Islam in Montenegro

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Islam by continent

Muslims in Montenegro form the largest minority religion in the country. According to the 2011 census, Montenegro's 118,477 Muslims make up c. 19.1% of the total population.[1] They are divided into these main groups: Slavic Muslims split among Bosnian-speaking Bosniaks, Slavic Muslims, Montenegrin-speaking Montenegrins, and ethnic Albanians. Albanians are a separate ethnic group, speaking their own language, Albanian (4.91%) and living mostly in the south-east, especially in Ulcinj, where they form the vast majority of the both municipality's and town's population. Bosniaks are Slavic Muslims speaking the Bosnian language and living mostly in the northeast. Montenegro's Muslims belong to the Sunni branch.

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History

In the 15th century the Montenegrin king Ivan (1465–1490) was at war with the infiltrating Venetians unable to maintain war on both fronts Ottoman Empire had conquered much of Montenegro's territory and introduced Islam. Ivan's third son Staniša Crnojević was the first prominent Montenegrin of the Muslim faith, and since then Islam was not an uncommon religion to the Crnojević Montenegrin ruling dynasty.

Staniša Crnojević took up the name Skenderbeg Crnojević and ruled from his capital at Cetinje. He is well known as one of the most prominent Muslim administrators in the northern reaches of the Ottoman Empire of Slavic origins during the reign of Sultan Selim I. Staniša Crnojević is known to have commanded an army of approximately 3000 Akıncı he also maintained correspondence with neighboring contemporaries such as Gazi Husrev-beg.

In 1704 the Montenegrin Christians conducted a massacre of Muslims known as the "Inquisition of the Turks" on Christmas Eve.

Twenty-first century

The Muslims of Montenegro are mostly Montenegrin and Bosniak by ethinicity but also some are declared Muslims by nationality (basically the same as the first mentioned ethnic Montenegrin Muslims). The Muslims can be mostly found in the Sandžak region in Montenegro. The Bosniaks have virtually the same ethnic background with the Montenegrin Muslims, but differ in ideology of what ethnicity they belong to.

Demographics

Ethnic composition according to the 2003 census: Of the total 110,034 Muslims:

See also

References

External links