
English
Interreligious Dialogue and Ethnic Nationalisms in the Balkans
At the invitation of PISAI (Pontifical Institute for Arabic and Islamic Studies, Rome) and Georgetown University, Ahmet Alibašić, professor of Islamic civilization at the Faculty of Islamic Studies in Sarajevo, delivered the tenth Georgetown Lecture on Contemporary Islam. The lecture was introduced by Professor Wasim Salman, President of PISAI, and moderated by David Marshall.
His central thesis: in the Balkans, interreligious dialogue is not primarily constrained by theology, but by the political instrumentalization of religion. The close fusion of ethnic and religious identities turns encounters between traditions into an arena of ethno-national rivalries. Bosnia and Herzegovina, the most radical case in this respect, has seen the constitutional arrangement established by the Dayton Peace Agreement entrench the dominance of politics over religion.
Alibašić describes three communities (Catholic, Orthodox, Muslim) largely held captive by their nationalisms: some for lack of a universalist message, others through financial dependency on political power, still others out of fear of being accused of national betrayal. Critical voices exist within each tradition, but pay for their freedom with marginalization. Often perceived as partners of politicians, religious leaders are in fact their hostages.
In response, the Sarajevo theologian proposes shifting the focus of dialogue: not denying identities, but humanizing them through notions of critical loyalty, obedience conditioned by higher values, and forgiveness, still insufficiently theorized on the Muslim side. Before engaging in dialogue with others, one must dialogue within one’s own community. A demanding task: “to persevere on this path, one needs extraordinary intellectual self-confidence, independence, courage, and strength to swim against the tide.”
À l’invitation du PISAI (Institut pontifical d’études arabes et d’islamologie, Rome) et de Georgetown University, Ahmet Alibašić, professeur de civilisation islamique à la Faculté d’études islamiques de Sarajevo, a donné la dixième Georgetown Lecture on Contemporary Islam. La conférence a été introduite par le professeur Wasim Salman, président du PISAI, et modérée par David Marshall.
Sa thèse centrale : dans les Balkans, le dialogue interreligieux n’est pas d’abord contraint par la théologie, mais par l’instrumentalisation politique de la religion. La fusion étroite entre identités ethniques et religieuses transforme la rencontre entre traditions en arène des rivalités ethno-nationales. La Bosnie-Herzégovine, pays le plus radical de ce point de vue, a vu l’arrangement constitutionnel issu des accords de Dayton pérenniser la domination du politique sur le religieux.
Alibašić décrit trois communautés (catholique, orthodoxe, musulmane) largement captives de leurs nationalismes : certaines par manque de message universaliste, d’autres par dépendance financière au pouvoir politique, d’autres encore par peur d’être accusées de trahison nationale. Les voix critiques existent dans chaque tradition, mais paient leur liberté au prix de la marginalisation. Souvent perçus comme partenaires des politiques, les dirigeants religieux en sont en réalité les otages.
Face à ce constat, le théologien de Sarajevo propose un déplacement du dialogue : non pas nier les identités, mais les humaniser par des notions de loyauté critique, d’obéissance conditionnée aux valeurs supérieures et de pardon, encore peu théorisé côté musulman. Avant d’engager le dialogue avec les autres, il faut dialoguer avec sa propre communauté. Une tâche exigeante : « pour persévérer sur ce chemin, il faut une confiance intellectuelle extraordinaire, l’indépendance, le courage et la force de remonter le courant. »
بدعوة من المعهد البابوي للدراسات العربية والإسلامية (PISAI) في روما، وجامعة جورجتاون، ألقى أحمد علي باشيتش، أستاذ الحضارة الإسلامية في كلية الدراسات الإسلامية بسراييفو، المحاضرة العاشرة ضمن سلسلة « محاضرات جورجتاون حول الإسلام المعاصر ». قدّم المحاضرة الأستاذ وسيم سلمان، رئيس المعهد البابوي للدراسات العربية والإسلامية، وأدارها ديفيد مارشال.
