The media and individual members of parliament have been criticized for using disparaging language when referring to non-traditional groups Antisemitic literature is commonly available in bookstores, and is prevalent online.
Under Ottoman rule, Serbian Christians were forced to pay religious taxes and were treated as second-class citizens.
Prince Miloš Obrenović, the head of state, supported policies that promoted secularism in order to curb the Church's power over his authority.
[16] In 1928, a Serb representative in parliament opened fire against the opposition bench, killing Stjepan Radić of the Croatian Peasant Party.
[17] Alexander I attempted to reduce ethnoreligious separatism by promoting a unified Yugoslav nationalism,[18] a political strategy which ultimately both alienated the Serbs and failed to mollify the Croats.
[19] The 1930s saw the rise of the Ustashe, a Croat fascist organization which advocated the establishment of an independent Croatian state through violent means, and which embarked on a terrorist campaign of bombings, assassinations, and sabotage.
[21] The government responded to both the Ustashe insurgency and the political pronouncements with often violent police action, which only further bolstered support for separatist groups.
Paul attempted to pursue a policy of democracy and decentralization in the hopes of mollifying Serb and Croat nationalists.
[25] In 1941, Yugoslavia joined the Axis powers, a decision which was met with massive opposition by the Serb population, as well as Liberals and communists of all nationalities.
[27] Following German invasion, Yugoslavia was divided between the Axis powers, as well as a newly created Croatian puppet state led by the Ustashe.
[31] Ustashe and German troops massacred Orthodox Serb civilians, while Chetnik militias targeted (Catholic) Croats and Muslims.
[32] Following the end of World War II, Serbia was reconstituted as part of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, which established a nominally secular state (although at times it displayed favoritism toward the Serbian Orthodox Church), and did not engage in anti-religious campaigns to the extent of other countries in the Eastern Bloc.
Despite having a previous reputation as a hard-line communist anti-nationalist,[33] Milošević pivoted toward Serbian nationalism, and repressed demands for cultural autonomy from Yugoslavia's other ethnic groups.
Serbia provided significant material support to the Yugoslav People's Army (JNA) and Serb paramilitary forces,[35] which in turn committed numerous war crimes,[36] many of which were motivated by enmities along ethnic and religious lines, primarily targeting Albanians, Croats, and Bosniaks.
The constitution states the freedom to express one’s religion or beliefs may be restricted by law only as necessary to protect the lives and health of the people, the morals of democratic society, freedoms and rights guaranteed by the constitution, or public safety and order or prevent incitement of religious, national, or racial hatred.
The law bans incitement of discrimination, hatred, or violence against an individual or group on religious grounds and carries penalties ranging from one to 10 years in prison, depending on the type of offense.
Although the law generally prohibits the registration of multiple groups with the same name, both Islamic communities are officially registered with the government.
[2] The law also grants the seven traditional religious groups the right to receive value-added tax refunds, to have their faith taught in public schools, and to provide chaplain services to military personnel.
The law authorizes the government to provide social and health insurance and fund retirement plans only for religious clerics of registered groups.
Registered religious groups are exempt from paying administrative taxes and filing annual financial reports.
[2] According to the Jehovah’s Witnesses, public prosecutors rarely prosecuted physical assaults against their members or vandalism against their property as religiously motivated crimes, but rather as simple assault or property violations, which carried lesser penalties under the law than religiously motivated crimes, or else treated incidents as private disputes.
Some observers stated they believed prosecutors intentionally filed lesser charges in these cases to minimize the appearance of religious intolerance.
The law also provides that the Jewish community may receive restitution for heirless property confiscated from Holocaust victims during WWII.
[2] The constitution states parents and legal guardians shall have the right to ensure the religious education of their children in conformity with their own convictions.
In areas where individual schools do not meet the minimum number, the Ministry of Education attempts to combine students into regional classes for religious instruction.