Bosniaks of Slovenia
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| (32,009) | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Ljubljana, Jesenice | |
| Languages | |
| Bosnian · Slovenian | |
| Religion | |
| Predominantly Sunni Islam, minority irreligion | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Other Bosniaks, Slovenes and other South Slavic peoples |
Bosniaks are an ethnic group living in Slovenia. According to the last census from 2002, the total number of Bosniaks in Slovenia was 32,009 as they comprised 1.6% of the total population of Slovenia. According to the last census, they are the third largest minority ethnic group in Slovenia, after Serbs and Croats.
Bosniaks in Slovenia primarily live in the capital city of Slovenia; Ljubljana. There are dispersed populations of Bosniaks living in various cities and towns in Slovenia, though most choose to live in Ljubljana. Many Bosniaks have left Slovenia for other Western countries and Bosnia. Bosniaks make up a tiny percentage of Slovenia's population, however today, many Bosniaks have retained their identity and culture.
During the First World War, a Bosniak regiment made up primarily of Bosnian Muslims were sent to fight on the Italian front. One of the soldiers who fought there was a boy called Elez Dervišević, the youngest soldier to fight in the Soca battle in World War I. Elez was 11 years old when he served in the Austro-Hungarian Army. In Log pod Mangartom there is a statue of Elez's father dedicated to him.
Many Bosniaks have migrated to Slovenia since the 1960s due to economic factors. Most of these Bosniaks were not well liked by Slovenians. Slovenians grouped Bosniaks with Serbians, Croatians and Macedonians. These groups were often called južnjaki (southerners), ta spodni (those from down there), čefurj and Švedi (Swedes), all had negative connotations.
Today, the majority of Bosniaks are predominantly Sunni Muslim and adhere to the Hanafi school of thought, or law, the largest and oldest school of Islamic law in jurisprudence within Sunni Islam.
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