Do Serbs and Albanians(Kosovo) still care about what happened around 30 years ago?
Posted by Big_Confidence_951@reddit | AskBalkans | View on Reddit | 285 comments
The question goes mostly to younger people under 40(I guess there are not many that old here on reddit) I would like to hear from Serbs and from Kosovo Albanians. Is it just that if you know someone is from Serbia or Kosovo you might feel a little weird but since it was all not in your time or you had nothing much to do with it.
Or is just online, I mean do you even care or notice if the other is Serbian or from Kosovo? It seems to me this is largely an online troll thing. Reality is that people don't really think that much about it
Waste_Assistance2802@reddit
The people I would like to take my revenge on are mostly unknown/dead. (Operators of the Yellow House). So there is nothing much I can do about it. But as a nation, my personal opinion, do we care ? If you roughly split Serbia in the middle, I would say that the south care, and north - not that much. While I was serving army, I talked to a lot of people, it was amazing to see that amount of motivated people, that would actually do something for this country, but common thing, that was mentioned among most of them, was "not under this regime".
Aedzy@reddit
Here in Sweden Albanians care. I can meet a 20 year old Albanian that hates Serbs. I think they are taught from home.
Andi-rep@reddit
here in helsingborg a 20-21 yr old albanian just got killed in a shooting. Just saying might be him
freshcap0ne@reddit
Maybe some of their family members or friends were killed or tortured? Or their property destroyed.
Such things often do not exist in a vacuum.
As a Bosnian with family members who got killed, you care in a sense that the same ideology still lives on today in ultranationalistic groups of people and heavily in politics. What I am taught from home is don't paint everyone with the same brush, so for me, just because someone is serb, doesn't mean anything, because I don't base an opinion on your nationality alone - you learn how to identify it, both good and bad. Anecdotally, I think Albanians would judge you more solely on nationality - so the short answer is yes they do care. Forgiveness is hard because it is for those who ask for it.
Firm_Bowler228@reddit
In Serbia, you will find graffiti against us. So yeah the feeling is mutual. South slavs don’t hate each other anymore, but with Albanians a different story
Ok-Letter3775@reddit
In Serbia, the „pro West Europe“ / „Pro EU Integration“ / „fallen from the sky“ student protestors also call their president with a degratory slur used agsinst Albanians.
I wonder where they are taught…
New_Accident_4909@reddit
For the life of me i will not understand hkw its derogatory when you call yourself that. I don't use it myself but its just odd.
Dry-Pool3497@reddit
Albanians don’t call themselves Šiptar. It’s Shqiptar. And the Serbian/Croatian/Bosnian word for Albanian is Albanac or Albanci. So it’s clearly derogatory because it’s not the actual term for Albanians. It was used and in some cases still used as a derogatory slur.
Additional-Gur7915@reddit
Do you understand how the word "Negro" is derogatory? Black people use it themselves, too.
New_Accident_4909@reddit
Did you just compared yourself to multigenerational plight of Afro-Americans.
Again I don't care much about it, I call you Albanians, just found it odd.
Additional-Gur7915@reddit
I did not. However, since you mentioned it. The Albanian plight is multigenerational, too. We have been suppressed and ethnically cleansed by serbs since 1878. That's 5 generations. And they're continuing to fight the 6th and 7th generation.
Refugee_InThisWorld@reddit
How would you feel if i call you Slav. Or Yugo. Or both.
Tomorr3@reddit
Because:
Kobajadojaja@reddit
The students are not "pro EU" or use that calling for the president. Those are just people who attend the protests. The only goal of the students is media freedom, government reform and government accountability, everything else is noise.
The "Vucic šiptar" meme comes from the joke that his father is an Albanian and that his nationalistic policies only distance Kosovo from Serbia. Also, I have no clue why "šiptar" is derogatory term if you use it as well.
shilly03@reddit
From Wikipedia:
The term Shiptar (Serbo-Croatian Latin and Slovene: Šiptar; Serbo-Croatian Cyrillic and Macedonian: Шиптар) used in Serbo-Croatian, Slovene and Macedonian is an ethnic slur, and it is also considered derogatory by Albanians when used by South Slavic peoples, due to its negative connotations. After 1945, in pursuit of a policy of national equality, the Communist Party of Yugoslavia designated the Albanian community as Shiptars, however with increasing autonomy during the 1960s for Kosovo Albanians, their leadership requested, and attained in 1974, the term Albanians be officially used stressing a national over an only ethnic, self-identification. These developments resulted in the word Šiptar in Serbian usage acquiring pejorative connotations that implied Albanian racial and cultural inferiority. It continued to be used by some Yugoslav and Serb politicians to relegate the status of Albanians to simply one of the minority ethnic groups. The official (and often neutral) terms for Albanians in South Slavic languages are Albanac (in Serbo-Croatian Latin), Албанац (in Serbo-Croatian Cyrillic), Albanec (in Slovene) and Албанец (in Macedonian).
Everytime Siptar gets mentioned here we have some South Slavs argue it‘s not a slur; just use the correct term, not that difficult.
VVest_VVind@reddit
I highly doubt people are even arguing in good faith when they try to excuse using the term and pretending it's not meant derogatorily most of the time. Same how ppl will bend over backwards to justify calling Romani ppl slurs and saying the most insanely racist shit about them while insisting it's not racism.
Secure-Juice-5231@reddit
But calling them Romani implies they are Romanian and that is insulting to Romanians.
Kobajadojaja@reddit
Your text explained that there are no historic reasons for it to be derogatory, its just an old word. I dont use it just as I dont use Turkey for Turkiye, but you can not erase history.
The word sipmply meams "person who speaks our language" just as "slav" means for slavs and people are still calling us slavs without anyone complaining. You can even have more complains about the use of "slavs" as it was once a sinonim for a slave.
People in the Balkans can really act as a victim about anything they can get their hands on.
shqipshqippp@reddit
any fucking excuse to be disrespectful, take your L and move on
Jealous-Buffalo-7091@reddit
I get the feeling at least here in Sweden that Albanians are the most nationalistic group. Far more than Serbs Croats and Bosniaks. I would say Bosniaks are the least nationalistic than we Serbs.
Classic-Exit4189@reddit
You are a serb
Deep_Maintenance_734@reddit
Lmao do you stop to think what the negative connotations are? Albanians did and are still doing a lot of horrible shit.. you pretend you are just Victims but its far far from reality. You can't complain about negative connotations really. But yeah, calling insecure president who larps ultra nationalism a siptar is a funny meme..
Refugee_InThisWorld@reddit
No foreinger calls Hungarians Magyar, or Germans as Deutsch.
CmdrJemison@reddit
Sure. I am born a a foreigner in Germany and call Germans all the time Deutsche.
shilly03@reddit
Your comparison makes no sense. You call them Deutsche when speaking German, so by that logic you should use Albanac, when speaking your language. Anyway,Austrians, who also speak German, have a slur for Germans - Piefke.
CmdrJemison@reddit
Your comparison makes no sense as Deutsche (or nijemci on croatian language) is what they call themselves. Deutsche isn't even an insult. Piefke is like you said a slur. Unlike Deutsche.
shilly03@reddit
Wenn du Deutsch sprichst, sagst du natürlich Deutsche. Was solltest du denn sonst sagen? Wenn du Kroatisch sprichst, sagst du (oder solltest du) zu Albanern Albanac sagen. Šiptar ist eine Beleidigung. Ich weiß wirklich nicht, warum das so schwer zu verstehen ist.
CmdrJemison@reddit
Ich habe hier rauf geantwortet:
"No foreinger calls Hungarians Magyar, or Germans as Deutsch."
