ZAGREB, Nov 1 (Hina) - A level of intolerance towards national minorities in Croatia is "chillingly" high and worrisome, and its causes should be, according to experts, ascribed to the war, feeling of hopelessness and the influence
exerted by right-wing political options.
ZAGREB, Nov 1 (Hina) - A level of intolerance towards national
minorities in Croatia is "chillingly" high and worrisome, and its
causes should be, according to experts, ascribed to the war,
feeling of hopelessness and the influence exerted by right-wing
political options. #L#
Scientists, however, caution that for the observation of the
trends, i.e. ups and downs in intolerance, the same methodology
should be applied in research projects conducted through several
time intervals.
According to an opinion poll, conducted by the Gfk- Centar agency in
September, every fourth adult Croatian resident would expel ethnic
Serbs from the country, every seventh Croatian would do the same
with Montenegrins and Bosniaks (Muslims), and nearly every tenth
Croatian would expel ethnic Slovenes.
A psychologist, Ivica Rimac described these figures as
frightening, but added that systematic research efforts should be
invested as to observe a general trend.
A sociologist, Aleksandar Stulhofer, believes this is a dramatic
finding which could have a great impact on Croatia's future.
The opinion poll was conducted among the representative sampling
and 1,000 respondents were interviewed in their homes.
According to the poll, the intolerance was the highest in Dalmatia
and Slavonia.
For instance, 44 percent of Dalmatian residents would expel Serbs
from Croatia, and 30 percent would do the same with Muslims
(Bosniaks) and Montenegrins, while 15 percent did not welcome
Slovenes in their places of residence.
In Slavonia (eastern Croatia), 35 percent of the respondents could
not show minimum tolerance towards Serbs, 20 percent towards
Montenegrins, 13 percent towards Bosniaks (Muslims) and five
percent towards Slovenes.
Rimac believes that the mass pressure was more prominent in
Dalmatia and Slavonia, given that the areas had suffered much in the
war but he also attributes this result to political events and the
extent to which people could be subject to political ideas which
promote the aversion to minorities.
Stulhofer agrees that the dimensions of intolerance were linked to
the war events, and they also present the serious cultural
obstacles on Croatia's path toward its integration in Europe.
He suggests that the incumbent authorities as well as future ones
should launch systematic educative media campaigns aimed at
promoting tolerance, and incidents inspired by ethnic and racial
hatred should be sanctioned.
Besides, the economic development and the enhancement of the living
standard also pay a key role in this process.