Governing religious diversity in Western Balkans: The volatility of ethno-religious coexistence in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Albania

Abstract

The chartography of physical and imaginary borders between different national communities has historically been a challenging political process, especially in the case of the Balkan Peninsula. As regards ethno-nationalism in the Western Balkans, religion is one of the rudimental and constitutive elements of a nation’s identity. Yet, in theory this can only be true for a religiously homogenous nation-state, although this region is far from being home to religious homogeneity. A case in point is Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), where the lack of religious homogeneity can be illustrated through the three different religions that dominate the two political entities in the country. Albania, another country of Western Balkans, is similar to the case of BiH in relation to religious diversity among its population, but different from it in relation to religion not being an identity element upon which its nation is founded. In view of this diversity of mixed religious heritage embedded in the state formation, this article focuses on the nature of the ethno-religious nationalism in BiH and Albania. By employing a comparative case study approach, this article sets the analytical framework for the study of ethno-religious nationalism, while addressing the state approaches, policy orientations and challenges that characterize the governance of religious diversity in these countries in the post-communist era. The concept of religious nationalism - which is operationalized in ethnic terms – is used to shed light on the two states’ nation-building efforts, which have incorporated a marked religious element. The paper concludes with a cross-country analysis on how the volatility of ethno-religious coexistence in BiH and Albania has shaped their present and shall impact their future.