BILJEŠKE O DJELOVANJU BOSANSKOHERCEGOVAČKE ULEME U DRUGOM SVJETSKOM RATU (1941-1945)
NOTES ON ACTIVITY OF BOSNIAN ULEMA IN THE SECOND WORLD WAR (1941-1945)

Summary/Abstract: This paper brings some facts that shed light on the views and approaches of Bosnian Muslim religious officials, especially higher ulema, towards the current issues of military, political and social reality of Bosnia and Herzegovina and its inhabitants during the Second World War (1941- 1945). The author presents some new information which relativize the points of view of Bosnian historiography in the Yugoslav era on the ulema whose biggest step towards resistance to the existing occupying systems was allegedly the signing of the resolutions in the autumn of 1941. Although the higher ulema generally welcomed the establishment of NDH as an opportunity to improve the position of Muslims, especially in terms of religious, educational and vakuf-property issues, the ulema did not accept the role of "Croatian Muslim clergy", while remaining aloof from the political and national goals of the Ustasha regime. During the war years the ulema had to adapt to the military and political relations and turns, which practically prevented their adherence to any single and consistent approach, rarely present among the Bosniak political and religious elites.

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