Alija Izetbegović (18 Muharram 1344 AH / August 8, 1925 – 23 Sha’ban 1424 AH / October 19, 2003) was the first president of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina following the Bosnian War. He was a Bosnian political activist and an Islamic philosopher. He authored several books, most notably *Islam Between East and West*. He was born in the Bosnian town of Bosanska Krupa into a family with a long-standing Islamic heritage. His surname traces back to the Ottoman era in Bosnia; the “Beg” component is the local pronunciation of the Ottoman title “Bey,” and his full name signifies “Ali, son of Izet Bey.”