Kosovo: Muslim & Christian Religious Freedom [2024]

Despite the 1999 Kosovo War, Kosovo’s liberal Muslim population is doing well today. 95.6% of Kosovo’s total population are Muslims, most of whom are ethnic Albanians. We never expected to visit Kosovo, but traveled over from Albania and had a great trip in 2024. We stayed for two nights in Prizren and traveled around the country. Not only did we see how well the ethnic Albanians are doing, but we also visited a wonderful Serbian Orthodox Monastery that was also doing great, but requires NATO protection to stay safe.

Kosovo History

Kosovo was annexed by the Roman Empire toward the end of the 1st century BC. In the Middle Ages, the Kosovo Region was part of a number of different Empires including the Serbian mediaeval states. In 1389 the Battle of Kosovo was fought between a coalition of Balkan states and the Ottoman Empire, resulting in a Serbian decline and eventual Ottoman conquest in 1459. This resulted in the growth of the Kosovo muslim population.

Kosovo’s modern history can be traced to the Ottoman Sanjak of Prizren, of which parts were organised into Kosovo Vilayet in 1877. This was when Kosovo was used as the name of the entire territory for the first time. In 1913 the Kosovo Vilayet was incorporated into the Kingdom of Serbia, which in 1918 formed Yugoslavia.

Kosovo gained autonomy in 1963 under Josip Broz Tito’s direction. This autonomy was significantly extended by Yugoslavia’s 1974 Constitution, but was lost in 1990. As a result ethnic Albanians protested which ultimately ended up as a cause of the Kosovo Wars of 1998-99.

Kosovo War

With the break-up of Yugoslavia, Serbia and Montenegro were the only states still united in 1990. Kosovo was still considered part of Serbia despite the majority Muslim population. Serbia felt a strong tie to the area as it was originally the home of the Serbian Orthodox Church. Kosovo was also the site of significant events between the Serbs and the Ottoman Empire. This included the Serbian victory over the Ottomans in 1912.

What started as nonviolent protests by the ethnic Albanians against Serbian rule, eventually led in 1996 to move violent actions by the Kosovo Liberation Army. This resulted in the President of the Serbian republic, Slobodan Milosevic sending Yugoslav Serbian forces to quell the situation. This action forced the deaths or exits of much of the Muslim Population from the Country. Order was resorted after NATO intervened in 1999. Milosevic was tried and convicted of ethnic cleansing crimes against the Muslim Population. He died before he was imprisoned.

Kosovo’s Independence

On 17 February 2008, representatives of the people of Kosovo unilaterally declared Kosovo’s independence and subsequently adopted the Constitution of Republic of Kosovo. The constituion came into effect on 15 June 2008. While the majority of UN member states recognize Kosovo as an independent state, it is still not recognized as such by Serbia. As a result, NATO maintains a peace keeping presence in the country. We evidenced NATO’s protection of the Manastiri i Deçanit Monastery which was the highlight of our visit to Kosovo (see below for details).

Ethnic Albanian’s Cultural Influence in Growing Kosovo’s Muslim Population

Kosovo Muslims are closely linked to Albanians. This is because they are primarily Kosovar Albanians. As a result, Islam in Kosovo is very relaxed. 92-93% of the population in Kosovo is ethnic Albanian. As such, Kosovo is majority muslims, however, Kosovo Albanian Muslims tend to not be extremists. As it is with Albanians in general, Kosovo Albanians consider their origins as Albanians to be more important than religion. They are Albanian first and foremost. This ideology leads to a lot more leniency with islamic rules and lifestyle and also tolerance and co-existence of other religions. Ultimately, this results in separation of state and religion.

Kosovo’s Liberal Muslims are the Majority Population

Here are some of the habits of Kosovo Muslims, who are primarily ethnic Albanians, and the differences from fundamental Muslims:

• Islam comes up in daily conversation occasionally, but the people are not fixated on it.
• Most Kosovars identify as Muslim, but not to the same degree as most other majority Muslim countries.
• Most Kosovars do not pray 5 times a day, but Fridays at the mosque do tend to be popular.
• Alcohol is definitely part of the cuisine for a lot of people. You will see many (especially young people) who will go to the mosque Friday morning and will go to the club and drink on Friday night.
• Kosovars tend to be tolerant and respectful or at least neutral towards almost everyone.
• Kosovars tend to agree with the conservative muslims on things they consider degeneracy. This would include LGBT issues and the importance of family dynamics. However, they agree with the Westerners on issues such as democracy, women’s rights, religious tolerance and leniency.
• As for religion, Albanians and Bosnians tend to be muslim, whereas serbs, greeks and macedonians tend to be orthodox, so there is a contrast there depending on which ethnicity you are referring to. Nevertheless, some cultural trends tend to be similar such as food and smoking.

