The Muslim Units of the Waffen SS

When the Independent State of Croatia proclaimed its independence on April 10th 1941, during the German invasion of Yugoslavia, part of the land it claimed was the former Austro-Hungarian province of Bosnia-Herzegovina. The province was an ethnic and religious mix, with a portion of the population being Catholic Croatian, a portion being Orthodox Serbian, and a portion being Croatians of the Muslim faith. It was these Muslim inhabitants of Bosnia that Himmler and the SS would target in their recruitment of a Croatian SS Division

The reasons for the recruitment in particular of Croatian Muslims by the SS were many-fold. For one, Himmler was fascinated by the Islamic faith, and thought Muslims to be fearless soldiers willing to kill for their religion. Himmler also subscribed to the propaganda theory that Croatians (and therefore the Croatian Muslims) were not, in fact, Slavic people, but actually of Aryan (Gothic) descent, and thereby acceptable to the racially "pure" SS. The fact that this ludicrous theory would not hold up to any kind of serious scrutiny was conveniently ignored. Finally, the Germans were hoping to rally the World's 350 million Muslims to their side, in a struggle against the British Empire. The creation of a Muslim, albeit European Muslim Division, was considered a stepping stone to this greater end.

Adolf Hitler approved of Himmler's idea on February 13th 1943. Prior to the formation of the division, however, approval also had to be granted by the Croatian government, as their citizens were to be recruited, and on Croatian territory. The Croatian Poglavnik, Ante Pavelic, and his ministers had many problems with the idea, but eventually agreed to the division's creation on March 5th 1943. The divisional strength reached the required 26,000 men by mid 1943.

The new division was assigned the number "13", and originally named the "13 SS Frei.Gebirgs Division (kroatien). The full name "13 Waffen-Gebirgs-Division der SS 'Handschar' (kroatische Nr. 1)" was not given until May, 1944. A "Handschar" (or Handzar in Croatian) is curved Turkish sword - the Scimitar. This sword has historically been the symbol of Bosnia. The Division was to have 2 Infantry Regiments (Waffen-Gebirgs-Jager Regiments der SS 27 & 28 - kroatisches Nrs. 1 & 2), an Artillery Regiment (SS-Gebirgs-Artillerie Regiment 13), a Reconnaissance Company, a Panzerjager Company, a Flak Company, a Pioneer Battalion, and other support units; and was designated an SS "mountain" division. The first commander (from March 9, 1943 till August 1, 1943) was SS Standartenfuhrer Herbert von Obwurzer. Oberfuhrer (later Brigadefuhrer) Karl-Gustav Sauberzweig took over till June 1st 1944, when Desiderius Hampel (Oberfuhrer, later Brigadefuhrer) replaced him. Hampel commanded the remnants of the division until its surrender on May 8th 1945.

The uniform worn by the division was regular SS issue, with a divisional collar patch showing an arm, holding a Scimitar, over a Swastika. On the left arm was a Croatian armshield (red-white chessboard). Headgear was the Muslim Fez, in field grey (normal service) or red ("walking out"), with the SS eagle and death's head emblazoned. Non-Muslim members could opt to wear the normal SS mountain cap. The oval mountain troop Edelweiss patch was worn on the right arm.

During the Second World War in Yugoslavia many Muslim clerics in Bosnia and Kosovo were willing accomplices in the genocide of the nations Serbian, Jewish and Roma population. From 1941 until 1945, the Nazi-installed regime of Ante Pavelic in Croatia carried out some of the most horrific crimes of the Holocaust (known as the Porajmos by the Roma), killing over 800,000 Yugoslav citizens - 750,000 Serbs, 60,000 Jews and 26,000 Roma. In these crimes, they were helped by Muslim fundamentalists in Bosnia and Kosovo who were openly supported by the Palestinian Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, Hajj Amin al-Husseini. A notorious anti-Semite, he openly encouraged Muslims to join Nazi units that would be later implicated in genocide and crimes against humanity - the infamous Hanjar (or Handschar) 13th Waffen SS division. One of these crimes was The Massacre at Koritska Jama Gorge, in Bosnia during 1941 .

Many of the victims of the Holocaust/Porajmos were murdered in the Second World War's third largest death camp - Jasenovac, where over 200,000 people - mainly Orthodox Serbs met their deaths.

