The Muslim Council has reported that discrimination and assimilation of ethnic Muslims in Montenegro have persisted under the current government over the past four years, continuing a pattern that has lasted for the past twenty years.

Recently, the Committee on Economy, Finance and Budget of the Parliament of Montenegro made a controversial decision to allocate 600,000 euros for cultural projects, including 250,000 euros for the Church of St. Petka in Danilovgrad, 200,000 euros for the Cultural Center of Bosniaks in Podgorica, and 150,000 euros for heritage projects in Tuzi.

They further emphasize that, “for over two and a half decades, ethnic Muslims in Montenegro have not been recognized or included in any funding lists, following a long-standing tradition of assimilation and discrimination.”

The Muslim Council highlights that as a result of such decisions, the percentage of ethnic Muslims in Montenegro has drastically decreased from over 14 percent in the 1991 census to only 1.63 percent today.

“This alarming trend seems not to concern anyone within the government. The disappearance of a national group before their eyes, akin to the fate of others, appears to invoke less alarm than it did with previous administrations,” the statement expressed.

“Ethnic Muslims lack representation in both state and local parliaments and are systematically marginalized. Such decisions exhibit clear discriminatory impacts. Moreover, during the budget preparations, the National Council of Muslims of Montenegro received no inquiries or initiatives,” it added.

They raised the question of whether any decision-makers are aware that the Cultural Center in Podgorica was intended to be co-owned by both Muslims and Bosniaks—an idea that has been proposed for some time.

“It seems that this matter has been overlooked, as the ongoing practice of ‘eradicating’ a constitutionally recognized people in Montenegro persists,” concluded the Muslim Council.

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