Freedom of religion in Serbia refers to the extent to which people in Serbia are freely able to practice their religious beliefs, taking into account both government policies and societal attitudes toward religious groups.
The laws of Serbia establish the freedom of religion, forbid the establishment of a state religion, and outlaw religious discrimination. In 2023, the country was scored 4 out of 4 for religious freedom.Freedom House website, Serbia page, retrieved 2023-08-08
Demographics According to data from the 2022 census, about 87% of Serbia's population was Christian, with Eastern Orthodoxy, at 81%, being by far the largest denomination, followed by the Catholic Church at almost 4%, while both Protestantism and "other Christian" affiliations accounted for less than 1% each. Islam was the only significant non-Christian religion, with Muslims comprising more than 4% of the total population. Other religions included Judaism and Eastern religions. The remaining share was divided among atheists, agnostics, and individuals without a declared religious affiliation.
History Prior to the Serbian Revolution in the early 19th century which culminated in the establishment of the autonomous Serbian state which remained a vassal to the Ottoman Empire, Serbia had been occupied by the Ottoman Empire for 300 years. Under Ottoman rule, Christians were forced to pay religious taxes and were treated as second-class citizens. Following esytablishment of the Principality of Serbia, autonomous Metropolitanate of Belgrade was established in 1831. Prince Miloš Obrenović, the head of state, supported policies that promoted secularism in order to curb the Church's power over his authority.
Following the Herzegovina uprising of 1875, Serbia declared war on the Ottoman Empire, seeking its full independence in what would become known as the Serbian-Ottoman Wars. During the conflict, Serbian forces expelled between 30,000 and 70,000 Muslims, mostly Albanians, from Serbia.Stefanović, Djordje (2005). "Seeing the Albanians through Serbian eyes: The Inventors of the Tradition of Intolerance and their Critics, 1804–1939." European History Quarterly. 35. (3): 470. Despite losing the first Serbian-Ottoman War, the Serbians won their independence in the ensuing war (also known as the Russo-Turkish War of 1877).L.S. Stavrianos, The Balkans Since 1453 (1958) pp 408-12. Serbia became a kingdom in 1882.
Following World War I, Serbia was merged with other majority Slavic territories in the Balkans to form the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes.Budisavljević Srđan, Stvaranje Države Srba, Hrvata i Slovenaca (Creating the State of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes), Zagreb, 1958, p. 170-175. The largest religious denomination was Eastern Orthodoxy (approximately 50% of the population), followed by Catholicism (approximately 40%), with the greater part of the remainder professing Islam.Nationalism and Territory: Constructing Group Identity in Southeastern Europe, Geographical perspectives on the human past, George W. White, Rowman & Littlefield, 2000, , p. 236. Muslims faced prejudice from the other religious groups, but were granted some concessions from the government, such as the establishment of enclaves which were governed by Sharia. A small Jewish population was also present in the kingdom, and were generally treated well by the rest of the population and the government.
A constitution was passed in 1921, which led to an increase of tensions between ethno-religious blocs.Spencer Tucker. Encyclopedia of World War I: A Political, Social, and Military History. Santa Barbara, California, USA: ABC-CLIO, 2005. Pp. 1189. Prime Minister Nikola Pašić used the police to suppress opposition groups and ethnic minorities,Balkan Politics , Time, 31 March 1923 particularly the Catholic Croats, who were the primary opposition against his goal of a highly centralized, Serb-dominated state.The Opposition , Time, 6 April 1925 In 1928, a Serb representative in parliament opened fire against the opposition bench, killing Stjepan Radić of the Croatian Peasant Party. King Alexander I used this as a pretext to ban national political parties, abolish the constitution and convert the country to a personal dictatorship, as well as renaming it the Kingdom of Yugoslavia and reorganizing the country's internal administration. Alexander I attempted to reduce ethnoreligious separatism by promoting a unified Yugoslav nationalism, a political strategy which ultimately both alienated the Serbs and failed to mollify the Croats.
The 1930s saw the rise of the Ustaše, a Croat fascist organization which advocated the establishment of an independent Croatian state through violent means, and which embarked on a terrorist campaign of bombings, assassinations, and sabotage. In 1931, Alexander I adopted a new constitution, which enshrined the freedom of religion, but also established a unitary state, which was perceived by non-Serbs as a cover for Serbian dominion over the state. Representatives of the various minority groups issued declarations demanding the establishment of a new constitution. The government responded to both the Ustaše insurgency and the political pronouncements with often violent police action, which only further bolstered support for separatist groups. In 1934, Alexander I was assassinated by a Bulgarian-Macedonian nationalist"The suicide-assassin from VMRO was Vlado Cernozemski, who on orders from Mihajlov and his ethno-national VMRO, which was defined as Bulgarian, killed the Yugoslav king Alexander I Karadzordzevic and the French Minister of Foreign Affairs Louis Bareau in Marseille in 1934." New Balkan Politics, Issue 6, 2003, Stefan Troebst, Historical Politics and Historical "Masterpieces" in Macedonia before and after 1991. who had contacts with the Ustaše.Bennett Kovrig "Mediation by Obfuscation: The Resolution of the Marseille Crisis, October 1934 to May 1935" pages 191-221, The Historical Journal, Volume 19, Issue 1, January 1976 pg. 196.