Ich habe lediglich gesagt, dass ich Deutsche Deutsche nenne, so wie ich Albaner Albaner nenne.
shilly03@reddit
Diese Begriffe haben aber keine negative Konnotation. Kein Deutscher wird sich beschweren, wenn ein Kroate zum Beispiel „Deutscher“ sagt. Wenn mich jedoch ein Kroate oder Serbe „Šiptar“ nennt, statt „Albanac“, dann ist das eine Beleidigung, weil Kontext und Geschichte dabei eine Rolle spielen.
CmdrJemison@reddit
Darum gehts aber gar nicht in meiner Antwort. Selbst wenn du dich noch so anstrengst bei dem Versuch, das Problem zu deinem Problem zu machen.
Ich habe lediglich hier rauf geantwortet:
shilly03@reddit
Ja aber da ist der Kontext doch auch wichtig? Die Aussage kommt doch nicht aus dem nichts.
CmdrJemison@reddit
Du machst den Kontext für dich selbst.
Ich habe lediglich auf die Aussage dieses Users geantwortet.
CmdrJemison@reddit
Your comparison makes no sense as Deutsche (or nijemci on croatian language) is what they call themselves. Deutsche isn't even an insult. Piefke is like you said a slur. Unlike Deutsche.
Refugee_InThisWorld@reddit
Born in Albania, you would call Albanians shqiptar as well.
CmdrJemison@reddit
What?
CmdrJemison@reddit
Why should I call any Albanian shqiptar?
New_Accident_4909@reddit
Errm we call Hungarians Madjari xD
NightZT@reddit
We call the Hungarians Ungarn/Magyaren interchangeably, Magyaren is actually the more noble word
Unable-Stay-6478@reddit
We call them Magyars
BarskiPatzow@reddit
Actually we call them Magyars.
Vdd666@reddit
We romanians in Transylvania often tend to call them Magyar (and it's not derogatory).
Tomorr3@reddit
When do we use it?
35BCx1405AD@reddit
You mother fucks are clueless and incredibly insulting. I don’t know how many times we have to tell you why and how you insult us.
Being anti Albanian is literally just part of South Slav DNA and you actually don’t know it.
It’s so naive it’s crazy
Ok-Letter3775@reddit
Also is interesting to me how you differentiate between „people who just were there“ and „actual student protestors“. Do you recognize them personalöy from the video or is it just your guess. If we are talking about guesses, they looked like average students to me.
Ok-Letter3775@reddit
It doesnt change the fact that they are young people using a racial slur against albanians tho. The Slobodans of this group act very offended when the Reality doesn’t suit their narrative.
The fact is our countries will never get along until there is a solution of the Kosovo case or a type of guilt admission on behalf of Serbia for the crimes commited during the war. Or the best case scenario, the recognition of Kosovo’s independence. However scenes as the ones seen in the protest just show how far away Serbia is on that regard.
HighlanderMX4@reddit
Stop using that stupid argument. We all know they use the term to dehumanize him and not because his mother worked with an Albanian.
They called Zemun Clan's leader "Siptar" as well, and not because he's from Medveda but because he was a criminal.
The Karadordjevic called the Obrenovic Siptar to dehumanize them as well.
Also learn how to fucking prononunce Shqiptar or don't use it at all. If you can't pronounce it, use Albanci, which is the correct term as Shqiptar is an endonym.
And stop fucking hiding behind a Slovenian flair, vuvic bot.
Classic-Exit4189@reddit
-10 because this sub is a serbian circlejerk
Ok-Letter3775@reddit
Should change the name to r/serbiagreecebrotherhood
Dear-Potential-3477@reddit
100% of Racism and xenophobia is taught in the home, its a failure of parenting.
aliahmeti444@reddit
they hate all non albanians it’s crazy
Ok_Tomatillo_3811@reddit
Thing is, as far as I’ve noticed from my personal POV:
Albanians care because they were affected somehow: some relative beaten/killed/house burned/thrown in jail/fired from job etc
Serbs care just because they are taught from the beginning that Albanians are these inbred radical islamist goatfuckers who stole our holy land Kosovo and must be eradicated. While most of them never actually meeting an actual Albanian their whole lives. (Kosovo is Serbia doesn’t help either)
Me personally, I don’t care, and a lot of people don’t. It’s the people that were directly affected from the war (like some in the comments here) that will hate forever and can’t let go. And it’s somewhat understandable, but I think bygones should be bygones AT SOME POINT and we must move on. But I don’t think thats gonna happen in another 15 years at least
Additional-Gur7915@reddit
Bygones are going to be bygones when those who did what they did accept it, ask for forgiveness and pay for it. Otherwise, they will not.
You would not forgive a thieve who come to your homes, rapes and kills your mothers, and then tells you "I didn't do it, but if I did, she deserved it. And if the internationals wouldn't guard you, I would do it again!"
Ok_Tomatillo_3811@reddit
I totally agree.
newidiotintown@reddit
Whenever I see Serbs online talk about Kosovo they always talk about it this way
“Kosovo is occupied territory”
“We’ll get it back”
“Your Kosovar ? You meant Serbian ? Kosovars aren’t real”
Dear-Potential-3477@reddit
This is a prime example of why this situation is going on, painting yourself as a victim while claiming the enemy did not experience on since war crime against them despite there being 1000s of videos showing otherwise. Its willful ignorance on all sides.
PuzzleheadedWeight18@reddit
Personally I have no reason to care about Kosovo and it's status at all, because literally nobody in my family has ties to region nor did active role in conflict.
However islamist comments is not exclusive to Albanians, I had to take being viewed such for entire time growing up just due to being half arab (not even muslim but for people being arab equals muslim). Then people here wonder why I am closed, have trust issues and very low views of my country.
So technically you could say I had suffered from Serbia nationalism more than I ever was (or ever will) from Albanians in any capacity.
EbbPlane1749@reddit
what serbs did to us i will not forget, i can interact with them if they are normal but one hint of nationalism and i'm completely out of it..... i've had too many people in my family dead or affected by the war and i was young when it happened i still know about it and effects of it to this day... my uncle got beat severely for getting caught speaking albanian in decan when he was 17 and still has mental issues like memory loss to this day because of it and would've been dead if my dad hadn't found him left under a bridge to bleed out. My grandparents house was burned and cattle were killed, his car put on fire and one of my aunts was a victim of this "Kosovo student poisoning - Wikipedia"...
Dante-BA@reddit
In the last week your police beat up a 13 year old, some Serbs were shot at and your tree thiefs shot at our police while fleeing after crossing border to steal, literally no difference between you people and those who hurt your uncle
TheEagle74m@reddit
You got to be kidding?! I am guessing you have no clue what Serbs did to Albanians in Kosovo during 90s.
Dante-BA@reddit
Literally fuck off, I am aware what happened in the 90s from both sides, i condemn it. Doesn’t excuse the terror under which remaining Serbs live under in 2026.
TheEagle74m@reddit
Yup, big terror, having to pay no electricity, taxes and so on. Feel bad for them huh?
Sea-Bend-5914@reddit
Their graves are getting desecrated, a serbian boy was nearly killed by one of your idiotic policemen, your government expropriates property of the SPC despite being declared as their legal property by your own court, Serbians in the enclaves are randomly beaten up, at least one Serbian family got their house burned down (mentioned by the amberican ambassador), Serbians from Kosovska Mitrovica know that the albanian part of this town hoists flags of greater albania. Independent Kosovo-Serbian journalists emphasizing that everything got worse under Kurti... But sure it's just the "terror of not paying electricity"
Dante-BA@reddit
Awful propaganda shqip, you can repeat that to foreigners who don’t read about a shooting or beating up every week by either police or one of you, our churches are still listed as endangered unesco heritage and only ones that were in worse danger were those under ISIS. Spare me.
localworldwide28@reddit
Tensions are high because terrorists keep sneaking in from serbia through the border and attacking people. I mean it was just a while ago where your terrorists killed a police officer then held the monastery hostage. Turns out they were hoarding arms in the monastery as well. Do you think people are never going to seek revenge?
