UNMIK ON AIR
10 Jan. 2003
Islam in Kosovo
(Luan Qorraj)
Hello and
Welcome to this edition of UNMIK on Air
Young
women dressed like they just walked out of an MTV video, young man with colored
hair wearing jeans and designer shirts, bars and clubs that stay opened until
late hours sipping endless amounts of various alcoholic drinks, loud techno or
rock music being played almost everywhere- although it may not seem so to a
first-time visitor, Kosovo is predominantly a Muslim place.
It is
only in the early hours, when the first light appears to the east and the noise
of everyday life is still weak that the sound of an Imam singing the morning
prayer starts echoing over the towns that a European surrounding starts taking
the eastern dimension.
Although
media attention during the past few years was more oriented towards the
unfortunate destruction of Serbian orthodox churches Kosovo is a home of many
centuries-old mosques some of which, like the Bayazit mosque in the center of
Prishtina, are unique in the world. Most of them are remnants of the Ottoman
empire that ruled these lands for 5 centuries although driving out of Prishtina
gives a glimpse towards some very new, and very modern mosques, some of which
look like a surprising mixture of traditional and cyberpunk architecture.
It is a
well-known fact that Islam became widespread during the rule of the Ottoman
Empire. But when did it, primarily, reach Kosovo. We spoke to Qemajl Morina,
vice dean of Prishtina’s faculty of Islamic studies- an Islamic school that is
quite unique, it is the only place in the world where higher Islamic studies
are conducted in the national language, not Arabic. Qemajl told us that Islam
first reached Kosovo long before the Ottomans came and that it didn’t come here
from the east but, from Europe:
Qemajl
Morina: there are
traces that say that Islam reached Kosovo, and Albanian lands before the
Osmanlis came. It was easy since Spain ever since the year 811 up to 1492 had
the Islamic state of Andaluzia, there was Also Islam in the south of Italy-
Sicilia was Islamic the same as many of the Mediterranean islands- so that was
the easiest way for Islam to come through. There are traces that in Dragash
village there was a mosque 200 years before the Ottoman Empire came.
But it
wasn’t until the spread of the “eastern empire” – the way some people called
it- that Islam became dominant. Up to the middle of the 16th century
most Kosovans were Catholic. But with the arrival of the Ottomans the influence
of the Vatican disappeared which left Albanian Christians with the choice between Islam and the
Serb-orthodox church which- at the time was not the ideal choice- therefore
they chose Islam as a national-defense mechanism:
Qemajl Morina:
Islam made massive progress in Albanian lands after the Ottoman Empire settled
in. Therefore Albanians accepted Islam massively during the 15th, 16th
and 17th century. It happened because at the time Albanians were
under great pressure from the Serbian kingdom that put all the laws to support
assimilation religious and national. The Turks never asked Albanians to change
their language or nationality. They changed their religion but when it came to
nation or language they remained Albanians.
And after Islam settled the population
combined it with older more Christian traditions .So the notion of
“fundamental” Islam – these days mainly associated with terrorism and rogue
states-remained unknown and developed into a more moderate- some will say true-
Islam which is held up to date.
The Islamic community and sites, were amongst
the first to be targeted during the last Kosovan war. A large number of mosques
were destroyed and a number of imams and Islam community members were
prosecuted – and killed by the forces of the Milosevic regime. Still, Mr.
Morina says that the historical damage was enormous:
Qemajl Morina:
during 1998 –99 Serbian police, military and paramilitary units destroyed 218
mosques. Some of them were dated from the 15th or 16th
century and they had great architectonic value. Like the Haddum mosque in
Gjakova, the Ibar mosque in Mitrovica, which was flattened to the ground and
now you cannot even tell that there was a mosque there before.
Qemail
replies to some of the claims that part of the destruction of Serbian churches
-that happened after the war- was -up to a point-triggered by the destruction
of the mosques in the previous period. He says that the Islamic community would
never support similar destruction since the Kur’an itself orders respect for
all holy sites and places, whatever religion they may belong to. And outlines
that the Islamic community always condemned similar acts, unlike the Serbian
church.
Qemajl Morina:
It is true that a number of Serb orthodox churches were destroyed after June
1999. We, as an Islamic community have condemned the destruction of these
churches but, up to now, they never had the courage to condemn the destruction
of the 218 mosques – which was about 50%, or religious objects our community
had before the war.
Qemajl
Morina also calls Kosovan Muslims to stand up against all kinds of crime that
have struck the community during the past years.
Qemajl
Morina:
We should have a great responsibility since we shouldn’t spare the ones who
commit crimes, because crimes can happen in any society. It is impossible not
to have any criminals but they should be denounced. This is a religious duty as
much as a national one.
Especially in the post September 11th
aftermath and the tendency to demonize almost anything Islamic in the western
countries. Qemajl Morina says that people should not forget that the actions of
one man should not be the mean to judge upon an entire religion.
Qemajl Morina:
Islam, in essence, is a religion of peace, the word Islam itself means peace
.The Islamic greeting is Selam Aleykum, which means “May god’s peace and
kindness be upon you”. The sins of Individuals should not be attributed to
entire Islam: