Imposing particular identities: The balkans as a meeting place of ethnicities and religions

Abstract

Since Balkan ethnicities are primarily organized along locally-practiced religious lines regional monotheistic religions are seen as the source of the conflicts there. However even a brief historical examination shows different patterns where the people of the region lived in long periods of peace and solidarity while practicing their separate religious traditions. Significantly the conflicts occurred when the Balkan people followed non-religious political processes and ideas which originated outside of the region. Hence this paper attempts to observe the extant representations of the Balkans examine the brief history of the region to reveal patterns of amity and enmity and bring forth a different historical –and possible future– reality.