# Bosniaks

The Bosniaks are a South Slavic nation and ethnic group inhabiting mainly the area of Bosnia and Herzegovina. A native minority of Bosniaks live in other countries in the Balkans; especially in the Sandžak region of Serbia and Montenegro (where Bosniaks form a regional majority), and in Croatia and Kosovo.

## Quotes

* Keep and preserve your nation and your name Bosniak, your religion and tradition. Loss of identity is paid in slavery and humiliation.
** Alija Izetbegović, speech in Zetra, Sarajevo, October 2. 2002.
* We Bosniaks would for sure fight for integrity of Bosnia.
** Alija Izetbegović, speech in Zetra, Sarajevo, October 2. 2002.
* Bosniaks are very patient.
** Valentin Inzko, as quoted in "Is Europe Sleepwalking Into Another Balkan War?" (2018), Bloomberg
* May our neighbours are anger on us for we are honourable and proud of our old name, language and customs, and for we don't want to hug their name for identifying of nationality and language. (...) But, as the things look, we will ask our friends who use a pen and press: why are you arguing about us, when you know very well that Bosniak from an old ages habituated to be proud of his language, and to call himself by his own name, and to faithfully keeps the tradition and memories of his grandfathers. Glorious history of our dear motherland remember us on those ages when our domestic vlastela in every chance, clearly and openly, said about their nationality, calling themselves by proud and heroic name Bosniak. We watch at many documents of domestic saviors from past centuries, where one always mention our real folk's name Bosniak, and that are the reasons for we ourselves, as their thankful descendents call ourselves by glorious name Bosniak. We can not and we must not depart of it, we will keep our name faithfully and always. We are proud that our language, and from our fatherland, is taken as the base of literary language of our neighbours Serbs and Croats. Famous linguists Vuk Karadžić, Daničić, then Ljudevit Gaj moved our beautiful language to literacy of both mentioned people, so they called him as they wanted: first as Serbian, and other as Croatian, and no mention about us. We,for sure, have right to be proud of Ivo and Jovo using our language in literacy, and at least everyone will admit it to us. But, we don't understand, why the name, that they gave it by their own will, and without our knowledge, and that name they want to infiltrate into our people, and even they don't allow us to call our own language in our own house by the name of our people. It is similar to, when someone else by his own will give name to our own child. Such an act and demand we do not agree. But respect and honor to both our friends, Serb and Croat. We don't hate their nationality, we don't look on them with „evil“ eye, we will never say that we are not of Slavic tribe, but opposite, to prove everyone, that we Bosniaks are on the first level of glorious race. But always, we remain Bosniaks, as our forefathers were and nothing else. So, may our brothers look into themselves, those who so much centuries live in Bosnia, and now want to be Serbs or Croats.
** Antun Knežević, magazine "Bosanski prijatelj", 1870.
* The people of Bosnia -- meaning Bosniaks, Croats, and Serbs -- could each say they're speaking their own, individual language. They say that it's their national language, and that it's not for Europe, Belgrade, or Zagreb to decide differently... The same is true for Montenegrins. If they think Montenegrin is a distinct language, then basically it is. If on the other hand they decide to share a language with Serbs or Croats, that would work just as well. But the tendency here is to see each of these languages as special and distinct.
** August Kovacec, as quoted in "Serbian, Croatian, Bosnian, Or Montenegrin? Or Just 'Our Language'?" (21 February 2009), by Ljudmila Cvetkovic and Goran Vezic, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty
* Bosniakdom is, for us, our actual and our only national identity. Some deny us Bosniakdom, some attack it… It still remains as old as Bosnia, as strong as it's ground and it remains in the souls of a great number of her sons.
** Adil Zulfikarpašić, "Proglas o bošnjaštvu", 1963.
* This is not a war for the freedom of endangered Serbs and Croats, this is a war for Bosnia, which can be taken only through the complete and total extermination of the Bosniaks.
** Adil Zulfikarpašić, "Proglas o bošnjaštvu", 1963.
* I was raised a Bosniak. I remember saying “Bosnian” once and having my father explain how a bosnian is a horse, a bosnian pony, and Bosniak is the term used for a man.
** Adil Zulfikarpašić, "Bošnjak Adil Zulfikarpašić" - Zürich : Bošnjački institut; Globus, 1994, Milovan Đilas i Nadedža Gaće, page 201., ISBN 3-905211-00-9
* A people who owned 80% of the land, who were very wealthy, suddenly turned into beggars because of the agrarian reform.
** Adil Zulfikarpašić, "Bošnjak Adil Zulfikarpašić" - Zürich : Bošnjački institut; Globus, 1994, Milovan Đilas i Nadedža Gaće, page 201., ISBN 3-905211-00-9

## External links

* Encyclopedic article on Bosniaks on Wikipedia