TheEagle74m@reddit
BS. In my hometown your churches are guarded and protected by Kosovo police. Nobody touches them. Pope and his family lives there and nobody gives a flying 💩.
Ok_Tomatillo_3811@reddit
Can you provide with some source?
Dante-BA@reddit
Beating up a child https://kossev.info/sq/eljsani-o-navodnom-prebijanju-mladica-mesto-incidenta-na-bistrickom-punktu-pokriveno-kamerama-istraga-u-toku-kosovo-najnovije-vesti/
Shooting at police https://www.b92.net/info/hronika/198478/mediji-albanci-pucali-na-srpsku-policiju-kod-kursumlije-jake-policijske-snage-na-administrativnoj-liniji/vest
Shooting at 2 guys because they are Serbian https://www.kosovo-online.com/en/news/politics/office-kosovo-and-metohija-attack-two-serbs-decani-shows-how-endangered-returnees-are
Ok_Tomatillo_3811@reddit
Mate not that I’m trying to downplay the thing here, but Kosovo Police can be pretty dumb and they beat Albanians as well, sometimes even for no reason. There were a dozen cases where Albanians were arrested and KILLED at the Serbian border only because they had an Albanian eagle tattoo. I don’t condone the wrongdoing though, from neither side.
“In the area of the Kuršumlija village of Parada, female woodcutters from the Podujevo area shot at members of the police” - FEMALE WOODCUTTERS(?!) shot somebody?!?!
HighlanderMX4@reddit
Forgot to mention that he shot an Albanian as well, but that doesn't benifit your agenda.
Dante-BA@reddit
Sure they did shqip, if you want we can share 100 more texts like this from last year, hard to accept fact that Kosovo Albanians are neither more tolerant than Serbs neither treat them better than they were treated in the 90s. And yes it is dangerous for the remaining 4% of Serbs living there
PasicT@reddit
I can't speak for Albanians but I know this is the only thing most Serbs talk about.
Unable-Stay-6478@reddit
On reddit.
PasicT@reddit
Not just on Reddit.
CherryArmstrong@reddit
all over Serbia? not rly and no, most younger Serbs don't speak abt this at all
PasicT@reddit
They do, you just aren't paying attention. They are mainly the ones doing the "kad se vojska na Kosovu vrati" graffitis and waving "nema predaje" flags.
CherryArmstrong@reddit
bro those are minority SNS bots
tell me you've never been in Serbia without telling me you've never been in Serbia
most Serbs (especially students and other protestors) are actually really chill and cool and it seems to me that you are just a hater
PasicT@reddit
This is mainstream Serbian society, stop kidding yourself. When it comes to Kosovo and Albanians, those students think the same way SNS bots.
CherryArmstrong@reddit
as I said, you are just a hater spreadimg your propaganda
go to Serbia and be dear for at least half of a year and see for yourself that you are not right at all
PasicT@reddit
You're not even Serbian and you did not grow up being fed their propaganda from an early age, you're not in a position to understand.
Stverghame@reddit
Neither are you. You ain't Albanian either. You are a Bosniak, a diaspora one, who even people at r/bih call German lol.
PasicT@reddit
I don't live in the diaspora so I have no idea what you're talking about. I don't need to be a Serb or Albanian to be aware of certain realities.
CherryArmstrong@reddit
so many Serbs counterplaying you and you act like you know them better then they know themselves
like get outa here
kids shouldn't be writing stupid sh** on the internet
PasicT@reddit
Yeah because they are in denial about their own society, about the fact that there is no proper democratic alternative in their politics.
CherryArmstrong@reddit
you know why would all of them deny it? because they are not like you described them
I was in Serbia for 2 years and even went to protests
just because some bad and dumb SNS kids did graffiti it doesn't mean that others like that, others are actually warm people
and not Bosniak talking abt democratic alternative in politics, bro you have split country and you are viased hater. did your parents teavh you to hate on them? you say they think abt Kosovo every day but here yiu are using your full power to bring them down, so who is the obsessed one here, Serbs or Bosniakd like you?
PasicT@reddit
Learn how to write before you attack me. You were in Serbia for 2 years and became a PR spokesperson for everything that is wrong in that society.
CherryArmstrong@reddit
lapsus calami happens to everyone, even you made the mistakes
I was in Serbia for 2 years and saw that they don't talk about Kosovo every day like you've said, which was the point of this whole convo child
Shqipe888@reddit
Do you speak serbian? they litteraly say degatory using "siptari" term when protesting against the government. Most of them doesn t recognize kosovo independance, and doesn’t give a single fuck about the crimes comitted by their people.
CherryArmstrong@reddit
ok and? what does it have to do with the main topic?
Shqipe888@reddit
im just saying most of serbians are not like you say. They’re not better than the precedent generation. A whole bunch of piece of shit.
PasicT@reddit
So you didn't see any anti-Albanian graffitis and "nema predaje" flags? I made that up, right?
CherryArmstrong@reddit
seen one that says "Kosovo is Serbia" in BG but nor flags
even if there were more still it doesn't prove anything
just because there are some graffitis it doesn't mean that all Serbs talk abt Kosovo every day like you've said
PasicT@reddit
I didn't say all, I said most.
CherryArmstrong@reddit
still you are not right because most of them do NOT care
PasicT@reddit
Many examples prove you wrong.
CherryArmstrong@reddit
for example? child you've never been in Serbia, you've never met big crowd of Serbs irl so how could you know?
PasicT@reddit
I have met big crowds of Serbs in real life, no need to go to Serbia for that.
CherryArmstrong@reddit
you still didn't answer my question
PasicT@reddit
I answered all your questions, in fact I've been extremely patient while you kept insulting me.
CherryArmstrong@reddit
no you didn't. I asked you what's better example?
where did I insult ya ahhaua
PasicT@reddit
You keep calling me 'child', 'kid' in a very arrogant and condescending way.
CherryArmstrong@reddit
and you still did NOT answer my question
CherryArmstrong@reddit
because you are child to me lmao
Stverghame@reddit
You ain't aware of reality German, so shuuushhh
PasicT@reddit
Germans speak German and have German citizenship, that's not my case. And again: I don't need to be a Serb or Albanian to be aware of certain realities.
Unable-Stay-6478@reddit
Neither are you lol
PasicT@reddit
I'm Bosnian, not Chinese or Mexican.
CherryArmstrong@reddit
neither are you, yet I've been in Serbia for 2 years and my best friend is Montenegrin Serb
I was not fed peopaganda and that'swhy I see it with clear eyes who are who and how they act, unlike you who are fed by your hateful propaganda and nor generalize all Serbs when most of them are not like that at all
it's as if I said that all you Bosniaks do is hate on Serbs every day, would it be true?
ContextDapper9796@reddit
Nope! We don't! Those are grafs made by "ćaci". We normal people worry about some bigger issues and don't care about Albanians. But I can see that we live rent free in your head lil bro
PasicT@reddit
They existed before "ćaci", stop excusing the inexcusable.
ContextDapper9796@reddit
Bro "ćaci" is a term, but those people existed before. Some ćacis are very old. What am I excusing? 🤡
Unable-Stay-6478@reddit
You mean SNS propaganda? Yeah
PasicT@reddit
It's nost just SNS propaganda, you act as if hatred of Albanians and recovering Kosovo is exclusively an SNS thing. It's not.
Unable-Stay-6478@reddit
Thank god you live in Serbia to inform us, than.
PasicT@reddit
I don't need to, I have eyes and ears.
Unable-Stay-6478@reddit
That's what I thought
NoSync22@reddit
Honestly, when I lived in NS a couple years in 2023 and 2024, I lost count of the conversations I had with local people which eventually touched on Kosovo (and, more occasionally, the NATO bombing).