The most senior Muslim cleric to be involved in the Holocaust/Porajmos was Hajj Amin al-Husseini, who according to the Encyclopedia of the Holocaust (Edition 1990, Volume 2, Pages 706 and 707), made a substantial contribution to the Axis war effort by organizing "in record time" recruitment to Muslim SS units in Croatia that would be involved in some of the worse atrocities of the Second World War.

Altogether, it is estimated that some 20,000 Muslims fought in the Hanjar (Sword) SS Division, which fought against Yugoslav partisans led by General Tito, and carried out police and security details in fascist Hungary. The Nazi's recruited two SS divisions from Yugoslavia's Muslim population: the infamous Bosnian 13th Waffen Hanjar (or Handschar) SS division, and the Albanian Skanderbeg 21st Waffen SS division. SS conscription in Yugoslavia during the war produced 42,000 Waffen SS and police troops

Once in Berlin, the Mufti received an enthusiastic reception by the "Islamische Zentralinstitut" and the whole Islamic community of Germany, which welcomed him as the "Führer of the Arabic world." In an introductory speech, he called the Jews the "most fierce enemies of the Muslims" and an "ever corruptive element" in the world. Husseini soon became an honored guest of the Nazi leadership and met on several occasions with Hitler. He personally lobbied the Führer against the plan to let Jews leave Hungary, fearing they would immigrate to Palestine. He also strongly intervened when Adolf Eichman tried to cut a deal with the British government to exchange German POWs for 5000 Jewish children who also could have fled to Palestine. The Mufti's protests with the SS were successful, as the children were sent to death camps in Poland instead. One German officer noted in his journals that the Mufti would liked to have seen the Jews "preferably all killed." On a visit to Auschwitz, he reportedly admonished the guards running the gas chambers to work more diligently. Throughout the war, he appeared regularly on German radio broadcasts to the Middle East, preaching his pro-Nazi, anti-Semitic message to the Arab masses back home.

To show gratitude towards his hosts, in 1943 the Mufti traveled several times to Bosnia, where on orders of the SS he recruited the notorious "Hanjar troopers," a special Bosnian Waffen SS company which slaughtered 90% of Bosnia's Jews and burned countless Serbian churches and villages. These Bosnian Muslim recruits rapidly found favor with SS chief Heinrich Himmler, who established a special Mullah Military school in Dresden.

The only condition the Mufti set for his help was that after Hitler won the war, the entire Jewish population in Palestine should be liquidated. After the war, Husseini fled to Switzerland and from there escaped via France to Cairo, were he was warmly received.

I've got these pictures as well, most are of German officers. Their names are listed in the captions in the Lepre book. Some are Muslims, you are correct.

7 out of 9 pictures have Muslim soldiers with fezzes on. 5 out of 9 have many Muslim soldiers. There are a lot more Muslims in the 9 photos than Germans. Germans don't get down on prayer mats and they don't wear a fez.

The German officers of the Handzar Division wore the fez Dennis. Pick up Lepre's detailed book, and you'll see.

In that case you are right. But I am still right that in those 9 pictures there are many more Muslims than Germans.

http://216.239.33.100/search?q=cache:VJxXVt2II_oC:www.rastko.org.yu/rastko-bl/istorija/kcsavic/csavich-islam_e.html+Lepre+++muslim&hl=en&ie=UTF-8

http://216.239.33.100/search?q=cache:46xjj4hcpMQC:www.srpska-mreza.com/bookstore/handschar/handschar.htm+Lepre+++muslim&hl=en&ie=UTF-8

Bosnian Imams

The imams visiting Potsdam, July 1943. Standing from left to right Imam Husejin Dzozo, Imam Ahmed Skaka, unknown, SS-Schiitze Zvonimir Bemwald, SS-Ostuf. Heinrich Gaese, Division Imam Abdulah Muhasilovic, an unknown German, Imam Haris Korkut, Imam Dzemal Ibrahimovic, Imam Hasan Bajraktarevic, Imam Salih Sabanovic, Imam Fikret Mehmedagic, an unknown partially obscured German and Imam Sulejman Alinajstrovic. Kneeling from left to right Imam Muhamed Mujakic, Imam Halim Malkoc, Imam Kasim Maric, Imam Hasim Torlic, and Imam Osman Delic.

