ABSTRACT
The Muslim vision in the Balkans fits in well with the global vision of Al Qaida and its affiliates, which aspire to achieve the triumph of Islamic culture over Western culture (and other Islamic foes), and to establish the “Umma”—the community of faithful Muslims which will unite all Muslims and position Islam as the main global force. Until that vision becomes a reality, radical Islam acts as a nomadic subversive entity and the Balkans constitute a crucial arena of activity. The hatred between the Serbs and the Muslims in Kosovo and Bosnia still burns strong and may well lead to renewed conflagaration in the Balkans. Serbia and the Serb minority in Kosovo demand that the current status quo continue, and they are not the only ones who are interested in this balance: The Western countries are well aware that any redefintion of the Balkan boundaries could be the beginning of a slippery and steep decline.
