H.E. Dr. Alija Izetbegoviç

Alija Izetbegoviç moved during his childhood with his family to Sarajevo, where he grew up and received his formal education. After World War II, he graduated with degrees in economics and law from the University of Sarajevo. He was an urbane and a thoughtful politician who spoke English, French, and German, in addition to Serbocroatian. He served for 25 years as legal advisor in different establishments, including the University of Sarajevo, and became the first President of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina from 1990-1996 and a member of the Presidency.

Dr. Izetbegoviç’s political strife dates back to the 1940s, when he became an active member of the Muslim Youth Organization. He was jailed twice for his courageous opposition to communist oppression of Muslims in former Yugoslavia. In 1989, he formed an Islamic political party that led Bosnian Muslims to their independence. Izetbegoviç was also a distinguished scholar, author, and philosopher. His intellectual pursuits include the publication of several books including Islamic Manifesto (translated into English, Arabic, and Albanian), Problems of Islamic Awakening and Islam Between East and West; the latter book was translated into English, Spanish, Turkish, Malay, and Urdu, and was described by reviewers as one of the most important books published in Europe in the 1980s.

This biography was written in the year the prize was awarded.