Bosniak

There are three ethnic majorities that compromised Bosnia-Herzegovina, they are : Bosnian-Serb, Bosnian-Croat, and the Bosnian-Muslim also known as the "Bosniak". A Bosniak is a person living in Bosnia-Herzegovina who is of the Islamic faith. And one picks up any book about the people of Bosnia, this is the description that they will find.

My problem is that I do not consider myself a "Bosniak" even though other sources would identify me as one. Although I come from a family that is largely Muslim, I myself am not one. So I feel left out of the count of Bosnia's people. I don't see why the citizens of Bosnia have to be partitioned to the politics of ethnic strife. I consider myself Bosnian, even though my U.S. citizenship indicates otherwise. I don't say "Bosniak" or Bosnian with Muslim ancestors. I think Bosnian is enough of an identity. I don't think Bosnia needs any further division.

I'm sure I'm not the only one stuck in this identity dilemma, I am sure there are a lot of other Bosnian's who are frustrated with this identity constraint and division. To automatically declare every Bosnian citizen who is not Serbian or Croatian as Muslim is offensive to me as an individual. Not because I have any problem with the Islamic faith, but because religion has no place in my life, and to be automatically placed into an identity that I don't identify with is a great insult to me. It speaks of the ignorance that foreigners still have of the Bosnian culture.

Most areas of Bosnia have never been very religious, regardless of the religion in question. And to assign religious roles to an entire population is a great disrespect to those people.

I am a Bosnian, no further explanation is necessary. Bosnian, and only Bosnian, is my ethnic identity.