Jihadism as a Challenge for Balkan States

Abstract

The research hypothesis of the article is that increasing Islamic radicalization among Muslims in the Balkan area can pose a substantial challenge to the security of EU states and the region’s stability. This radicalization was an implication of three phenomena. The first was the emergence of the IS, an organization mainly joined by Muslims from Bosnia and Kosovo. The second was the refugee and migrant crisis reinforced by the influx of Muslim refugees to Western Europe who also originated from the Balkans. The third was the infiltration of Saudi Arabia which has successfully spread a radical Wahhabi version of Islam among the people of the region. The paper will attempt to answer the research question of whether jihadism poses a threat to the Balkan states, a part of Europe where native rather than immigrant Muslims are an integral part of the social landscape. The research problem will be resolved with the use of the following research methods: the comparative method, factor analysis and content analysis.