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Macedonian Muslims Македонци-муслимани Makedonci-muslimani
Total population
40,000[1] (some sources claim 80,000-200,000)
Regions with significant populations
Republic of Macedonia:    40–80,000 Albania:    80–120,000[2]
Language(s)
Macedonian, Albanian, Turkish
Religion(s)
Islam
Related ethnic groups
other ethnic Macedonians, Gorani, Pomaks, Bosniaks, all other South Slavs

The Macedonian Muslims (Macedonian: Македонци-муслимани, Makedonci-muslimani), also known as Muslim Macedonians^[3] or Torbeš (the latter name is slightly pejorative), are a minority religious group within the community of ethnic Macedonians who are Muslims (primarily Sunni, although Sufism is widespread among the population), although not all espouse a Macedonian national identity. They have been culturally distinct from the majority Orthodox Christian Slavic Macedonian community for centuries, and are linguistically and racially distinct from the larger Muslim ethnic groups in Macedonia: the Albanians and Turks.

Contents 1 Islamicisation 2 Areas of settlement 3 Demographics 4 Language and ethnic affiliation 5 Political activities 6 Occupation 7 Links 8 See also 9 References

The Macedonian Muslims are largely the descendants of Orthodox Christian Slavs from the region of Macedonia who converted to Islam during the centuries when the Ottoman Empire ruled the Balkans. The main factor prompting their conversion was manifold. Non-Muslims were generally regarded by the state and Ottoman society as being of a subordinate status. They were treated differently under the legal system, were subjected to the jizya, a tax that ensured non-Muslims protection by the state and relieved them from military duties. Nevertheless, the payment of the jizya cannot be taken as the only reason for conversion. Muslims also had to pay an obligatory tax as well, called zakat every year. Converts also benefited from the prestige accorded to the religion of the ruling class of the empire - in practice, Christianity was the religion of a conquered class.^[4] In addition, the theological presentation of Islam may have been seen as superior to the archaic traditions of a corrupted Orthodox Church. In this regard, the various Sufi orders (like the Khalwati, Rifa'is and Bektashis) all played a role in the conversion of the Macedonian Slav population.

The largest concentration of Macedonian Muslims is in western Macedonia, in Debar and surrounding villages, in the region of Rostusa and Mavrovo, some villages near Struga and the border region with Albania. The region is rather mountainous and isolated. The mountains of Shar, Deshat, and Mount Korab form the northern part around the Mount Bistra massif. To the south of Mount Bistra are the mountains Stogovo and Jablanica. There are smaller concentrations of Macedonian Muslims in other places of Macedonia and Albania as well.

The exact numbers of Macedonian Muslims are not easy to establish. The writer Ivo Banac estimates that in the old Kingdom of Yugoslavia, before World War II, the Macedonian Muslim population stood at around 27,000.^[5] Subsequent censuses have produced dramatically varying figures: 1,591 in 1953, 3,002 in 1961, 1,248 in 1971 and 39,355 in 1981. Commentators have suggested that the latter figure includes many who previously identified themselves as Turks. Meanwhile the Association of Macedonian Muslims has claimed that since World War II more than 70,000 Macedonian Muslims have been assimilated by other Muslim groups, most notably the Albanians.^[6]

Like their Christian ethnic kin, Macedonian Muslims speak the Macedonian language as their first language. Despite their common language and racial heritage, it is almost unheard of for Macedonian Muslims intermarry with Macedonian Orthodox. Macedonian ethnologists do not consider the Muslim Slavs a separate ethnic group from the Christian Macedonian Slavs, but instead a religious minority within the Macedonian Slav ethnic community. Intermarriage with the country's other Muslim groups (Albanians and Turks) much more accepted, given the bonds of a common religion and history.

Some Turkish ethnologists have claimed that the Macedonian Muslims are in fact Slavicized Turks, although this interpretation is not widely supported.^[7] The Macedonian writer Jakim Sinadinovski has similarly claimed that the Macedonian Muslims are not, in fact, Slavic Macedonians; this prompted a strong reaction when his thesis was first published in 1988.^[8]

When the Republic of Macedonia was established in 1946, the ruling Communists encouraged the Macedonian Muslims to adopt an ethnic Macedonian identity,^{[citation needed]} which Macedonian Christians were also compelled to accept.^{[citation needed]} This has since led to some tensions with the Macedonian Christian community over the widespread association between Macedonian national identity and adherence to the Macedonian Orthodox Church.^[9]

The principal outlet for Macedonian Muslim political activities has been the Association of Macedonian Muslims. It was established in 1970 with the support of the authorities, probably as a means of keeping Macedonian Muslim aspirations in control.^[10]

The fear of assimilation into the Albanian Muslim community has been a significant factor in Macedonian Muslim politics, amplified by the tendency of some Macedonian Muslims to vote for Albanian candidates. In 1990, the chairman of the Macedonian Muslims organization, Riza Memedovski, sent an open letter to the Chairman of the Party for Democratic Prosperity of Macedonia, accusing the party of using religion to promote the Albanization of the Macedonian Muslims.[1]. A controversy broke out in 1995 when the Albanian-dominated Meshihat or council of the Islamic community in Macedonia declared that Albanian was the official language of Muslims in Macedonia. The decision prompted protests from the leaders of the Macedonian Muslim community.^[9]

The main occupation of the Macedonian Muslims is cattle breeding and working abroad. Macedonian Muslims are well-known as fresco-painters, wood carvers and mosaic-makers. In the past few decades large numbers of Macedonian Muslims have emigrated to Western Europe and North America.

• Macedonian Muslims

• Macedonians (ethnic group)
• Greek Muslims
• Muslim Bulgarians
• Pomaks
• Gorani

1. ^ Gallagher, Tom. The Balkans In The New Millennium: In the Shadow of War and Peace, p. 85. (Routledge, 2005)
2. ^ M. Apostolov, "The Pomaks: A Religious Minority in The Balkans", (1996)
3. ^ Kowan, J. (2000) Macedonia: The Politics of Identity and Difference, p.111
4. ^ Jean W. Sedlar, East Central Europe in the Middle Ages, 1000-1500, p. 190. University of Washington Press, 1994. ISBN 0295972904
5. ^ Ivo Banac, The National Question in Yugoslavia: Origins, History, Politics, p. 50 (Cornell University Press, 1989)
6. ^ Hugh Poulton, Who Are the Macedonians?, p. 124. (C. Hurst & Co, 1995)
7. ^ Victor A. Friedman, "Language in Macedonia as an Identity Construction Site", in When Languages Collide: Perspectives on Language Conflict, Language Competition, and Language Coexistence, p. 267, ed. Brian D. Joseph (Ohio State University Press, 2003)
8. ^ Jakim Sinadinovski, Macedonian Muslims, Then and Now
9. ^ ^{a b} Duncan M. Perry, "The Republic of Macedonia: finding its way", in Politics, Power and the Struggle for Democracy in South-East Europe, ed. Karen Dawisha, Bruce Parrott, p. 256. (Cambridge University Press, 1997)
10. ^ Hugh Poulton, "Changing Notions of National Identity among Muslims", in Muslim Identity and the Balkan States, ed. Hugh Poulton, Suha Taji-Farouki (C. Hurst & Co, 1997)