Four Stages of Islamic Education in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Since its formation, an important task of the Islamic Community in Bosnia and Herzegovina has been to establish and manage its own education system. Ever since the late 19th century, education of the Islamic community is torn between Muslims’ actual needs and realistic possibilities, between vocational education for the needs of the Islamic community and education that encompasses as many pupils and students as possible. Debates about education abound with conservative and reforming approaches, interference by state administrations, tardiness and indecisiveness of the structures of the Islamic Community. The paper identifies the following four stages of Islamic education: the period of educational isolation, educational inclusion, educational marginalization and educational relevance.