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“Life in Kosovo” Debates Religion
08 December 2006 
RTK, Pristina, 8 December 2006.
The latest BIRN-organised TV debate show “Life in Kosovo” featured the issue of religion in Kosovar society, with the focus on Islam.
The debate examined a number of topics, including whether Kosovans are religious; the relationship between Islam and modernity; and asked if people hid their Islamic identity for fear of upsetting the international community, especially the US.
The panelists who discussed this topic included Ekrem Avdiu, an imam from Mitrovica; Blerim Latifi, sociologist; Valon Syla, a journalist on the Kosovo daily newspaper Express; and Baton Begolli, a practicing Muslim.
Referring to religious practices in Kosovo where people only choose to keep certain customs, Abazi said this was “widespread which doesn’t make people non-Muslims”.
Syla said Kosovars are not really religious. According to him, in wedding ceremonies men and women dance together and drink alcohol, which “is incompatible with Islamic rules”.
Latifi pointed out that Kosovars “due to light belief have adopted other cultural practices and customs”.
Latifi also said that nationalism and communism have combined to reduce the importance of religion in people’s lives.
The discussion then shifted onto whether it was more important to integrate into Europe or maintain an Islamic identity. Begolli said it was possible to do both.
“Being a Muslim has not prevented me from living in England, visiting Catholic schools and working with internationals,” he said.
Syla pointed out that being religious prevents people from communicating properly with others, citing the example of Muslim women who wear veils and are not allowed to shake hands with members of the opposite sex.
Avniu said becoming more religious was a good thing because it cured people of bad habits such as drug use. “Even Europeans are turning to Islam on an individual basis,” he added.
Concluding the debate, Latifi said that Islam would not be an obstacle to Kosovo’s integration into Europe, as there’s a separation between state and religion here and people are not very religious.
The debate included a reportage in which people revealed their religions and the extent to which they practice them.
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