I am an Italian-American, and new to these forums. I sense a lot of nationalist bigotry on all sides of any argument, and don't know how I'll be recieved. I just want to start off by saying that I couldn't care less about who is right in the Balkans. I'm simply going to say what I noticed from my recent trip to the Balkans.
My itinerary included Zagreb, Belgrade, Sarajevo, Podgorica, Pristina, Tirana, Skopje, Ioannina, Salonica, and, finally Athens. It took me some two months, and I've just returned.
There were several things I noticed. I'll sort them by country
CROATIA
Croatia was a very beautiful country. It looked preserved like from some perfect Swiss miniature!
BOSNIA
Bosnia was... not so pretty. There were a lot of dirty looking Muslim merchants, who smelled bad and had bad teeth. They also were very suspicious. It still looked like a warzone.
SERBIA
Serbia was very medieval. Almost identical to Croatia.
KOSOVO
I was expecting Kosovo to be much like Bosnia, but was very surprised. It had a rustic, mountain air to it. There were parts of it that were very beautiful, and had excellent food. To my surprise, I saw almost no Muslims, when I'd been expecting a Muslim country from what I hear of "Muslim terrorists in Kosovo". Most people were Orthodox Christian, as much as in Serbia. They all spoke Albanian, and I saw very few Serbs. It dispelled the myth that Kosovo is a Muslim country for me!
ALBANIA
Albania, too, was a surprise. It was very modern, at times too much. I didn't see too many villages, as I stayed in the capital, where everything was luxurious to the point of idiocy. Marble was everywhere. Also, I found that at least 70% of people wore a cross, and I found very few Muslims, again. I don't really know why people say that Albanians are Muslims, because I found almost none.
GREECE
Greece was very beautiful. In the north, I found some villagers who spoke Albanian, near Ioannina. They said something about being "Chams", which I don't know much about. The rest of it was fantastic, especially Athens.
So, I guess my questions are:
Why do people think Albanians are Muslims, when very few are?
Why do people consider Kosovars "Muslim Terrorists", when they are overwhelmingly Christian?
Why are there Albanians in the North of Greece?
Why are there Muslims in Bosnia?
Why do people say that Albanians speak Greek, when I found almost no Greek speakers?
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Albanian 95%, Greek 3%, other 2% (Vlach, Roma (Gypsy), Serb, Macedonian, Bulgarian) (1989 est.) note: in 1989, other estimates of the Greek population ranged from 1% (official Albanian statistics) to 12% (from a Greek organization)
Religions:
Muslim 70%, Albanian Orthodox 20%, Roman Catholic 10% note: percentages are estimates; there are no available current statistics on religious affiliation; all mosques and churches were closed in 1967 and religious observances prohibited; in November 1990, Albania began allowing private religious practice
Kosova, 90% are Albanians, and 85% of Albanians in Kosova are Moslems.
Many Bosnians converted to Islam religion during the Ottoman rule.
lambeo obviously you are confused, in limbo i might say, albanians both in Albania and Kosovo are 70% muslim. You have stayed in major cities, you should have tried the countryside. Sarajevo is beautiful as well...how do you know they speak albanian or greek in Greece? did you ask them?
Did you see the Balkans with your own eyes or you just read a US magazine?
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Voglio sapere se sei da vero Italiano o fai finta?
Un Italiano non avrebbe scritto cosi' bene per l'Albania...non ti pare?
Rispondimi in Italiano per provarmi che sei tale/.
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Lambeo... we have a problem with you findings. These findings... do not represent Balkans
First and the most important of all... Thessaloniki is more beautifull from Athens!
..and to continue... Chams in Epirus?! Chams are considered from Epirots as the allies of Nazists occupiers and that is why.. they were forced to live the area after the end of WW2. To tell us... that Epirus has Cham residents who declare their "Cham" ID... is like saying... there are Russian Commounists insise the White house! Sorry dude... I've been there many times as a sales person... and what you say does not fit.
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