The views were not always unreasonable, to be fair, but oh boy, the passion for the subject.
Popular-Link8066@reddit
Which views?
NoSync22@reddit
The views on those two matters were not always simplistic / black and white, some of the conversations I had were insightful and not always the usual slop. Yet, they were always very passionate.
New_Accident_4909@reddit
How many times you've been to Serbia?
PasicT@reddit
Please refer to my previous comments.
New_Accident_4909@reddit
No need Paša, i see you enough times to know that you are average diaspora talking from your ass
PasicT@reddit
Then why bother replying to me if you have such a low opinion of me?
New_Accident_4909@reddit
Because there is a need to call people on their bulshit. I'm not sure you even passed thru Serbia let alone been there, but you feel invited to give an opinion :)
PasicT@reddit
There is no bullshit. Everything I've ever written about Serbian society is documented and easily verifiable, much to your dismay.
Shqipe888@reddit
yes, i will not forget about how my people, my parents, familly, lived that war. And i also don’t forget the historical events of the albanians people in general. The conflict in Kosova is still present. Just freezed.
35BCx1405AD@reddit
Serbian society has been nothing ur violent to Albanians ever since the first day we meet and yet people play this both sides bullshit
Let me explain something “modern to you”
2025: Student protesters regularly chant anti Albanian slurs during national protests combating state corruption
2024: A damn effecting over 200 thousand people was blown up from Serbian terrorists
2023: a police officer was killed from a Serbian terrorist group staged from a monastery
2015: A train was written in 80 languages saying Kosovo is Serbia
Yet all of this happened 30 years ago and Albanians need to get over this little Serbian thing and drink lemonade and dance in the flowers with Serbs
If Serbia launched a “special military operation” against northern Kosovo to get rid of Islamic Turkish muslim UCK terrorist around 99 percent of them would approve.
That is the reality my friend
ContextDapper9796@reddit
Give us now the POV of the other side and the story about how Serbian kids were shot just because they celevrated Christmas 👀
Additional-Gur7915@reddit
We celebrate New Years, and have Catholics who celebrate Christmas. So, that must be some huge bs.
-Sweet_Chaos-@reddit
This indeed happened and is not bs. We heard it in Croatia as well, so no point in denying and justifying it by a small percent of your nation celebrating Christmas (remind you, on a different day). Just because some of them celebrate it how does that mean this didn't happen? 🤔
Additional-Gur7915@reddit
Were they shot because they celebrated Christmas, though? Also, source?
-Sweet_Chaos-@reddit
They were shot because they were Serbs, even worse. :) You can keep downvoting me, but it only talks abour you. You guys want Serbs to admit ehat they did while you are not able to admit what you did. Hypocrisy at its finest.
One of the sources:
https://share.google/aHtnKDXB92lqtvJW8
Additional-Gur7915@reddit
I now understand what you're talking about. This is the truth regarding this case: Serbs were gathered to protest something. A Kosovo officer was driving through the town, the protesters rallied towards his vehicle. He shot in the ground to make them go away, but accidentally hurt them. The mother of the person that was shot declared herself that it was accidental, and that he was trying to protect himself.
Next time, doubt everything Serbian media tells you.
-Sweet_Chaos-@reddit
That's not the same case, buddy. Serbian media? I literally sent you media from Albanians on Kosovo lmaooo. XD
Additional-Gur7915@reddit
It is the same case. The one that reported in enlgish is not Albanian media. They just totally changed the context.
Additional-Gur7915@reddit
I did not downvote you. The first comment stated that they were shot because they celebrated Christmas. I don't think anyone would shout someone because of Christmas, as Albanians celebrate it, too. That's all I said.
Also, I didn't deny it, I asked for proof.
ContextDapper9796@reddit
Huh? Serbs cwlevrate Christmas on 7th of January as Orthodox. What's the point of your comment?
Also, you can google this case. This was last year and you even have video of those kids in hospital, it was on every news back then too
Imagine calling real cases bs just because you can't admit that the other side is also bad lmaooo. Classic nationalist kid full of hate
Head-Palpitation-749@reddit
I might be in the minority there, but I don't hate anyone. Im from Serbia and I was not alive during the war, but my parents and other relatives were and they are still traumatized from the war and the bombing. The only people that I hate are the corrupt people in power who turn regular people against each other. I'm not going to hate someone who lives in Kosovo/Albania just because they live there, I'm not going to hate on some innocent people, they didn't do anything to me and its probably not their fault, they have also been through a lot. The only people that I hate are the evil people in power. My parents are the same, they dont hate the regular people from Kosovo or Albania. My friends think the same too.
Big_Confidence_951@reddit (OP)
That's good to hear, thank you for your message. I was not alive during the war as well and wasn't even born in Kosovo only my parents and family, same case as with you. I think if you reach a certain understanding you give up or put aside your national identity for a bigger identity. I see myself as a citizen of the world or even nothing at all, just enjoying all the nations and people, cultures like you would enjoy flowers of all kinds.
BarskiPatzow@reddit
People tend to pass on their hate to their children, that is basically the whole problem in the Balkans. Some peopleSerbs hate Bulgarians for things they have done in WWI, which was more than 100 years ago, Croats for WWII, Croats hate Serbs for state in Yugoslavia before WWII and so on, media also doesn’t help that go away, there is no Ex-yu country except maybe Slovenia that isn’t trying to keep hatred as present as possible for unknown reasons. Since the region is quite poor, it is great breeding ground for that stuff, with Croatia being the exception, they aren’t doing that bad financially, I don’t know why they still bother with it anymore.
Interesting-Work2755@reddit
Dude, there are Slovenians waving around the map that begins at Novi Vinodolski and ends at Grossglockner.
BarskiPatzow@reddit
How numerous and influental are they?
StrudlEnjoyer@reddit
They are a fringe group. I've never seen people wave it around in public, it's just idiots posting it on online forums and misunderstanding that it's a map that portrays all lands where Slovenes lived, not just the lands where they were a majority. Territorial ambitions are not part of political discourse in Slovenia at all.
GroundZeroMstrNDR@reddit
We austrians wrote into the constitution of a federal state that it stretches from Dachstein Mountain to Sava riverbed two years ago. Guess what, Sava river is nowhere near that federal state and we claimed like more than half of Slovenia with that. Caused some diplomatic problems
StrudlEnjoyer@reddit
That was blown way out of proportion by our government that was looking to distract from their incompetence. It's just the historical anthem of Styria. As a Styrian, nobody here cared about it.
GroundZeroMstrNDR@reddit
We austrians wrote into the constitution of a federal state that it stretches from Dachstein Mountain to Sava riverbed two years ago. Guess what, Sava river is nowhere near that federal state
Hour-Promotion-2496@reddit
Croats keep doing it for the love of the game. I also don't get it
NoScreen54@reddit
as an albanian, i personally don't. i cant blame an entire nation based on a bunch of warmongering a-holes. nor can i judge an entire people because of politics. good and bad people exist everywhere in every period of time.
yes, the wounds to some may be deeper due to personal reasons, so I understand if some may still care.
Ok-Ant-3444@reddit
Karin ma hongsh
TheEagle74m@reddit
The day when Serbs take control (if it comes) I will not be surprised if they do us worse than 1998-1999. Better believe it.
NoScreen54@reddit
i guess they would. but we dont need no more wars. sadly this is supposed to be a mutual term between both parties and usually one may not be so eager to act civilized.
i hope one day both places can come to better terms, God bless the fallen, but history repeating itself is a pattern with devestating consequences. the warmongerers benefit, a John Doe suffers.
holyrs90@reddit
We don't hate them , we just dont like em by default , but im sure not all of them think what happened in Kosovo was a good thing
Secure-Juice-5231@reddit
? Weird.
AdamEer@reddit
Dude, people in the Balkans care what happened 500 years ago.
