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Albanisation
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Albanisation (or Albanization, Albanianisation, Albanianization) is a term used to describe a linguistic or cultural assimilation to the Albanian language and Albanian culture.
term is used in reference to Kosovo. During censuses in the former Yugoslavia, many Roma would be registered as Albanian, identifying with Albanian culture as opposed to the Christian Serbian culture. It is also talked about in reference to the Torbashis, a Muslim Slavic minority in the Republic of Macedonia, and the Gorani people in southern Kosovo, Muslim slavs with often albanized surnames.
When discussing Kosovo, Albanisation is often used to describe the demographic shift, whereby Albanians as a percentage of the population increase whilst Serbs and other minority groups decrease.
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Encyclopedia
Albanisation (or Albanization, Albanianisation, Albanianization) is a term used to describe a linguistic or cultural assimilation to the Albanian language and Albanian culture.
Kosovo
The term is used in reference to Kosovo. During censuses in the former Yugoslavia, many Roma would be registered as Albanian, identifying with Albanian culture as opposed to the Christian Serbian culture. It is also talked about in reference to the Torbashis, a Muslim Slavic minority in the Republic of Macedonia, and the Gorani people in southern Kosovo, Muslim slavs with often albanized surnames.
When discussing Kosovo, Albanisation is often used to describe the demographic shift, whereby Albanians as a percentage of the population increase whilst Serbs and other minority groups decrease. Generally not considered to be a deliberate policy, this phenomenon has resulted due to a diversity of factors. Commencing from the time of Turkish conquest of the Balkans, the Slavic Christian element suffered greatly in Kosovo because the region was often a battleground between Serbia (and its European supporters) and Turkey. Either during battle or the harsh Turkish reprisals for insurgency, many Slavs were killed. Many more migrated north to safer lands. In turn, more and more Albanians settled Kosovo as many had converted to Islam and gained important positions within the Turkish regimen. Of the remaining Slavic Christian populace, many converted to Islam to escape discriminatory taxes and social practices. Islamification opened the door to Albanization, since 99% of Kosovar Albanians are Muslim.
Even with the defeat of Turkey and the re-acquisition of Kosovo by Serbia in the early 20th century, Albanians remained the dominant demographic. This was maintained until the present time due to socio-political factors. Being a region where Turkish rule was most firmly established, it was the most backward region of the newly created Yugoslavia. Thus many Serbs chose to leave the area to more socio-economically developed regions. However, in contrast to Albania, Kosovo was a land of greater opportunity. Thus during the harsh climate of communist-era Albania, more and more Albanians risked life to flee Albania to arrive in Kosovo. Coupled with this was the very high birth rate of Albanians, who often had up to ten children per family.
With the escalation of ethnic tension in the 1980s, reports of harassment of Serbs by the Albanian majority increased. Now, after the NATO intervention and the declaration of independence, there are reports of continued harassment of the Serbian minority and desecration of Christian churches and relics.
Republic of Macedonia
The chairman of a Muslim organisation for Muslim Macedonians in the Republic of Macedonia, Riza Memedovski, accused the majority Albanian political party, the Party for Democratic Prosperity, of trying to conduct through assimilation, an "... Albanization of western Macedonia." There have been similar claims of Albanisation of the Muslim Turks and Gypsies in the Republic of Macedonia.
Southern Albania
The Greeks of Southern Albania (also known with the term Northern Epirus, especially among the Greeks) were under a policy of Albanization during the dictatorship of King Zogu and the communist regime..
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