True Story From Muslim Albanian

"Don't build mosques, build schools ! We need education not arabization"...

I don't know since when my beloved country Kosovo with 96% of Muslims,has started to feed anger and hatred against Islam in such a scale as they see Islam like an Arab culture and not like the most beautiful religion on earth in the back in time, my country has accepted Islam during 12th century, while long caravans of trading passed through our lands. Than after Ottoman Empire came and invaded us, Islam started to spread really fast. Majority of Albanians refuse to admit but, Islam was the religion that took them away from the darkness of ignorance.

After the fall of the Ottoman Empire, Kosovo was invaded by the Slavic nation Serbia. For around 90 years we were occupied by this violent nation who, forced Albanian Muslims to leave their lands and go to Turkey, just because we were Muslims and Europe had to wipe out every single Muslim. It didn't matter if these Muslims were autochthonous in these lands before ancient empires founded. Those left Albanians in my little Kosovo, during these years of invasion and occupation, had been threatened, tortured, killed, and persecuted for practising Islam. This nation installed fear in Albanians lives, such as fathers were afraid to follow Islam to their kids, out of fear that serbian police might found out about them practising and kill every single member of their family. After World War 2, Slavic nations like Serbia, Slovenia, and Croatia founded the "Yugoslavia". Under Serbia occupation, Muslim Albanians couldn't practice Islam, teach others about Islam and, whoever tried to do so, they were arrested, tortured, and threatened. Lots of Muslim Albanians practiced Islam secretly, others who were more afraid of enemy than Allah, stopped practicing and following Islam to their children. Under socialist communist rule, Islam started to fade away. When Kosovo's war occurred in 1999, thousands of Albanians (majority Muslims), were forced to leave their homeland, were killed, slaughtered, rapped, and even burned alive. Young, old, men and women, children, even babies. Muslim Albanians eyes were on Muslim countries. Waiting for help, waiting for intervention, waiting for something that could stop all those massacres. No Muslim country heard our cry for help. Was the U.S.A who saw what was happening in Kosovo and didn't want to pretend like nothing is going on. They sent their war airplanes, bombed Serbia, and with Allah's will, permission and help, gave to Albanians their freedom.

After war, majority of Muslim Albanians were upset, sad, and felt abandoned by our Muslim brothers of other countries. They knew what was going on, but chose to remain silent and neutral while lots of Muslim lives were unjustly taken by serbian military forces. Islam started to fade away even more. Other Christian/Catholic countries used this opportunity and started to preach their religion. Albanians started to feel inferior towards Islam. When 9/11 occurred, Albanians of Kosovo started to have doubts and fear of Islam. Lots of foreign non Muslim organization, were sent here masked like tourists and workers, but their job was to brainwash Albanians who were already emotionally hurt from war and from Muslim countries who didn't care about us. Those who followed the Sunnah of our Prophet Sal'Allahu Aleyhi wa Salam, and grew their beards, those who covered and wore Hijab for Allah's sake, those who prayed, fasted, read Qur'an were tagged as extremists, terrorists, and, they were called "Arabs" non Albanians. As years passed lots of young Muslim Albanians went to study Islam in Saudi Arabia and other Muslim countries. When they came back, started to teach Islam to our youth. Generations who were born and raised on Communism didn't like when our youth started to practice Islam. It had cases when parents fought with their children because they started to pray, go to Majid, fast, talk about Islam and spread Islamic knowledge. Kosovo is a secular state with majority of Muslims. As youth was being guided to Allah's straight path old generations stood against them. Lots of Hijabi girls were not allowed to continue their school. Girls who came half naked were allowed to go to school dressed in the most provocative ways but, girl who covered not. One day on news I heard that our Parliament wanted to lower Adhan sound all around Kosovo. Lots of Muslims stood against this senseless act. The hate that Muslim Albanians had for Islam was something that broke my heart. Our minority of catholics never took a step against any Islamic activity. In my country boys have it easier to learn everything abouts Islam, because they gather on Majid and the imam gives lectures to them, teach whoever wants to learn Qur'an letters, how to read and recite. As for girls it is pretty hard to find a female teacher who could teach them Arabic letters, how to read, write, recite Qur'an, how to behave like a Muslimah. Majority of Imams wives they know Arabic, but they never took the initiative to organize courses for girls who want to learn. This lack of interest to spread Islam from Muslims who have studied Islam, made this religion fade away and not taken seriously. What concerns me a lot, is the way Hijabi girls and women look and judge other girls who are Muslims but yet didn't take the step to cover. I have some neighbors who wear Hijab, my dentist is a Hijabi but these girls and women I know are the most amazing people I ever met. They don't judge you, they are kind, warm and always ready to answer any question you have about Islam. On the other side, most of Hijabi girls/women are pretty judgmental. I don't know were they take the right to judge you, to look you in a way you feel like you're the lowest kind of creature. Some even dare to say that if you pray, fast, read Qur'an, but you are not covered, none of your deeds are not accepted, you are going straight to Jahannam.

These kind of people are taking others far away from Islam. 

As I mentioned up, Kosovo is a secular country. Public and private institutions, companies, businesses whom you work on, they don't give you "Salah break". You only have lunch break for 20 to 30 mins and during that time is up to you how you spend it. Or you have lunch, or you skip lunch and pray. But even if you want to pray, first there's no place were to take wudu except on toilets (who majority of them are not clean enough), than second,you don't have a place to pray. Working schedules are from 8 to 12 hours with a low salary. If you don't have conditions to pray at work, you'll be missing lots of salah whom you will have to pray after you come home from work. 

This beautiful religion changed my life. I am a born Muslim who started to pray just 3 years ago. An Albanian saying says : Better later than never ! Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'Ala guided me, and honored me. My parents are born Muslims, their parents, grand parents and grand grand parents as well but, my parents don't pray, fast, read Qur'an, or know anything about Islam. Their parents took them to Masjid when they were kids, but as kids are immature, they joked and made fun so my grandparents never took them again to Masjid and gave up immediately. So my parents grew up knowing nothing about Islam and they never were interested to get to know and learn. I grew up in a family who didn't practice Islam but, Alhamdulillah Allah sent me pious friends who were non stop talking to me about Allah, Islam, our beloved Prophet Sal'Allahu Aleyhi wa Salam. One day I took the first step towards Allah. As an Albanian I found hard to memorize Arabic surah of praying but Allah is The Greatest ! For a short period of time I memorized them and started to pray. I changed a lot Alhamdulillah. My parents didn't expected good this change. They were ashamed to tell people that I started to pray and became religious. When I mentioned Hijab and covering, my own mother threatened me that if I cover with Hijab she's going to torn my Hijab while I'll be sleeping. "You can cover only if you live on your own house, or at your husband's house. Not in my house !" -I remember she made it clear to me. As for my father he is against anything that has to do with Islam. I thank Allah that they didn't stop me from praying. Our youth day by day is getting to know more about Islam Alhamdulillah but we still are facing hardships and obstacles. Even though 96% Muslims, I can say that maybe only 10-15% of our population are religious. Who is to blame ? We Albanians say : "The guilt is orphan" , no one wants to take it. In Shaa Allah things are going to change in the future and, I hope and pray that Muslim Albanians see Islam as a beautiful religion that it was sent to lead and guide them to Allah's straight way, and not like an "Arab culture". 

May Allah guide and lead all misguided and misleaded Muslims all around the world.