RELIGION AS A BOUNDARY BETWEEN “US AND THEM’ AND “US AND OTHERS”
Nexhmedin ADEMI
Abstract
Post-conflict societies often see religion as a destabilizing and differentiating factor in society, a phenomenon that is well-emphasized in the territory of Kosovo. Such concepts, in social environments, cause apparent differentiations and are reflected in ethnical and religious differentiations between Albanians and Serbs. As a consequence of this worldview the discourse “Us and Them” and “Us and the Others” came to existence. These are concepts that exceed religious framework as well. At the same time, these are symbols of social dynamics where the religious identity is used for political legitimacy and national narration. Collective identity was worn through dichotomy “Us and Them” and “Us and the Others” which through public debate on the influence of religion in society is actual in Kosovo, particularly during the period from 2000 to 2020. This modeling of identity during this period is the subject of this work. The research of this study begins from the hypothesis that this religious discourse doesn’t only function as an element of cultural and spiritual identity, but as well as a tool of political positioning and social differentiation in post-conflict context. This work at the same time, through analyses deals with religion as a differentiating mechanism in Kosovo society which, even though a formally secular, it has an important influence in modeling of religious identity, that influences the relationship between “Us and Them” and “Us and the Others”, taking into consideration from one side the perception of Islam as Orient sourced religion that is possible to deprive us from the Occident, and Catholicism from the other side that can bring us closer to the West. A particular focus of this work is pointed to the relationship of the secular and academic Elite towards religion and the way how this discourse is placed to the opinion. Methodological hypothesis is based on descriptive of the content, placing a special emphasis to the influence of the actors of institutional religions through political elite and media content. The purpose of this work is to emphasize through analyses that religion often functions as a part of the identity, where at the same time it is emphasized the difference within religious and ethnical communities, and that as a consequence we might come to conflict situations, not excluding the possibility to have potential for dialogue and compliance between religions.
Pages: 71 - 79