Osman Rastoder was a commander of the Muslim militia in upper Bihor during the Second World War. He was a collaborator with the Italians during their World War II occupation of Bihor. After Italy's capitulation he collaborated with occupying German forces. Rastoder belonged to the supporters of the annexation of Bihor by the Greater Albania.
Early life
Rastoder was born in a wealthy family and could afford to be educated first in madressas in Novi Pazar and Đakovica, and later in Istanbul. His family moved to Turkey in 1915 and remained there while Osman returned to Balkans in 1919, to Novi Pazar where he married himself second time. He had seven children in two marriages. In 1926 he returned to Petnjica with both of his wives where he was appointed as mullah in villages Petnjica and Savin Bor. Since 1929 he was appointed as imam in local mosque. Besides his native Bosnian language Rastoder spoke Turkish, Albanian and Arab languages.
In June 1941 Rastoder was appointed as commander of local Muslim detachment which evolved in September 1941 in a detachment of Sandžak Muslim militia responsible for the territory of upper Bihor. At the beginning of 1941 the relations between towns Petnjica and Police worsened due to the killing of Rastoder's son, in Berane. During the Uprising in Montenegro a detachment of the militia from Bihor commanded by Rastoder attacked insurgents toward Berane. His forces burned Orthodox Christians in villages Goražde, Zagrađe, Tmušiće and Lješnica. In autumn 1941, Rastoder was appointed to command the militia detachment in upper Bihor with its seat in Petnjica. Together with militia commanders he participated in a conference in village of Godijeva, and agreed to attack Serb villages near Sjenica and other parts of Sandžak. On 31 March 1942, Chetnik leader Pavle Đurišić met with Rastoder and offered him a peace agreement, which Rastoder refused. Rastoder favorized armed conflicts with orthodox population of the region, above all with those from Bijelo Polje and Berane. The detachment of militia commanded by Rastoder, supported by Albanian irregulars and German forces, attacked and killed 35 Partisans and 19Italian irregulars of the Garibaldi Battalion on 22 January 1944 near the village of Vrbica. Rastoder was killed by police on 26 January 1946 on Ladevac mountain.
