Albanians and South Slavs: identity partitions comparison

[Brás Garcia de Mascarenhas]

On other thread regarding South Slavs I was left kinda confused because they are divided into several faiths and their national ideals seem to be mainly focused around religion rather than completely different cultural aspects. Per example, a Bosniak who converts to Catholicism becomes a Croatian, a Croatian that converts to Orthodoxy becomes a Serbian and so on. Also when you take into perspective the Balkan war that dismantled Yugoslavia the whole war resembles a religious war instead of a ethnic war.

Albanians are also divided into several faiths but this doesn't seem to be a problem to unify all individuals into the same national ideal.

Why are there so many divergences between South Slavs based on the region they were born and the faith they are under? All of them have self-centered visions of their national destinies despite common and mutual aspects such as their pluricentric language. All claim territorial rights from one another which yet again enforces the vision that across their history they have been more intertwined than what some would like to admit (I might be wrong on this one but it is my perception). Saying that some regions were under the sphere of different civilizations as an explanation doesn't entirely convince me because you also have Albanian minorities from Montenegro, Kosovo, Serbia, North Macedonia and Greece and they all identify themselves as Albanian when asked regardless of their faith or birthplace. On what ethnic and religious grounds are Montenegrin and Serbians different to be divided into two different national states, per example?

Basically, what jeopardised religious unity among South Slavs and what made it possible for Albanians? I would be interested in hearing your opinions.

[Dna8]

Nice thread.

One line of thought: Geo Politics' effect on the South Slavs was more complicated on account of the South Slavs being more populous, and on account of said populations covering a broader swathe of the Balkans.

[Dna8]

In the final analysis, IMO, Balkanization, for instance, is a geopolitical phenomenon, first and foremost.

Only on the superficial level, is Balkanic political tension a matter of religion.

[Brás Garcia de Mascarenhas]

Nice thread.

One line of thought: Geo Politics' effect on the South Slavs was more complicated on account of the South Slavs being more populous, and on account of said populations covering a broader swathe of the Balkans.

Interestingly enough the emergence of South Slavic nationalists began with intellectuals that were kinda kin to a form of pan-South Slavism. Obradović per example, insisted that Serbian identity must be based on language and common origin, never on religion. He also defended the unity of the South Slavic language, and through it of the South Slavic people (which he considered to be one nation) similarly to the language-based German nationalism.

[Dna8]

Trickiest locations in Europe (re: Geopolitics) in particular order:

Balkans, Kavkaz, Central Europe

[Brás Garcia de Mascarenhas]

In the final analysis, IMO, Balkanization, for instance, is a geopolitical phenomenon, first and foremost.

Only on the superficial level, is Balkanic political tension a matter of religion.

How do you explain then that in the South Slavic nations changing your religion virtually implies changing as well your ethnicity based on the example I gave you in my initial post (a Croatian or a Bosniak that converts to the Orthodox Church becomes a Serbian). A Muslim Albanian that converts to the Orthodox Church keeps being an Albanian.

[Dna8]

How do you explain then that in the South Slavic nations changing your religion implies changing as well your ethnicity based on the example I gave you in my initial post (a Croatian or a Bosniak that converts to the Orthodox Church becomes a Serbian).

This will get me in trouble:

Because Shtokavian speaking Serbs/Croatians/Bosniaks are tantamount to the same people.

[Morena]

I wish I could give you an answer, because this is something that confuses me as well. It seems that these differences are overblown, leading to countless arguments.

[Brás Garcia de Mascarenhas]

This will get me in trouble:

Because Shtokavian speaking Serbs/Croatians/Bosniaks are tantamount to the same people.

So if they are equivalent to one another and virtually the same you're kinda agreeing that religion is the main differentiator between South Slavs and they need to hold on to it so tightly to the point that changing your religion equals changing your ethnicity.

[Dna8]

So if they are equivalent to one another and virtually the same you're kinda agreeing that religion is the main differentiator between South Slavs.

Yep, I agree, to a meaningful extent.