VASIĆ: RADICALISM - WARNING SOCIETY MUST NOT IGNORE

PALE, OCTOBER 28 /SRNA/ – Sociologist Vladimir Vasić from Istočno Sarajevo told SRNA that threats to mutilate children and kill people because of their religious affiliation are not merely an expression of an individual’s disturbed mindset, but also a warning the society must not ignore.

“When religion becomes a justification for violence and children become targets of hatred, we are no longer talking about religion, but about radicalisation that threatens the foundations of society,” Vasić said following a threatening message calling for jihad received at the registry office of the Republika Srpska National Assembly, as well as the terrorist attack in Belgrade. He stressed that no religion should serve as a cover for crime, nor should any community be collectively blamed for an individual’s threats. Referring to last night’s terrorist attack on the Israeli Embassy in Belgrade, carried out by a minor, Vasić recalled the March 2024 incident in Bosanska Krupa, when a minor killed a police officer. He noted that both cases involved minors who were easily manipulated. “When a radical ideology takes hold of a child’s mind and institutions fail to act in time, innocent people pay the price,” Vasić added. According to him, entire religious communities should not be stigmatised, but proven extremism must not be ignored. He stressed that the question of how such ideas emerge, who encourages them and what society is doing to prevent them must not be concealed behind the excuse that it is about “ insane individual”. “A society that responds to threats against children with silence, downplaying their seriousness or political calculations has already entered a dangerous zone. The security of citizens, however, is not a matter of political will, but a fundamental obligation of the state,” Vasić said. Threatening messages calling for jihad, the mutilation of baptised children and the killing of baptised citizens were received today at the registry office of the Republika Srpska National Assembly. Last night, a minor attacked a Gendarmerie officer with two knives while the officer was guarding the premises outside the Israeli Embassy in Belgrade, shouting “Allahu Akbar”. The officer neutralised the attacker in self-defence and sustained minor injuries.