Ustaša - Croatian Revolutionary Movement was a Croatian fascist anti-Yugoslav separatist movement. The ideology of the movement was a blend of fascism, Nazism, and Croatian nationalism. The Ustaše supported the creation of a Greater Croatia that would span to the River Drina and to the border...
"under the fez as a Muslim symbol". Some conservative Muslims realized that their resolutions did not have any effect on Ustasha regime, so they gave up hopes that such regime will protect interest of the Muslims. In August 1942 they established the Committee for National Salvation and sent a petition to Hitler asking for "a region of Bosnia" under direct German patronage, supporting their request with the racial arguments. They also asked Hitler to provide weapons for a Bosnian guard as nucleus of the army of "region of Bosnia" and that request pleased Heinrich Himler and group of SS officers who already had plans to establish separate SS-Division composed of Muslims. That plan was implemented in 1943 when the 13th Waffen Mountain Division of the SS Handschar (1st Croatian)
13th Waffen Mountain Division of the SS Handschar (1st Croatian)
The 13th Waffen Mountain Division of the SS Handschar was one of the thirty-eight divisions fielded as part of the Waffen-SS during World War II. Its recruits were composed of Muslim Bosniaks. The Handschar division was a mountain infantry formation, the equivalent of the German "Gebirgsjäger" ...
was established.