Following Alexander I's death, Yugoslavia entered a regency led by Prince Paul of Yugoslavia. Paul attempted to pursue a policy of democracy and decentralization in the hopes of mollifying Serb and Croat nationalists. In 1941, Yugoslavia joined the Axis powers, a decision which was met with massive opposition by the Serb population, as well as Liberals and communists of all nationalities. A military coup forced Paul to resign and placed 17-year-old Peter II on the throne. This would soon prompt a German invasion.International Military Tribunal, The Trial of German Major War Criminals, Judgement: The Aggression Against Yugoslavia And Greece , p. 32.
Following German invasion, Yugoslavia was divided between the Axis powers, as well as a newly created Croatian puppet state led by the Ustaše.Hungary profile , Shoah Foundation Institute Visual History Archive; usc.edu; accessed 4 December 2015. The anti-Axis resistance movement was split into two major groups: royalist Chetniks and communist Partisans. As the country descended into what was effectively a civil war, there was an immense amount of ethno-religiously motivated violence. The majority of the Jewish population of Yugoslavia was killed by Axis-aligned forces, with only 17% surviving the war. Ustashe and German troops massacred Orthodox Serb civilians, while Chetnik militias targeted (Catholic) Croats and Muslims.
Following the end of World War II, Serbia was reconstituted as part of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, which established a nominally secular state, and did not engage in anti-religious campaigns to the extent of other countries in the Eastern Bloc.
In the late 1980s, Slobodan Milošević became one of the most powerful politicians in the country. Despite having a previous reputation as a hard-line communist anti-nationalist,Lampe, John R. 2000. Yugoslavia as History: Twice There Was a Country. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. p347 Milošević pivoted toward Serbian nationalism. This in turn further motivated calls for independence from non-Serb ethnic groups, culminating in overwhelmingly successful independence referendums in Croatia and Slovenia in 1991 and 1990, respectively.
Yugoslavia broke apart in a series of wars over the course of the 1990s. Serbia provided significant material support to the Yugoslav People's Army and Serb paramilitary forces, which in turn committed numerous war crimes, many of which were motivated by enmities along ethnic and religious lines, primarily targeting Albanians, Croats, and Bosniaks.
Legal framework The Constitution of Serbia guarantees the freedom of belief and religion as well as the right to change one's religion. It states everyone shall have the freedom to worship and practice religion individually or with others, in private or in public, and no one shall be obliged to declare one's religion. The constitution states the freedom to express one's religion or beliefs may be restricted by law only as necessary to protect the lives and health of the people, the morals of democratic society, freedoms and rights guaranteed by the constitution, or public safety and order or prevent incitement of religious, national, or racial hatred.
The constitution forbids the establishment of a state religion, guarantees equality for religious groups, and calls for separation of religion and state. It states churches and religious communities shall be free to organize their internal structure, perform religious rites in public, establish and manage religious schools and social and charity institutions in accordance with the law.
The constitution recognizes the right of conscientious objection based on religious beliefs. It states no person shall be obliged to perform military or any other service involving the use of weapons if this is inconsistent with his or her religion or beliefs, but that a conscientious objector may be called upon to fulfill military duty not involving carrying weapons.
The constitution prohibits religious discrimination or incitement of religious hatred, calls upon the government to promote religious diversity and tolerance, and states that religious refugees have a right to asylum, the procedures for which shall be established in law. The law bans incitement of discrimination, hatred, or violence against an individual or group on religious grounds and carries penalties ranging from one to 10 years in prison, depending on the type of offense.
Recognized religious groups The legal provisions of the Law on Churches and Religious Communities stipulate a two-tiered system of registered groups, split between "traditional churches and religious communities" and "non-traditional religious communities".
The law grants special treatment to seven religious communities defined as "traditional" by the state. These are the Serbian Orthodox Church, Roman Catholic Church, Slovak Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession, Reformed Christian Church, Evangelical Christian Church, the Islamic Community, and the Jewish community. "Church" is a term reserved for Christian religious groups, while the term "religious community" refers to non-Christian groups and to some Christian entities. The Islamic community is divided between the Islamic Community of Serbia (emphasis added), with its seat in Belgrade, and the Islamic Community in Serbia, with its seat in Novi Pazar. Although the law generally prohibits the registration of multiple groups with the same name, both Islamic communities are officially registered. The law grants the seven traditional religious groups the right to receive value-added tax refunds, to have their faith taught in public schools, and to provide chaplain services to military personnel.