Islam in Croatia

The Muslim Ottoman Empire owned part of Croatia from the XV to the XIX century and left a deep imprint. Some Croats converted to Islam. The advancement of the Ottoman Empire in Europe was stopped on Croatian soil, which in a sense can be regarded as the “ historical gateway to European civilization ”. Since 1519, in Western Europe, Croatia was known as the “ avant-garde of Christianity ” ( lat. Antemurale Christianitatis ), Pope Leo X gave this name to the country.

Croatian Muslims

The historical names of many officials in the Ottoman Empire show their origin (Hirwat = Hrvat or Horvat, which is the Croatian name for the Croat): Mahmut Pasha Hirvat (= Hrvat), Rustem Pasha Hrvat, Pi (me / ja) whether Pasha Hrvat, Si (I / j) vus Pasha Hrvat, etc. In the 16th century, traveler and writer Marco A. Pigaffetta wrote that almost everyone in the Turkish court in Constantinople knows the Croatian language, and especially soldiers. In his work The Route ( Italian: Itinerario ), published in London in 1585, Marco Pigaffetta said: “ In Istanbul, it is common to speak the Croatian language, a language that is understood by almost all Turkish officials, especially the military .”

This can be confirmed by one fact: in 1553, Bishop Antun Vrancic and diplomat Franjo Zai paid a visit to Istanbul as envoys of the Croatian-Hungarian king to discuss a peace treaty with the Ottoman Empire. During the negotiations, they talked with Rust Pasha Hrvat, who first spoke Turkish through an interpreter, however, then interrupted the translator and asked in Croatian whether Zai and Vrančić speak Croatian? After receiving an affirmative answer, Rustem Pasha sent a translator and continued communicating with them in Croatian throughout the negotiation process.

During the Second World War , Ismet Muftic , who had held this position since 1917, was the mufti of Zagreb . In 1945, he was hanged by Tito partisans in front of the entrance to his mosque .

In the territory of modern Croatia, Muslims were first officially registered in the 1931 census : 1,239 of them lived in Zagreb, and their total number in Croatia was approximately 4,000.

Data from the following censuses registering Muslims:

• 1948 - 1,077 people
• 1953 - 16.185
• 1961 - 3.113

After 1971 , when Muslims were officially recognized as a nationality in the SFRY , the censuses were as follows:

• 1971 - 18.487 people
• 1981 - 23.740
• 1991 - 43.486

Based on census data from 1931 to 1961, it can be concluded that a certain number of Muslims in Croatia declared themselves Croats or Yugoslavs . Their number increased due to immigration from Bosnia and Herzegovina .

Current State

According to the 2011 census , the population of Croatia is 4,284,889 people, of which Muslims make up 1.47% (62.977).

The 2001 South Slavic Muslim Muslim Census Community consists of:

• ≈20,000 claiming to be Muslims by nationality;
• ≈20,000 claiming to be Bosnia;
• ≈10,000 consider themselves Croats of the Islamic faith.

Population of other Muslim minorities in Croatia according to the 2011 census:

• Turks - 343

Population of other minorities in Croatia who have a significant number of Muslims according to the 2001 census:

• Gypsies : 9.463 (0.21%)
• Albanians : 15.082 (0.34%)

Zagreb, the capital of Croatia, has one of the largest and most beautiful new mosques in Europe, although there was not a single mosque in the days of the Ottoman Empire in Zagreb.

The leader of the Muslim community of Croatia and the mufti of Zagreb is Imam Shevko Omerbasic.

In 2013, the construction of a new mosque in Rijeka was completed, which was built in accordance with the Mediterranean style of the territory ^[1] . Muslims are also planning to build a mosque in Dubrovnik on the top of the mountain behind the old city. The local council, however, rejected this idea and proposed building a mosque behind the mountain, which, in turn, was rejected by the Muslim community. The Muslim community also plans to build mosques in Osijek and Sisak , and is considering the construction of a mosque in Karlovac .

• ^ Religious Communities in Croatia from 1945 to 1991 ( http://hrcak.srce.hr/file/24040 )
• Website of the Islamic community of Croatia (Croatian.)