Blerim Rama, from the Anti-terrorism Department at Kosovo Police, said that the number of Kosovo people who are joining the wars in Syria and Iraq, has decreased significantly during the last months. He made these comments during the presentation of a report on extremism and radicalism in Kosovo, organized by portal Fol Tash (Speak Now).
Editor in chief of this portal, Bekim Jashari, said that the research is divided in two phases: the one before the war in Kosovo and after the war. According to Jashari, Albanians were not involved in religious war, nor did they make efforts on religious rights and freedoms, before the most recent war in Kosovo, as they were missing freedom. According to this research, problems started after the war, with the arrival of many humanitarian NGOs from Arab countries, renovation of houses, with distribution of leaflets for a different Islam together with aid packages and with financing of students to study in their countries under their dictate.
Shemsi Jashari from “Democracy starts here” NGO, gave several recommendations which would lead to de-radicalization.
Burim Ramadani called for multi-dimensional and continuous approach in treating violent extremism of all sorts, including the one based on strict or manipulative interpretation of religion, which resulted with victims in Kosovo.
According to this research, Kosovo people do not fear religions, as their conviction is that religion incites peace and love, therefore the use of the word “Islamophobia” is considered to be controversial.