Kosovo Muslim Population and Christian Religious Tolerance

Kosovo is a secular state, which means it does not have an official religion. The constitution of Kosovo establishes the country as neutral in matters of religious beliefs and grants everyone religious freedom. Everyone is equal before the law, and freedom of religion is guaranteed. 

While Islam is the predominant faith, it is not an official state religion. It is professed by most of the majority ethnic Albanian population, as well as the islamic community of Kosovo as well as other communities within the country such as Bosnian Muslims. While there is a concern about Islamic fundamentalism globally, there is a general sense that public schools in Kosovo do not teach fundamentalist Islam education. Nor, are there any incidents of a religious school teaching a fundamentalism approach to religion. Instead, the focus seems to be on religious leaders fostering a pluralistic and tolerant understanding of religion.

 In fact, religious groups in Kosovo are diverse. There are significant numbers of Eastern Orthodox Christians, mainly among the Kosovo Serbs, and a smaller percentage of Kosovar Albanian Catholics. The Kosovo Protestant Evangelical Church is also growing along with it’s Albanian counterpart.

Role of Other Countries in Kosovo

A number of countries are effecting Kosovo’s ability to meet its constitutional guarantees of equal rights. However, cultural heritage and negative influences are making the guarantee of human rights a challenge.

United States

The United States has played a significant role in shaping the political landscape of Kosovo, particularly since the 1999 NATO bombing campaign that was crucial in leading to Kosovo’s independence. This has included diplomatic support, political stability, economic aid, security cooperation, legal and governance reforms, supporting entry into the European Union, and normalization with Serbia. The U.S. continues to play a pivotal role in Kosovo’s ongoing development and its efforts to establish itself as a stable and democratic state in the Balkans.

Russia

Russia has long-standing historical and cultural ties with Serbia, which have influenced its stance on Kosovo. It does not recognize Kosovo’s independence and supports Serbia’s territorial claim In contrast to other regions, Russian influence in Kosovo is seen as hostile, facing a population that is resistant to courting, given their aspirations for independence and alignment with Western institutions.

Middle East

The Middle East’s involvement in Kosovo is influenced by a combination of religious considerations, realpolitik, and national interests. The active diplomatic role of Russia in Kosovo is generally welcomed by Arab countries, such as Saudi Arabia. They are generally uncomfortable with the loss of Russia as a counterbalance in the Middle East and the dominance of U.S. influence.

Our Visit in 2024

In May of 2024 we traveled from Tirana, Albani and visited Kosovo. We stayed in Prizren which is an absolutely beautiful city with a vibrant river running through the middle of the city.

Orthodox Monastery Visitation

While there are a number of Orthodox Churches in Kosovo, we were fortunate to visit one of the most famous Orthodox religious sites. This is an Orthodox Church located in the municipality of Deçan, Kosovo. The Church is located in one of the most famous places in all of Kosovo, the Medieval Orthodox Monastery of Visoki Dečani. It is heavily supported by ethnic Serbs.

The monastery was built in the 14th century and is located about two kilometers west of the city of Deçan in the mountain valley. The monastery, consecrated to Christ Pantocrator, contains the only fresco ensemble of Byzantine art that has been completely preserved from the Middle Ages. It was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2004. 

We were fortunate to get a great tour of the famous church and take some great photos. We also were fortunate to meet the Monastery’s Bishop. He also agreed to take a picture with us.

Kosovo Muslim Population Owns Wineries

One of the great finds during our trip through Kosovo was the Kosova Winery. We had a great, albeit somewhat unusual wine tasting. The owner did it himself and we had a bit too much to drink. The owner did a a great job explaining his focus on producing great wine. Despite his lack of the English language, our guide did a great job translating.