Toliveandieinla@reddit
😂
Dull_Cucumber_3908@reddit
I was about to write the same. I have seen worse cases however: Iranians that still hate the Greeks because of the Greco-Persian wars, which happened 2500 years ago!
AdamEer@reddit
I guess the hate goes only as far back as the ethno-states themselves. Greece and Persia are a little bit older in that regard and so is apparently the hate.
Dull_Cucumber_3908@reddit
There's no Greek who hates the Iranians because they killed King Leonidas! :)
Hopeful-Passion3902@reddit
Yes true
localworldwide28@reddit
The funny thing is that Serbs in Belgrade used to hate kosovo Serbs and call them Gorani. Suddenly now kosovo is their holy land. If you speak serbian you can also see when they talk to montenegrins alone with no one there, they use the term holy land with them too, and then with bosnians they will bring up some 14th century dynasty and say its their birthland. The entire balkans is their birthplace and they are entitled to it.
We are fighting for our lives and homes they are fighting for a fantasy.
Big_Confidence_951@reddit (OP)
It seemed to me also like that. The reality on the ground was different than what some politicians had in their minds. In the end it's all a power game, if you have love in your heart you don't need power and you don#t need to subjugate, oppress and kill people to have a little more land on the map that hangs on your wall and you call that "mine", what nonsense
TheEagle74m@reddit
I’ve learned that never ever to trust Serbs when it comes to Kosovo. No matter now or in 500 years time.
srberikanac@reddit
I think Serbia is very transparent when it comes to Kosovo. As far as Serbian government and vast majority of people are concerned - Kosovo is a Serbian territory, currently under foreign occupation. And now, or in 500 years, the idea is to reunite. Vucic signed agreements that legitimized a lot of Kosovo's governance, against the will of the Serbian populace, hence the nickname. What is there not to trust?
TheEagle74m@reddit
That’s why I and probably 100% of Kosovo Albanians will do everything we can to never be part of Serbia again. Btw, we can’t make you guys believe, you chose to believe something that is not actual fact. Kosovo is an independent country and eff UN or China, Russia and India if they never recognize us. Ohhh and efff Serbia, too!
srberikanac@reddit
The only true way to measure independence is through UN membership. Until you have that, nothing is final.
localworldwide28@reddit
Most independence movements are illegal. The Boston tea party was a terrorist act.
Croatia leaving was illegal too but then it became legal when they won the war and forced you to sign.
Only problem with Kosovo is that the US left it a frozen conflict on purpose and didn't force you to sign.
TheEagle74m@reddit
Was Israel in the beginning part of UN or recognized by UN? Nope! It’s still independent and will continue to be so.
srberikanac@reddit
The State of Israel was formally established by the Israeli Declaration of Independence on 14 May 1948, and was admitted to the United Nations (UN) as a full member state on 11 May 1949.
Took them less than a year.
localworldwide28@reddit
Brother have you seen your demographics? In 500 years Bengalis and Pakistanis will be fighting over neighborhoods in Belgrade.
Classic-Exit4189@reddit
The fact that to this day you deny your heinous crimes in Kosovo.
srberikanac@reddit
I committed no crimes in Kosovo (regarding your use of "your" which implies I was somehow involved). I don't deny Milosevic's government committed crimes in Kosovo.
I just know that most of the western powers committed far worse crimes, yet I don't see the US government offering California independence (or to return it to Mexico). Or France, Spain, etc. with the regions they've annhialated and kept control of to this day.
Classic-Exit4189@reddit
Peak reddit mental gymnastics. "Your" refers to your armed forces.
Serbians in 1999 tried to ethnically cleanse Kosovo Albanians. For that reason Kosovo(93% Albanian) broke away. At the time it was present not past crime.
If we follow your logic the serbs had no right to break away from the ottoman empire.
srberikanac@reddit
Kosovo declared independence many years after the war was over, and they were not in imminent danger at the time.
I am only half Serbian, and had nothing to do with the war, so they are still not "my" armed forces. They were Yugoslav / Milosevic armed forces.
Additional-Gur7915@reddit
And, how do you think you could take Kosovo back? By giving us flowers?
Or will you justify another ethnic cleansing in the 21st century in the middle of Europe, because, well, "other European countries did it too, decades/centuries ago"?
Classic-Exit4189@reddit
It was already free of serbian rule in 1999. They had to wait to stabilise for a few years and declared independence in 2008. 9 years is not "many" years.
But what exactly did you exlect them to do? Go back under the same country that tried to ethnically cleanse them?
I call them yours because you are downplaying serbias crimes and making excuses.
srberikanac@reddit
Give me an example, a quote, where I downplayed any crimes Serbia committed? Or gave an excuse for them?
Nine years is a very long time, and again, if it was such a clear cut case it would not be only western powers and their closest allies that recognize Kosovo.
Additional-Gur7915@reddit
You are totally right. What Serbia and Serbian people want to do with us and our homeland of 4000 years is crystal clear. There should be no trust issues. We should just be prepared for war.
By the way, Albanians view Kosovo exactly the same way. As occupied part of Albania, and we will not stop until it is unified. A difference is that we know we are right. Because we have occupied these lands for 3000 years before Slavs came.
Individual_Edge6018@reddit
Yes unfortunately. I was working in Kosovo with young people that never met a person of different ethnicity in their life despite living just 200 metres away. Extremely hateful narratives were passed on. Those who thought for themselves left Kosovo.
Classic-Exit4189@reddit
You are a serb
-Sweet_Chaos-@reddit
No sh** Sherlock? So what if she is?
Additional-Gur7915@reddit
Nah, my mother told me to not hate Serbs, and that they were normal people like every nation. That's how most Albanians were taught. However, Serbs made sure to teach us directly how to hate them.
Fine-Ear-8103@reddit
I’d love for our people to have peace and good relations but i cant make that call i need my father my uncles and anyone i know who was directly affected/participated in the war to forgive and say peace before i can.
-Sweet_Chaos-@reddit
No, you don't. You are your own person.
AnaBaros@reddit
Comments clearly show people from both sides still hate each other and believe propaganda from both governments. This is so painful to see.
I just want to offer a different perspective since I am a Hungarian born in Vojvodina and very similar things happened here as it happened to Serbia and Kosovo. Vojvodina was part of Habsburg monarchy and then Hungary for centuries, Serbians started coming during Ottoman occupation, and at the end of the war it was take from Hungary because "not enough Hungarians lived there" (look up Trianon). Very similar thing happened to Kosovo. It was not a world war but it was a war and Serbia lost a territory.
My grandparents were born in this new country of Yugoslavia (kingdom) even though their parents have not moved, they had to learn a new language in school, but besides that change they lived peacefully with their German, Slovak, Romanian, Croatian and Serbian neighbors. Everyone just moved on with their lives. And they were is a very very hard and long lasting war just weeks before. Hungarians still live here normally, we have elementary and high-schools in Hungarian and learn about this history.
The only difference I see is propaganda. Albanians and Serbians have very very strong propaganda from their governments and even though they both try not to believe it, I guess it is hard to not believe some of it since there is so much. All EU countries in the region often publish in media that most drugs and illegal weapons are coming from this region. We can all be sure that criminals and governments of Kosovo and Serbia are working on that together.
They want you to hate each other. Please don't listen to the same people that are responsible for your countries perishing. Good luck to both sides!
TheEagle74m@reddit
I wouldn’t call it a propaganda when Serbs always threaten us with coming back and taking over Kosovo.
AnaBaros@reddit
I still have to meet a Serbian person ready to go to Kosovo to take it back as a 30+ years old person born and living in Serbia. Sure, I tend to spend a lot of time with ethnic Hungarians, however I went to school and university with a Serbian majority and worked with mostly Serbians.
