Bush's popularity in Albania...

The US still seems to support Kosovar independence, now though it channels its view through the UN facade. In recent news they acknowledge that talks between the two sides has not produced much, and the "UN" draft for independence is the best solution. Either way they have up to December 10th to deliberate.

It's amazing how we can get off-topic from such a simple questiion.

turks actually provided homes and land for The vlach population that was imported by The turks.

And the Bosnian Serb faction wanting to seperate wasn't monolith there were many Bosnian Serbs fighting for unification, case in point, the general leading Bosnian troops was a Bosnian Serb.
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es bih, what constitutes many? Like, under 1 percent (and all in Sarajevo mostly)?
BGTurk, you have no idea about RS and what those people have been through (not to mention the part your ancestors played for centuries), so you could show some respect. And no matter how horrible and outrageous it was, a massacre cannot be called genocide, something Armenians and Serbs (look under "Jasenovac", WW2, "NDH") know all too well.

Originally posted by bgturk I am asking you again: why do you believe that DPS is based on ethnic and religious discrimination?

You know very well why. And also you will probably ask in the same arrogant manner, why TNFM (DPS predecessor) is considered a terrorist movement? This is a fruitless discussion. All I want to ask you is - do you really believe that DPS is a normal Bulgarian party, which defends the interests of all ethnic and religious groups in equal manner?

Originally posted by bgturk Originally posted by Desperado  Why Kosovo albanians didn't stay in Yugoslavia, although there was also a referendum in which the majority of the population in Serbia voted for Kosovo remaining in Serbia? We have separatists fighting for independance in Bosnia (serbs) and we have separatists figthing in Serbia (albanians). Republika Srpska is part of Bosnia and will remain so, because it is an illegitimate entity based on the genocide and eradication of Bosnian Muslims from their homeland. It is because Genocide is not a legitimate means of nation building, that Srpska should never be allowed to exist as a nation.

Originally posted by HEROI Wrong.First of all there has never been a census on the religions of the Albanians.So your percentage is wrong.Second� you can call� a country a Muslim country� when religion plays an important (or a part at all) in the life or the laws of the community.

This is not my percentage and numbers between 70 and 75% are the most frequently cited.
And yes, I can call Albania islamic or muslim country (but not Islamist), just like most of the other sources do. Islamic countries (list)

@BGturk
About who's right and who's not - it's another question, which strongly depends from the point of view. I'm not trying to justify one of the sides, like you do - I'm just pointing at the role of the US in the conflict. There were already topics about the wars in the former Yugoslavia, DPS party (yes, I do think that it's based on religious and ethnic discrimination), Cyprus question and most of them resulted in their closing/flaming wars. If you take a brief look at the Balkan countries history (even only the 20th century history) to what historical events brings you the word "genocide"(so frequently used by you)? If you experience memory difficulties just write in Google "genocide+Balkan+20th century". Yes, ethnic cleansing was often used in the Balkans by most of the countries, but keep in mind that Bulgaria is the only country which keeped its neighbour's minorities intact to a such degree - and unlike some members I still don't think it was a "bad minorities policy" or "bad track record with protecting minority rights".


Edited by Desperado - 06-Oct-2007 at 21:47

Originally posted by Desperado like 75% of the population in Albania. How many percents of the population must be muslim, so a country can be considered muslim?

Wrong.First of all there has never been a census on the religions of the Albanians.So your percentage is wrong.

Second  you can call  a country a Muslim country  when religion plays an important (or a part at all) in the life or the laws of the community.

Albania used to be an Atheist state (the first and ever since the only officially atheist state in the world),today its an Laik or Secular State.

Albanians in general have no religious identity,or ever had during their proven history.

There is a small percentage of people with religious identity in Albania who are part of the minorities,mainly Greeks,Turkish and Serbs.

The overwhelming majority  of people in Albania  have mixed  religions traditionally.

There are very few, if any,  Priests or Imams  of Albanian  nationality in Albania.

Life in general is typical Balkanik, an open to globalisation economy etc.

Religion has never played an important part in the affairs of Albanian community,which has kept very fanatically ( during specially the rise of Islam) it own traditions that predate the religion itself.




And now about the Bush's popularity in Albania.

I would say that most Albanians have a pro-American attitude, but during Bush's visit there was practically no chance of an protest, all main roads that connect the center  of Tirana  were  closed down and traffic  not allowed,and plus very few people FEEL THE NEED to go out and protest against Bush in Albania, Is anybody here willing to give me a good reason to do it.


So there was no popularity but indifference.Of course that there were a few people that belong to the nationalistic wing that went out to welcome him.


A big plus for his good trip to Albania was an interview that he gave before the visit in which he was very correct in what he was saying ,and for the first time the Albanian public was listening to a politician which was not lying or misinforming about Albania.He valued in the interview Albanian history and the beauty of our country,and spoke very realistically about our current affairs.

And for me personally thats why he was WELCOME.

Maybe because Bulgaria has had a bad track record with protecting minority rights in the last few decades...

Actually no, the Bosnian Serb forces lost most of their possesions by 1995, the joint Bos/Cro forces were actually taking the outskirts of Banja Luka by then, and were minimizing the Serb hold in Bosnia. However, after the Dayton accords they were forced to give back all the gains to settle for a 51%/49% territorial split.