Outrage over Bosnian Serb leader’s call for local Muslims to reconvert to Christianity

Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik sparked outrage by urging local Muslims to “return to the Orthodox faith” to resolve Bosnia’s political crisis, TVP World reported. Dodik, president of Republika Srpska, claimed that Bosniaks converted to Islam under Ottoman coercion and that mass conversion back to Orthodoxy would make Bosnia a “majority Serb” state able to function.

His remarks were condemned by Bosnian leaders as “scandalous” and “dangerous,” with critics linking them to policies that fueled ethnic cleansing and genocide during the 1990s war.

The Islamic Community in Bosnia accused Dodik of hate speech, citing his recent dehumanizing comments about Muslims. They called for prosecution to prevent further incitement of national and religious hatred. Dodik’s actions, including resisting arrest by Bosnia’s State Investigation Agency, have intensified fears of Republika Srpska moving toward secession, deepening the country’s ongoing ethnic and political tensions.