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Kosovo: Two People, One Country

Kosovo, the world’s newest nation has finally earned its place on the world’s map. Relatively unknown to most of the world, Kosovo is a former province of Serbia, in southeastern Europe. Home to over two million people, Kosovo is comprised of two major ethnic groups: Albanians and Serbs. While under strict communist dictatorship by the former Yugoslavia for nearly four decades, Albanians and Serbs lived in peacefully together in Kosovo. However, with the fall of communism and the rise of nationalism in the 1990’s, the Albanians and Serbs of Kosovo began to distance themselves from one another. Although they shared a common state, Kosovo Albanians and Kosovo Serbs differ in language, culture, and historical interpretations.

While under the rule of Yugoslavia, language was used as a political tool to unify the people. The official language in Kosovo was Serbo-Croatian, the native tongue of Serbs. Albanians, who make up nearly 90 percent of the population were forced to speak Serbo-Croatian at school and work, but continued to speak their own native language at home, Albanian. These two languages differ significantly Serbo-Croatian, a Slavic language, is also spoken in Serbia, located north of Kosovo. A language closely related to Russian, Serbo-Croatian can be expressed with either the Cyrillic or Latin alphabet. Serbs prefer to use the Cyrillic alphabet, which they feel strengthen their cultural ties to Russia, their Slavic relatives. Up until the late 1990’s, Serbo-Croatian was prominent in signage across Kosovo, even in area with little to no Serb population.

On the other hand, Kosovo Albanian’s speak Albanian. Although spoken in an area dominated by Slavic languages, Albanian happens to be one of the oldest Indo-European languages still spoken today. The Albanian language has no known relatives, but is thought to have descended from the ancient Illyrian language. Also spoken in Albania, located west of Kosovo, the Albanian language has adopted the Latin alphabet. In the past, Albanian had been written in the Arabic script and Greek alphabet before finally adopting the Latin script in the late 19th century. Since Kosovo’s recent declaration of independence, Albanian will now be the primary language on most signage throughout the country, with Serbo-Croatian expressed as a secondary language.

Kosovo’s Albanian and Serb population come from two very distinct cultures. Again, while under communism, Albanian culture was under oppression and the Yugoslavian culture was encouraged and practiced. It was not until the 1990’s; with the rise of nationalism did the differences between Albanians and Serbs begin to cause turmoil. Kosovo is home to two world religions, Sunni Islam and Christian Orthodox.

Kosovo Albanians are predominately Sunni Muslims by faith while Serbs are Christian Orthodox. Throughout Kosovo one can see the landscape dotted by many Ottoman styled mosques and Russian styled monasteries. However, many of these places of worship go unfilled. The decades of communism which frowned upon organized religion had paid its price on the people of Kosovo. Although not devout, the Albanians and Serbs hold their religion as a symbol of the identity.

Kosovo’s Albanians and Serbs are both very nationalistic people. With Albanians remaining loyal to their kin in neighboring Albania, Serbs remain loyal to Serbia. Relations between Albanians and Serbs have always been strained, with Kosovo as the root of the issue. Albanians and Serbs seem to be reading out of two different history books. The Serbs believe that Kosovo belongs to Serbia, as they believe it is the cradle of their civilization. According to Serbs, the first Serbian Orthodox monastery was built in what is present day Kosovo. However, in the history of the Kosovo Albanians, Kosovo belongs to Albania. Albanians believe they inhabited the land before the Serbs, and prove that by expressing the historic demographics of the region.

Serbia ruled Kosovo for about 250 years until the final Ottoman takeover in the mid-15th century. Churches and monasteries remain from that period. Kosovo remained Ottoman territory until it was conquered by Serbian forces in 1912. Serbia ruled Kosovo from 1912 till 1999. In 1998 war broke out in Kosovo. Former Serbian president, Slobodan Milosevic attempted to rid all Albanians from Kosovo but carrying out acts of ethnic cleansing. After many attempts to stop Milosevic, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) intervened and began bombing campaign on Serbian forces. After three months of air strikes on Serbia, Milosevic pulled troops out of Kosovo and ended the war. Since the war to 2008, although still technically apart of Serbia, Kosovo was run by the United Nations (UN). On February 17, 2008 Kosovo declared independence from Serbia and is now recognized by most nations around the world.

Kosovo has been a multi-ethnic land for centuries. However, while under communism, the Albanians of Kosovo were oppressed in many ways. Their language, culture, and history consistently took the back seat to Serbian language, culture and history. Even though they made up over 90 percent of the population, Albanians were continued to be treated as second class citizens in their own state. Serbs, who make up less than the remaining 10 percent where given all privileges in Kosovo. In an attempt to keep the peace in the historically volatile region, any type of nationalism among Albanians was immediately disintegrated by Serb authorities. While Albanians and Serbs do have many differences, their love for Kosovo should unify them as a people. To see such a beautiful country plagued by years of bloodshed and injustice is truly tragic. Kosovo has the potential to become a prospering nation as long as it continues to make progress in cross cultural understanding. A bit of advice for Kosovo, just as president Abraham Lincoln once said, “united we stand, divided we fall.”

By Kujtim Zenelaj

Dancing for Kosovo's independence

CHILDREN’S PAIN ~~ BOTH VISABLE AND HIDDEN

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AN INTERVIEW WITH CARLOS LATUFF

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