New_Accident_4909@reddit
Serbs that came, came from drumroll Kosovo lol
Hopeful-Passion3902@reddit
Kosovar Albanian here bron right after the war 🙋
Personally I do not care. I'm looking for ways to improve my life and my families life, I do not want to be stuck in the past. That being said I shouldn't forget the past otherwise it will just repeat itself.
It is important to know that Kosovars and Serbs grew up together, went to school together, played together, worked together, this all before the war. The way that serbs switched on albanians is what must be remembered and that I something that I will not forget.
If I come across serbs on the street I wouldn't care. I wouldn't start anything. If they're extremly nationalistic I would let it slide because he's either old and a dying breed or young and stupid who blindly "hates" the idea of albanian. That being said I will never engage with serbs in something useful such as business etc with them.
Additional-Gur7915@reddit
Albanians did not grow up together with Serbs. Albanian kids had separated parts in schools, where they were daily beaten by Serbs for speaking Albanian.
Albanians were always living like second-hand citizens in their homeland. Serbs never switched. Albanians were just dumb enough to believe them.
Hopeful-Passion3902@reddit
I agree completely with everything besides the part where you say that serbs and albanians did not grow together.
Additional-Gur7915@reddit
Growing up in houses next to each other is not the same as growing up together. Do you grow up together with the Roma people in Kosovo? That is how Serbs viewed Albanians.
Hopeful-Passion3902@reddit
Yes true I never said albanins grew up with serbs in perfect harmony 😂 Albanians were not viewed as equals.
In my opinion, if they could they would instantly wipe us off the face of the earth, but they can't.
Unable-Stay-6478@reddit
You say you don't care... and then you say you won't do business with them?
Hopeful-Passion3902@reddit
You think that is contradictory?
Unable-Stay-6478@reddit
Well, it is some kind of prejudice... why won't you do business with them?
Hopeful-Passion3902@reddit
In business trust is one of the most important things. I will not take the risk to do business with serbs because I am taught they cannot be trusted, and that is mainly for the way the switched up on the albanians. Especially when there are better and more trustworthy businesspartners around.
New_Accident_4909@reddit
So you care, also you have a very simplistic narrative by saying they "switched".
That crap has been brewing for ages and it culminated with the war.
Additional-Gur7915@reddit
Yep.
Hopeful-Passion3902@reddit
Not necessarily. Serbia was never really a big busi ess partner worth looking into. I just never think about it until this question was posed. What happend during the war was just another reason not to look further with serbs.
New_Accident_4909@reddit
Well its your personal thing what you do with your life choices. Unwillingness to do business shows a deep level of mistrust.
My father does business with Bosniaks back home in Bosna even tho we were dipsplaced. I hired people to wor from me that are Bosnaks or Croats despite the past.
Fristly, I don't care about them being Corat kr Bosniak we are all too young to be responsible for the war.
Secondly, even if i did care, its just business.
Hopeful-Passion3902@reddit
Yes its 100% distrust as I said before. Its mostly that they have not shown to be trustworthy. Once you lose face its difficult to clean it.
Bruv eventhough croats and bosniaks are slavic there is a difference between them and serbs.
New_Accident_4909@reddit
How can you lose face as individual for a war from almost 30 years ago? Not really sure im following.
There is little difference between Serbs, Croats and Bosniaks. The fact you think there is show your bias.
Hopeful-Passion3902@reddit
That would be easy lol. Try telling the judge "yes I messed up but it was a long time ago"
New_Accident_4909@reddit
So people who were 2/3 years old messed up?
Hopeful-Passion3902@reddit
Hahahah bruv what
New_Accident_4909@reddit
You are putting entire nation in one box, 40% of people were either just born or not born at the time the war happened.
Hopeful-Passion3902@reddit
Hahaha no bruv what you been smoking 😂
DogAway7288@reddit
Some people pass down their hatred to others throughout generations. This is a mindset they like to have because it is easier to hate than to forgive. As a Bosnian myself my parents have still not forgiven the Serbs and the greedy politicians who destroyed their homeland, but they have not taught me to hate them. I think it’s also the fact that this war was so recent that so many people still hold anger and resentment amongst themselves.
AdvancedAd3228@reddit
30 years ago is not recent.
Additional-Gur7915@reddit
Gramoz Berisha tells how he escaped the massacre of the Berisha family in Suhareka in 1999 - Telegraph
Do you think someone like Gramoz should/can forget it? He still lives with granate parts and bullets in his body, even though he was only 8 at the time. He is 34 today.
There are many like Gramoz in Kosovo.
Dear-Potential-3477@reddit
For context 30 years after ww2 former enemies France, Germany and the rest were deep on their way to forming the EU together.
DardanianGOD@reddit
I care but I want my country to move on. Serbs should do the same.
Unable-Stay-6478@reddit
From the comments here, you can clearly see how much Albanians care compared to Serbs.
Refugee_InThisWorld@reddit
Serbia can not guarantee the safety of a footbal match with Albania in their capital city. They had to transfer in some remote town.
ContextDapper9796@reddit
Because of protests, not because you are Albanians 🙃
Refugee_InThisWorld@reddit
Our media is not innocent neither. It was hyped that Serbia took anti-drone measures 😅😅😅😅
ContextDapper9796@reddit
Ye, anti-drone measures are on every protests, they are kinda strict because Vucic doesn't want anything to happen to his propaganda
New_Accident_4909@reddit
The move was done in the wake of the protests, they moved to a smaller venue so they can control the crowd and who attended to stop anti Vučić chants.
Albanians were just the excuse.
Dante-BA@reddit
While I often agree with your takes, this one isn’t on point. They moved the match to Leskovac to avoid our fans being present. Serbs weren’t allowed to buy tickets for the match and only “present” fans were the ones who work for public firms and had to be there for quota. This happened because previous game that was played in Belgrade stadium booed our selector and our president. Also reached the point where his thugs came to beat our fans who were protesting.
Refugee_InThisWorld@reddit
I totally forgot the context of the protests, tbh.
Unable-Stay-6478@reddit
Yes, because we all know what happened last time.
Refugee_InThisWorld@reddit
Last time was 10 years ago, we both know it was not about last time.
Ok-Letter3775@reddit
If you had multiple family members who are still missing to this day, you would care wouldn’t you?
CherryArmstrong@reddit
SSS
latalatala@reddit
Well both sides care but it’s a bit different. Serbs care about a mystified land that only a few of them ever visited, we care because it is our home.
uporabnik2@reddit
The same goes for Albanians 🤷🏻♂️ they care about Kosovo, but nobody ever visited it.
You don't have to visit one place to be (emotionally) connected to it. I've never been to Manchester, but I deeply support United.
latalatala@reddit
We live here...
uporabnik2@reddit
I was talking about Albanians living in Albania (like Tiranë, Durrës).
latalatala@reddit
Wishing death is not affection, connection or care.
uporabnik2@reddit
Well, I agree with your statement. Wishing death is an expression of anger, despair, powerlessness, or moral breakdown rather than love or concern.
You accused me of oversimplifying, by comparing love for a football club with a love for a country (and you missed my point completely), but you over generalized that all Serbs want Albanians dead. This is so far fetched and distanced from reality..
Then you can say that all Albanians (living in Albania or Kosovo) want all the Serbs dead. You therefore show as much love/care for your birthplace, as for hate/anger towards Serbs.
When love for a place, people, or a history becomes defined through hostility toward another group, it stops being care and turns into a defensive construction of the self.
The moment we say “they all want us dead” or “we all want them dead,” we abandon moral responsibility and replace individuals with symbols. That move may feel emotionally powerful, but it is ethically empty. It reduces complex human lives to targets and turns belonging into a weapon rather than a responsibility.
latalatala@reddit
I never said Albanians want Serbs dead.
uporabnik2@reddit
You said Serbs want Albanians in Kosovo dead. I made an argument that you cannot generalize like that.
