Serbian nationalist ideology treats religious conversion as a change of race
Evidence
“Race betrayal” is a key theme of The Mountain Wreath and the strand of Serbian literature it represents. By converting to Islam, Njegos had insisted, Slavic Muslims “turkified.” To “turkify” was not simply to adopt the religion and mores of a Turk, but to transform oneself into a Turk. To convert to a religion other than Christianity was simultaneously to convert from the Slav race to an alien race. — Michael A. Sells, The Bridge Betrayed, 154
Categorization
- DEFINE: Defines the national myth of ‘turkification’ — the equation of conversion to Islam with change of race that underpins the genocide ideology.
- XREF: Connects to the chapter’s earlier premise (para 158) that Slavic race and Christian religion are conflated; also resonates with the ADDENDUM on sacrifice and the logic of scapegoating. — connects to: Nationalist propaganda depicts Christian conversion as ritual desecration of the Buddha.
Related
- Nationalist propaganda depicts Christian conversion as ritual desecration of the Buddha. (similarity 0.85)
- Serb nationalist ideology fuses religious identity with race-traitor charges against Muslims (similarity 0.84)
- Slavic Muslims were redefined as Turkish invaders through religious nationalism (similarity 0.83)
- Christoslavism defined Slavic Muslims as traitors outside the nation (similarity 0.83)
- Conflicting identity criteria trapped Slavic Muslims as inescapable traitors (similarity 0.82)
- Nationalist myths coalesced into an ideology defining Slavs as innately Christian (similarity 0.82)
- Both Serb and Croat nationalists shared the view that Slavic Muslims converted from cowardice (similarity 0.82)
- Kosovo mythology transforms religious identity into a racialist ideology (similarity 0.81)
- A professional biologist converted religious conversion into a genetic defect theory (similarity 0.81)
- Serb extremists drew direct inspiration from religious epics glorifying Muslim extermination (similarity 0.79)