Orthodoxy and Islam in the Balkans: Conflict or Cooperation?

Relationships between Orthodoxy and Islam have been largely determined by the experience of the centuries-long subjugation of the Balkans to the Ottoman Turkish Empire, which made it difficult to weaken ethno-religious identification. The Balkan wars of the 1990s further poisoned the relationships as many Orthodox fear the advance of a militant Islam from Asia. First I survey the antagonistic views of two prominent Serbian anti-Muslim writers. Then I present attempts at dialogue and mutual understanding in terms of actual meetings that took place. There are only a few theoretical voices in the Orthodox and Muslim communities advocating dialogue and cooperation, such as those of a lay Orthodox theologian, Marko Djuric, and of a professional Muslim theologian, Ismail Bardhi. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]