I am told it is estimated that more than 50% of the people who live in Sarajevo are Muslim and have heard estimates that as many as 80% may be Muslim. I was told that this really didn't happen until after the war here back in the 1990's. They said prior to the war the city was quiet diverse which is unique for Europe and Bosnia in general. Some cities would be predominantly Serbian or Croatian or Muslim but usually not all 3. Prior to the war here in Sarajevo the city was made up of Croatians who are Roman Catholic, the Serbians who are Orthodox Catholic and there were some Muslims, Jews and Chinese (the Chinese embassy is at the top of the street. I have seen some people who are Asian but think they may have just been tourist because, like me, they were walking around with camera's. In and around old town there are a lot of tourist mostly from around Europe.)
Anyway, I am told that after the war most Serbians moved to a district of the country called the Republica of Sperska. The country actually has 3 districts: The Republica, The Federation and I think the third part is Herzegovina. The country's official name is Bosnia and Herzegovina. The country has 3 presidents one in charge of each district. They run them sort of like a state governor would. If they need a national policy then all 3 presidents need to agree. I am told this doesn't often happen and so the laws vary a little bit in each district. Each ethnic group also has their own district. The Serbs are in charge of the Republica and then the Croats and Muslims each have a president in charge of their district (Sarajevo is a part of the Federation.)
Anyway, after the war the people became quite polarized. I am told the Jews left and never returned, same thing with the Chinese (that is also why I think the people I have seen may have only been tourist.) Most of the Serbs, who stayed in the city during the war and didn't leave the country after the war, moved to the Republica and the Muslims, who at the time mainly lived out in the countryside, moved into the city. During the war the Muslims allied themselves with the Croats so there wasn't much tension between those two groups. However, I am told there is tension between the Serbs and the other 2 groups even today. The people I know are Serbs and say Sarajevo is probably only 2% Serbian now. They say it with a longing for the old days. They said that back when they were younger they had friends who were Croatian and Muslim and Jewish and everyone was fine with each other. Then the Soviet Union collapsed and people took sides. They still have some friends who are Muslim and Croatian but I am told most people don't interact like they used to. There are schools that are actually segregated; Serbian only or Croatian only or Madrases which are the Muslim schools.
I have heard a number of things about life in the city prior to the war, when they were a part of Yugoslavia. Some good and of course some bad. The one good thing is that everyone seemed to get along. Since it was a communist country everyone was equal. There were some groups that were loyal to their "own kind" but am told for the most part it was a diverse city where everyone got along. Then the war came, and went and left the people polarized. Actually, the country has never really been a unified country. People don't identify themselves as Bosnian. You are either Serbian, Croatian or Muslim. This goes back hundreds of years (first it was Serbian and/or Croatian and they would go back and forth for power and then the Ottoman's, who were Muslim came in and took over both groups and a few hundred years later left and then it was all 3 groups going back and forth), however, under the communist one group didn't dominate the others so there was some peace. Then once the communist left it became basically a land grab. Then to end the war they divided the country in 3 parts and gave each group a part where they could have their own president. So rather than stay a diverse city many people took to their corners and that is where things stand today. You don't have to live in your part of the country, however, many do because there is discrimination between who ever is the dominant group and those of the minority group.
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