A newly available academic article titled “Between ‘Asian’ Islam and ‘Orthodox’ Slavdom: Yugoslav Muslims in Early Serbian Ethnology” provides a detailed analysis of how the Muslim population of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes (SHS) was perceived and represented in interwar Serbian ethnology. The study, published in the journal Antropologija, focuses on the politics of representation and the specific historical context of the second decade of the 20th century.

The article analyzes three monographies published in Serbia during the interwar period. The selection of these texts was based on specific criteria: they must belong to the field of “national science,” which aimed to define national identity and fight for national interests while tracing moral, political, and intellectual development under the banner of modernity. Additionally, the texts were required to deal comprehensively with the ethnology of Islam and the cultural life of Muslims in interwar Yugoslavia, rather than addressing the topic only sporadically.

The analysis is conducted on three levels: discursive, theoretical-methodological, and conceptual. The primary goal is to gain precise insights into the meaning, content, and procedures of scientific argumentation used in these works, as well as to identify the significance and certain omissions in the examined texts. According to the abstract, these texts reveal more about the observers than about the observed subjects. They provide important details about the historical conditions, the imperatives of the epoch, and the fundamental values that shaped the cognitive horizons of the national science of that time.

The research highlights the complex relationship between scientific inquiry and national politics in the early Yugoslav state. The term “national science” is central to the discussion, referring to an academic endeavor that was not purely objective but was deeply intertwined with the political project of nation-building. The authors of the interwar ethnological works were tasked with defining the identity of the nation and advocating for its interests, which influenced how they portrayed the Muslim community in Bosnia and Herzegovina and other parts of the kingdom.

The article references a wide range of historical and academic sources, including demographic data from the 1921 census, works by prominent Serbian historians and ethnologists such as Jovan Cvijić and Vladimir Ćorović, and contemporary studies on Muslim identity in the Balkans. The bibliography includes works from both Serbian and international scholars, indicating a multi-perspective approach to understanding the historical narrative. Key references include studies on the cultural policy of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, the history of Serbian anthropology, and the construction of Muslim national identity by intellectuals.

This academic work contributes to the broader understanding of how ethnic and religious identities were constructed and contested in the early 20th century. It underscores the role of ethnology as a tool for political and cultural legitimation, where the representation of minority groups was often shaped by the dominant national narrative. The study does not take a political stance but rather offers a critical examination of the historical texts, aiming to clarify the intellectual and political frameworks that influenced their production.

The availability of this article provides valuable insights for historians, sociologists, and political scientists interested in the interwar period in the Balkans. It highlights the importance of examining not just the content of historical texts but also the contexts in which they were produced. By analyzing the discursive and methodological approaches of interwar ethnologists, the article sheds light on the complex dynamics of identity formation and representation in a multi-ethnic state.

The research is part of a broader academic effort to revisit and reinterpret historical narratives, particularly those concerning the relationships between different ethnic and religious groups in the former Yugoslavia. It emphasizes the need for a nuanced understanding of the past, recognizing the influence of contemporary political and scientific agendas on historical scholarship. The article serves as a resource for those studying the history of science, nationalism, and interethnic relations in the Balkans.