I see that you don't even care to read.. so I'm done with you.
latalatala@reddit
Also since you care to read, go through this and see who wants who dead.
https://www.reddit.com/r/BREDDITKALENDAR/comments/1qdhv7k/15_januara_1999_godine_pripadnici_mupa_srbije/
latalatala@reddit
It's you that's making generalizations and trying to relativize the situation when in reality is not the same on both sides.
"Reduces complex human lives to targets"... give me a break.
The massacres are a fact, trying to philosophize over it will not reduce them to nothing.
Go on with your big words trying to sound deep, you are saying absolutely nothing.
Refugee_InThisWorld@reddit
Albanians fron Albania remember what went on in that conflict. A million of refugees settled here for several months and we were told in first person what happened. Plus, for many months Nato helicopters and planes had been flying every five or ten minutes. Americans had deployed hundreds of Appaches. I think they knew before us thay shit had already hit the fan. Armored convoys of many countries going up and down and raising dust because main highways were still under construction was several times a day. We got used to it, but for several months we started to think that we would be dragged to war sooner or later, but Nato engaged, and in that moment we knew it would be over in several weeks.
Frankly, war affected us badly due to all the mess, even though we had not any damages from it since Nato protected us. But, the war in Kosovo unified us as a people after what happened in the 1997 unrest. We had lost all sense of patriotism. Everyone wanted to go abroad and most people had lost hope due to bands mugging them. I remember that when we were kids, we believed that Albania would no longer exist and center would become part of Italy, south part of Greece and north part of Germany because of many troops moving around. A couple of years later, the atmosphere was all riled up. In schools we were singing patriotic songs , and during activities it felt like it was November days every week. In few words, in a couple of years, from self rejecting people, we became patriotic once again. Now that i think about it, prior to 1999, i don't even remember anywhere the Albanian flag being displayed in institutions.
latalatala@reddit
Thank you for your point of view, they view us as separate entities but don't understand that we experienced the war together.
Tomorr3@reddit
That's not true. What's your source on this?
Unable-Stay-6478@reddit
You know there are also Serbs living in Kosovo?
latalatala@reddit
Of course, it's their home as well.
I'm talking about the majority of Serbs that have not and will never even visit once or have any attachment to this land but for some reason are very passionate on the matter.
Lokalni_dziber@reddit
As a serb I dont. Also got no reason to hate anyone, especially not based on things like nationality/ethnicity, that's just stupid.
Now, I get why some Albanians hate Serbs a vice versa, perhaps its only natural considering the bloody past of the region.
Big_Confidence_951@reddit (OP)
That's a refreshing answer. In the future perhaps people will give up nationalistic or even national ideas and try to think and live more from their humanity. People have been Albanians, Serbs, Bosniaks, Germans, French for soo long they forgot that it is just an idea imposed by confused minds. And they couldn't help it because they can't think for themselves as babies. But now it's time to be more global and more human
Lokalni_dziber@reddit
💯 Couldn't have worded it any better
Janosh_Poha@reddit
I have met Serbs that aren't even adults and they hate Albanians. I have met Albanians that aren't even adults and hate Serbs. I have met Kosovar Albanians who were born after 1999, never been to Kosovo, don't speak the language, and have never met a Serb, bhmut yet they hate them. It's the Balkans.
Hyllius1@reddit
As an Albanian, I care. Most Albanians from Kosovo were directly affected by the war. Either by migration, losing family or relatives and also property.
The only time I've met a Serbian who experienced the war was when I was waiting in a hospital. I overheard two Serbian men talking about the war and where they were stationed in Kosovo. It caught my attention becuase one of them mentioned that he was in Peja and he talked about how they poisoned the water so that the civilians (any nationality) and animals couldn't drink the water without suffering lethal consequences.
Only a few Serbs in my generation were directly affected by the conflict compared to the amount of Albanians that were affected.
So in other words. If I meet a Serb from my generation, I will not judge them nor be hostile and disrespectful. Unless they do the opposite of course.
HornetDismal3546@reddit
So you were in a Serbian hospital, or did the Serbs came to Kosovo hospital to casualy admit war-crimes they commited in Kosovo?
iheartloud420@reddit
Yeah and somehow understood them
Hyllius1@reddit
Well, yes. They spoke Serbian and Swedish.
iheartloud420@reddit
Why would 2 serbs speak swedish to eachother
Hyllius1@reddit
Well. Based on their Swedish dialect, they were either born in Sweden or moved to sweden at a very young age. Meaning that they have been living longer in Sweden than anywhere else.
So why wouldn't they? It's more common than you think. People from the same ethnic backgrounds do not always speak their mother tongue with each other. It's usually a mix.
iheartloud420@reddit
So they were birn in sweden but for some reason returned to fight in kosovo? You realise how stupid that sounds
BruhhurB_@reddit
of course people return to their homelands to fight - that happens all the time. this isnt something new nor unbelievable.
Hyllius1@reddit
Wow.. you really have no idea. I know swedish born bosnians who traveled to Bosnia to take part in the war. Albanians from Sweden to Kosovo aswell. Do you think Serbians would be any different?
It's well known that people from the diaspora partook in those wars. It's not stupid.
Hyllius1@reddit
Aah, my bad. This was in Sweden.
pinkman-alb@reddit
As a Kosovo Albanian, the hate is still strong just because the wounds are still fresh. I'm 28, and all of my friends, including me, have had at least one family member killed or imprisoned during the Yugoslav times. I still haven't met a person in my generation who was not touched by war at all, so I think it needs some time for the hate to dial down; however, considering the fact that this is the Balkans, we still have hate about what happened during the Balkan wars, or even before the Ottoman invasion about 500 years ago. As long as we are poor as a region, nationalism is super high!
AdmirableKick6996@reddit
I’ve recently started diving into Balkan history as a whole. One thing that stood out to me as a serious anomaly is that there are still some Serbians today who do not feel shame or acknowledge what happened in Srebrenica(and many other genocides). If you’re unfamiliar with it, I strongly encourage you to read about the Srebrenica genocide.
Personally, I find it impossible not to feel deep resentment toward anyone who refuses to feel shame or empathy over such crimes.
To Serbian people who do acknowledge Srebrenica as genocide and feel disgusted by those actions: I have nothing against you, and I am not placing you in the same category. You cannot be held responsible for crimes committed by past leaders or forces, but acknowledging the truth matters.
Big_Confidence_951@reddit (OP)
The crimes are terrible and if I was born in such a country which has done so many things I would definitely acknowledge it and distance myself from it. It's similar to Japan not really acknowledging the horror of crimes they committed against South-East Asian countries and Chinese citizens. Also I love the country of Japan but it certainly has some very controversial things. However, the things of Serbia are closer to history and it's so well documented you cannot really dispute it unless you think Russia is king and NATO is evil.
Additional-Gur7915@reddit
Kosovo Albanian here. Under 40. I did not live here during the war, but I have many friends who still have bullets or granate parts in their bodies. They are my age. There are people who got burned alive and survived with scars. I didn't go through any of that, but I can't imagine how those who did would not care about it. They deal everyday with their scars and the financial burden their damaged health brings.
My family members got raped, tortured, decapitated, massacred, burned alive, kidnapped... I didn't see it, but I very much care about what happened to them. And I mentally and financially pay for it myself every day.
So, no. To us, it is far from a troll thing.
Gloomy-Stress-1821@reddit
Visited Serbia this year in summer. Yes, they do. A lot. Tons of related grafitti.
squidinink@reddit
Are you kidding? They are still arguing about what happened 400 years ago!
TheBastardOfStarfall@reddit
My mother is from Kosovo, of course that I care. I’m pretty sure that the current status quo is not tenable and pending on the US losing interest sooner or later there will be another war, unless Albanians somehow agree to return Kosovo with a high level of autonomy and local authority (which I don’t see happening).
