Southeastern European country of Montenegro reports 2 Islamophobic incidents
PODGORICA, Montenegro – In the southeastern European country of Montenegro, two incidents targeting Muslims in religious dress occurred in quick succession this month.
First, a Kuwaiti woman wearing an Islamic headscarf and her family were pelted with an alcoholic drink from a hotel balcony in Budva.
Two days later, a man insulted a teenager in a burkini and denied her access to a swimming pool on Utjeha beach.
The incidents have cast a shadow over Montenegro’s reputation as a country of religious tolerance.
Human rights activist Aleskandar Zekovic said that “Islamophobia and especially gender-based Islamophobia is pervasive in Montenegro”
About one-fifth of Montenegro’s 620,000 residents identify themselves as Muslim.
In Budva, an 18-year-old Austrian citizen of Serbian descent was fined 250 euros for “brazen and reckless” behavior.
In Utjeha, investigators concluded that there was no criminal misconduct and only agreed to initiate misdemeanor proceedings.
The Islamophobic incidents in Montenegro have surprised experts.
The Balkan country, with its rugged mountains, medieval villages, and narrow strip of beach along the Adriatic coast, has been praised for its tolerance of different religions.
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