Well that is why you have a one sided view of things.
It's not one side view. It's the story of the last millenia, from the division of the church. And the line that divide the two churches also divide Albania in two parts. Later arrived Islam. If religion was important for the Albanians, hard to find any Albanian today.
Speak to Albanians that left before the border closed, and most(not all)care more about religious associations than they do "Albanianism".
I told you that i have cousins in USA. Their parents left Albania in November 1944 because they were nationalists, supporters of King Zog. But i had the possibility to ask my grandfathers and grandmothers, it's the same. From what they told me, there were no religious problems.
The Communist regime of Enver Hoxha oppressed many peoples in Albania. Forced names, no religious institutions or places of worship.
Well, it was a dictatorial system. What have to do with our discussion.
Its the whole reason my family came to the United States in the first place. My grandfather helped Albanians of all faiths escape into Macedonia, and was pursued by Hoxhas forces for it, so they fled to Macedonia, then to Italy, then to the United States. [
Again, what have to do all this with our discussion. The only interesting thing is that your grandfather had no problems with the religions.
All you need to do is look at most of Albanias history before communism. There was in fact religious disputes. Especially between Albanians. You can even look to Edith Durhams book where she mentions some muslim and catholic Albanian tribes attacking each other over religious disputes.
Disputes among Albanians has always been something very common. For example, two regions who were bastions of Scanderbeg, Mati and Dibra, both mostly converted in Islam, had a bloodfeud for centuries. This blood feud ended few years after that Albania was liberated from Ottomans. Nothing to do with religions. But with all the respect, because my grandfather from mother side was from your region, Dibra e vogël, what i have to see are not some quarrels between some villagers. What you have to see is the fact that Albanians of all religions partecipated in the National Renaissance, in the Independence of Albania. The first real Albanian state was created in the Kongres of Lushnje, where was created the High Council, composed from four members of different religions. What i have to see is the coexistence of the religions during the Kingdom of Albania, under the King Zog.
It is due to communism that Albanians adopted a sort of ethno-religious consciousness as opposed to actual religious consciousness. I mean when you have Albanians saying "my religion is Albanianism", than it is quite clear. This correlated to the result of the communist regime.
No, you are totally wrong. Were the forefathers of Albania who decided for Albanianism. And this mean that everyone is free to follow his religion, but above all is Albania. Meanwhile during the communism above all was the Party. Communism, intentionally misused Albanianism.
This is evident in the fact that some Albanians I meet from Albania proper are in fact either still fans of Hoxha, or still cling to aspects of the propaganda he enforced.
Whereas in Kosova, its obvious religion still holds sway.
This people are called nostalgics, nothing to do with religion but with their sympathy for communism as a system.
With the Albanians outside our borders, the story is different. The religion was used by the invaders, the serbs, as a tool for the elimination of the Albanians. Their plan was the islamisation of the Albanians and later their conversion in Bosniaks. The perfect example Novi Pasar. There are no more Albanians in Novi Pasar or Sandjak.
Though not enough to cause division. Look to Albanians in Greece. Specifically Orthodox Arvanites. They call Albanian Muslims Turks. This is a result of their upbringing, and the fact they belong to a Greek speaking orthodox church.
Yes, but the same can not be said for the Arbëreshë in Italy. Why?