إنّ أطروحته المحوريّة تقوم على أنّ الحوار بين الأديان في البلقان لا يُقيَّد في المقام الأوّل بالعوائق اللاهوتيّة، بل بالتوظيف السياسيّ للدين. فالاندماج الوثيق بين الهويّات العرقيّة والدينيّة يُحوّل اللقاءَ بين التقاليد إلى ساحةٍ للتنافسات الإثنيّة والقوميّة. ولا سيّما أنّ البوسنة والهرسك تُعدّ الحالة الأكثر تطرّفاً في هذا الشأن، إذ رسّخ الترتيبُ الدستوريّ المنبثق عن اتّفاقيّة دايتون هيمنةَ السياسيّ على الدينيّ.
ويصف علي باشيتش ثلاثَ جماعاتٍ دينيّة (الكاثوليكيّة والأرثوذكسيّة والمسلمة) أسيرةً إلى حدٍّ بعيد لقوميّاتها: فبعضها يفتقر إلى خطابٍ كونيّ، وبعضها الآخر يعتمد ماليّاً على السلطة السياسيّة، فضلاً عن جماعاتٍ تخشى أن تُتّهم بالخيانة القوميّة. وثمّة أصواتٌ نقديّة داخل كلّ تقليد، بيدَ أنّها تدفع ثمن حريّتها تهميشاً. وكثيراً ما يُنظَر إلى القادة الدينيّين على أنّهم شركاء للسياسيّين، في حين أنّهم في الواقع رهائنُ لهم.
في مواجهة هذا الواقع، يقترح عالم اللاهوت السراييفي إزاحة الحوار: لا بإنكار الهويات، بل بأنسنتها عبر مفاهيم الولاء النقدي، والطاعة المشروطة بالقيم العليا، والصفح، الذي لم يُنظَّر له بعد بشكل كافٍ في الجانب الإسلامي. وقبل الانخراط في الحوار مع الآخرين، لا بدّ من حوار داخل الجماعة ذاتها. وهي مهمة عسيرة: «للاستمرار على هذا الطريق، يلزم قدر استثنائي من الثقة الفكرية، والاستقلالية، والشجاعة، والقوة للسباحة عكس التيار.»
Su invito del PISAI (Pontificio Istituto di Studi Arabi e d’Islamistica, Roma) e della Georgetown University, Ahmet Alibašić, professore di civiltà islamica presso la Facoltà di Studi Islamici di Sarajevo, ha tenuto la decima Georgetown Lecture on Contemporary Islam. La conferenza è stata introdotta dal professor Wasim Salman, presidente del PISAI, e moderata da David Marshall.
La sua tesi centrale: nei Balcani, il dialogo interreligioso non è anzitutto limitato dalla teologia, ma dalla strumentalizzazione politica della religione. La stretta fusione tra identità etniche e religiose trasforma l’incontro tra tradizioni in un’arena di rivalità etno-nazionali. La Bosnia ed Erzegovina, il caso più radicale sotto questo profilo, ha visto l’assetto costituzionale scaturito dagli accordi di Dayton consolidare il dominio della politica sul religioso.
Alibašić descrive tre comunità (cattolica, ortodossa, musulmana) largamente prigioniere dei loro nazionalismi: alcune per mancanza di un messaggio universalista, altre per dipendenza finanziaria dal potere politico, altre ancora per timore di essere accusate di tradimento nazionale. Voci critiche esistono in ciascuna tradizione, ma pagano la propria libertà al prezzo dell’emarginazione. Spesso percepiti come partner dei politici, i responsabili religiosi ne sono in realtà gli ostaggi.
Di fronte a questa constatazione, il teologo di Sarajevo propone uno spostamento del dialogo: non negare le identità, ma umanizzarle attraverso le nozioni di lealtà critica, di obbedienza condizionata ai valori superiori, e di perdono, ancora poco teorizzato sul versante musulmano. Prima di impegnarsi nel dialogo con gli altri, occorre dialogare con la propria comunità. Un compito esigente: «per perseverare su questa via, occorre una straordinaria fiducia intellettuale, l’indipendenza, il coraggio e la forza di risalire la corrente.»
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