Unifying the Other: The Case of the March Violence in Kosovo and the Mosque Burning in Belgrade

Abstract

The paper analyses the socio-political context and public discourse related to the ethnic and religiously motivated violence which initially occurred in Kosovo in March 2004 and subsequently spread to Serbia. The introductory section sheds light on the history of the Bajrakli mosque, which is one of the oldest religious and cultural monuments preserved in Belgrade up to the present time. The paper further reveals historical and demographic data on the Muslim population in Serbia and Belgrade. Finally, it focusses on the events and discourses in Kosovo and Serbia which eventually led to setting the only Belgrade mosque ablaze. By applying methods of critical discourse analysis and media analysis, the Serbian public discourse related to the March riots and the mosque arson is analysed. In this paper, I argue that the strategy of unifying the Other appeared to be a very effective means of mobilizing people en masse in both Kosovo and Serbia.