You might read different opinions from Serbs here but that is mostly due to Reddit and has little correlation with the real world.
Tomorr3@reddit
You ain't getting Kosova back. Get over it.
Unable-Stay-6478@reddit
Are you from Косово?
Tomorr3@reddit
I don't know what that word means
Big_Confidence_951@reddit (OP)
I too agree that history must be honored and recognized and see what certain nationalistic ideas can do to countries, how ideologies of people become violent and ignore current realities(such as people living in the place).
But I also have a different perspective. Probably everyone under 30 years old has nothing to do with that war anymore. I know the families might have to do and while one country has been the victim clearly there is always more than one victim, war destroys the oppressor and the oppressed. The love of Albanian towards their parents is not different than the love of Serbian toward their parents for example. Even eating the same Cevapcici(Qebapa), having more in common than you might think.
I hope all parties involved can understand where conflict comes from, can step aside from nationalistic ideations, just to see things as they are. One country had more power than the other so it could oppress and attack the other, then another greater power came in and rescued that smaller power. Anyways I'm not interested in the politics and history anymore. Let's just live in peace.
I agree with some here, I think it was much worse 20 years ago because the war was closer but now I think in a couple more years it will be quite forgotten. It's also good that we can meet another in a different country. Both might speak English or German and so we can distance ourselves a little from what we usually know. Who knows? One day y'all might find yourself eating Cevapcici and Ayvar with some good bread at a campfire.
tipoftheiceberg1234@reddit
Unfortunately whats online is what a lot of people think is real. The real world proof they have to back that up is that Serbia memorializes the NATO bombing and has officially gone on record calling it a terrorist attack, which is what Kosovo considers Serbia did to it. So they’re at odds ends. Occasionally you will hear think pieces about it on TV from political officials.
But everyone’s on the internet now. They just let loose on the internet, all of the evil comes out.
So no, they’re not fully over it, and the “online” world isn’t helping with that, in fact it may have permanently etched in their consciousness’. In real life, normal people usually have several layers of denial and good face set up before you get to what they really think about something. Usually when people are very open about something like this it’s because it’s just happening.
If Kosovo ever got full UN recognition, that evil hatred they have towards one another that now lays dormant would wake up in a second at max capacity.
Big_Confidence_951@reddit (OP)
That's a good comment, especially the "several layers of denial" which we put up in real life or public.
Dear-Potential-3477@reddit
I don't really care about the situation but if Kosovo ever gets UN recognition the UN sends a message that through violence you can become a UN member some day, it would be bad for the future of the world 30 separatist wars would erupt instantly.
Green-Diamond6874@reddit
Like it happened today.
wingipingi1@reddit
something is strange, why in romania the people do not hate their tatar-turkish minority in dobruja and even before the sunken island ada kaleh?
dobruja was under ottoman rule until 1877-78.
even the romanian King carol I build a mosque for them Constanța, Rumänien, 1910 - 1912
anyway Turks migrated from Romania to Turkey in significant waves, particularly after the 1877-1878 Russo-Turkish War and especially during the 1920s and 1930s, with over 100,000 Muslim Turks moving to the new Turkish Republic between 1923 and 1938, Turks from Ada Kaleh (an Ottoman island in the Danube) largely moved to Turkey in waves, most significantly in 1967-1968, when the remaining population emigrated before the island was submerged by the Iron Gates Dam, though smaller groups also left earlier (1906, 1913, 1923-1938, 1945, 1951) due to changing political climates and anti-Turkish sentiment in Romania.
Albaaneesi@reddit
Ofc people care. The amount of injustice done to my people under the regime of Slobodan Milosevic was insane. To the people of Croatia and Bosnia aswell and my prayers goes to the victims and their families. Also, the country of Serbia is now currently being run by the minister of propaganda from that war. What signal does this send outward to the rest of the balkans?
When Serbia wants to move on, so will the rest of the balkans. And Serbia does not do that by keeping such people in power. It send the exact opposite signal.
I await for the day when people respects eachother and minds their own business. But as long as Alexander Vucic is in command with his henchmen right behind him, the situation will not change for the better.
Dear-Potential-3477@reddit
Admitting you also ethnically cleansed civilians, burned houses, churches schools after the war would help. How do you expect the other side to admit war crimes if you don't admit your own war crimes? It works both ways
Dear-Potential-3477@reddit
The Albanians say we are immigrants because our people migrated here 1500 years ago so yes.
True-Blacksmith4235@reddit
We cared in the years after my family was banished and their properties occupied. But my grandmother and her parents (who were banished) died soon after, and we made peace that we won’t ever get anything back, so we never talk about it.
Hopefully Serbs who left, can have a normal life.
papa_CLaude@reddit
Well, albanians killed by your regime can never have a normal life :)
New_Accident_4909@reddit
So that justifies oppression of civilians? Thats a really bold parallel you are making.
True-Blacksmith4235@reddit
What does that have to do with my family’s trauma?
I was answering OP’s question. A lot of people unfortunately suffered.
And why would you put a smiley. You are weird all around.
New_Accident_4909@reddit
Had an unexpected discussion with 20year old girl from Kosovo few days back.
Albanians sure aren't letting go, that aside we were able to move past the fact that I'm Serb and had a plesant conversation for some 30 minutes.
cocoadusted@reddit
In Albania we don’t give a flying fuck
Eurydica@reddit
I personally don't, but I never lived there anyway. Went to school with a serbian girl that did and she is still saying that there was so much of bad blood that it cannot be easily 'washed' or forgotten.
Top_Veterinarian1446@reddit
The hatred between Serbs and Albanians will disappear with one of the two populations. There will never be peace as long as these two peoples exist as neighbors. The new generations will not change anything because they are intrinsically hateful.
Refugee_InThisWorld@reddit
Considering the hysteric atmosphere during the football match, i think they do.
Stverghame@reddit
What I realized through years of my naivity is that I can be nice and polite to them, but that I should not expect the same thing back as basic decency.
Now I just be distantly polite if communication is necessary, but for the rest of time I'll avoid communication if possible. Don't have the time to deal with that much hatred, which is omnipresent.
Royal_Association750@reddit
I’m in my early twenties and I do care. I have a lot of tragedies in my family that has been inflected upon them before the war and during. From setting them on fire (a decade before the war) and executing my family (during the war) I don’t wish bad on especially the younger generations of Serbs but I personally don’t want to be friends with Serbs at all. Not out of hate but more out of mistrust and just a loyalty to my family and ethnicity. I don’t wanna drop the family lore here but it’s really horrible. As long as Serbia doesn’t recognize Kosovo and Kosovo doesn’t merge with Albania I have no real interest to be around anything Serb. Sure I wasn’t in the war but I also had to carry the weight of it from being born abroad never seeing my family and just watching them get older and older and never having made any lasting memories. Time you can’t get back and it’s definitely a form of suffering (ofc not like actually being in the war) also as long Kosovo isn’t fully recognized a invasion from Serbia could always be on the table (even if currently very unlikely) in the end we all want our families to be safe and as long as I don’t have this 100% it’s something I/we care about.
artiana123@reddit
Its not that I hate Serbs, cause my aunt was saved by a Serbian family in the war, its that Serbs that say we were good guys you are bad and that’s why we unalived children and women, in these day they do panda project again and blame the Albanians, but they do this to each other also. So its just the way they are, not all, but the bad Serbs are all the same.
ConclusionRegular103@reddit
of course they do, i have a serbian friend who lost his family. How can you forget this no matter how many years passed. he says he want to ...ill every albanian baby
this_is_no_where@reddit
I never lived there, but my family are Albanian Kosovars and we had distant relatives who were killed by Serbs in the 1990s. I was a high schooler then and it felt distant and I didn’t really give it much thought, but I’ve learned more about it as I’ve gotten older and still consider it very recent history.