Spreading Salafism to the Balkans through Digital Technology

Abstract

In this paper, we attempt to show the impact of digital technology on the spread of Salafist ideas in the Balkans and to demonstrate that Haykel’s division of Salafists into active and clandestine Salafists is not entirely correct. In particular, we address the reasons for the spread of Salafism in the Balkans and explain how this affects the situation in Slovenia. Finally, we show the dual role of digital technology in Salafism, which is used both to disseminate a particular Islamic doctrine of faith and to search for evidence of preformed beliefs.

Keywords

• salafism
• digitalization
• islam in the balkans
• islam in slovenia
• quiet and active salafists