Are these German or Muslim?>

No doubt there are many fine individuals who are Muslims, but I am getting seriously worried about American Muslims as a group. After a year I have not seen any in the media unequivocally condemning the ideals of radical terrorist Islam. Maybe I missed it or maybe the media has been remiss.I am reluctantly concluding, though, that most American Muslims know radicals and/or radical sympathizers, and are not eager to turn them in.

Something else that might interest Freepers : I had a cousin who fought in North Africa in WWII. The Bedouins were closely allied to the Nazis: acted as scouts, carried out throat-cutting night raids on American troops,murdered any wounded they encountered, and stripped and mutilated the bodies of our soldiers.

After a brief attempt to win them over,American troops shot them on sight-whenever there were no rear echelon brasshats around.

The worst of these scum got together after the war and formed the present Saudi dynasty...

Well, all this is known for more than 50 years. It was certainly known when U.S. put radical islamic maniac Izetbegovic in the driver seat of Bosnia catastrophe.

There is no surprise that Bosnia became springboard for Osama Bin Laden terror network Bosnian Muslims were called "Jews" and Serbs were frequently called "Nazis" to the present day. This is the balttant case of Nazi revisionism and nobody gives a hoot.

Even today, hoax called "Srebrenica genocide" is reinforced with $1M of taxpayer's money for the monument marking an event that never happened.

Like other religions, Islam is very much a mixed bag with many diverse elements.

Funny, I have never heard of a Christian suicide bomber. Nor have I ever heard a Moslem decrying mass murder in the name of Allah. I think you could compare a planet to a golf ball and come to the same conclusion, they are both round.

Watch your back my friend. The secularist humanists are using simplistic bashing of all Muslims only strengthen their attempt to bash all people of religious faith.

Strange, the leftists are using simplistic bashing of all conservatives as they strengthen their attempt to bash all people of Judeao/Christian faith. You are a strange parallel of the voice you decry.

Have fun while you can but you will be next.

These words coming from your mouth echo in history with the voice of Hitler, Mao, Stalin and now, Islam. Perhaps you will some day join the Jihad in beheading Christians for not renouncing their faith, after all, the book of revelations speak of such things. But in the end, it is you who will stand before God and answer why you defended murderers from the innocent. Have fun while you can, God is a lurker.

"Funny, I have never heard of a Christian suicide bomber"

I can't remember hearing about one, either.

I CAN, however, remember all the 'fun' that goes on in Northern Ireland between the Protestants and the Catholics. In fact, right before September 11th, the eyes of the world were focused on that one school where the kids were having to run a picket line of angry, cursing, rock-throwing and bomb planting parents who didn't want that school there.

All religions have idjits who don't get it. Islam, unfortunately, has a lot more idjits to its name, probably because it's got more violent content in its pages than other holy books.

J

BTW, you misunderstand my point entirely. It is that those who disparage the liberties of some (in your case Muslims) only create an atmosphere in which the liberties of themselves and others are ultimately undermined. A victim of Nazi oppression made this point this point many decades ago when he warned "They came for the Catholics but I wasn't a Catholic so I didn't speak up, etc."

Maybe you didn't understand the sentence that you quoted above.

Maybe I don't understand what point you are attempting to make by saying that all the other pictures are of "German officers" when you see this one of undeniably islamic nazis with their butts in the air.

Its a pun son, on Is-slime.

But it stands true, that in broad bashing conservatives by the second post on a thread, you stand as a liberal, with nothing to say, but saying it anyway in self righteousness. However, in the rest of the thread, you prove your liberal tendencies by having nothing to say against the greatest evil ever to befall our Nation, only against those offended by it.

Somehow, having no sense of outrage is seen by your type as some sort of moral superiority, while I see it simply as a hardened and dead heart. What you and your ilk take as a thing of pride, (to wear as a crown), will be your death sentence when you stand before the almighty God on the Judgment day. For in abandoning your moral base, you retain only pride, but loose all ability to judge righteous judgment.

Moral free, is not above morality, but immoral.

Sometimes a pun is far easier than to explain a complex thought in such simplistic terms. As a picture is worth a thousand words, you just got the long explanation. Would not want you to make a fool of yourself needlessly as you use the "example".

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