BALK090507

Bosnia: Foreign-born Muslims losing citizenship

Last update: September 4, 2007 - 8:43 PM

That was then: They met in 1985 as Syrian immigrants in Croatia, two students in their 20s. Seven years later, when word spread of a nearby war being waged by fellow Muslims, Ayman Awad and Imad Al Husayn boarded a bus for Bosnia and joined the fight. After peace came in 1995, they married local women, became Bosnian citizens and started families.

This is now: Earlier this year, Bosnia revoked their citizenship, as part of a broad review of foreign-born residents that was urged by the United States. It has led to the denationalization of at least 500 people, about 70 percent of whom arrived from throughout the Muslim world during the three-year ethnic civil war.

What could happen: The two men have been given 60 days to appeal. If unsuccessful, they could be deported.

The back story: Bosnian and international officials say the presence of the former fighters -- who are known as mujahedeen, Arabic for "strugglers" -- is illegal. The officials say some maintain links to terrorist groups, creating a security threat for Bosnia.

Few legal options: Once hailed here as war heroes, the men who fought as the Mujahedeen Brigade now have few legal options. The 1995 Dayton peace agreement, which ended the Bosnian war, required the withdrawal of all combatants "not of local origin."

WASHINGTON POST