Petrit Latifi

Vuk Karadžić (Вук Стефановић Караџић) was a 19th century Serbian scholar. In his book “Srbi svi i svuda” from the year 1836 we can read:

“Albanians have both Roman Catholic and Greek Orthodox religions, so they are all called Albanians. And let’s say they hate each other a little. But according to their tradition, in front of other peoples they live as brothers, as if they were all of the same religion. Thus, an Albanian of the Islamic religion would kill ten Turks for one Albanian of the Catholic religion. Just as one of the Catholic religion would kill ten Italians for one Albanian of the Islamic religion.”

Original quote: “ima i Rimskoga (a može biti gdješto i Grčkoga) zakona, pa se svi zovu Arnauti, i da rečemo da se izduje sebe malo mrze, ali prema drugijem narodima žive kao i brača, kao da su svi jednoga zakona, i jedan bi od nijh Turskoga zakona ubio deset pravijeh Turak za jednoga Arnautina makar koga Hrišćanskog zakona, kao što bi i Arnautin Rimskoga zakona ubio deset Talijanaca za jednoga Arnautina Turskoga zona.”

Translation: “Albanians in this regard are a closer example than the Hungarians and Germans; They (Albanians) are of the Western rite (and there may be some Eastern rite too), but they are all called Albanians, and let’s say that they hate each other a little, but in front of foreigners they behave like brothers, as if they were of the same rite, and if it were a Turkish rite (Muslim) for one Albanian he would kill ten Turks even if he were an Albanian of the Christian rite, just as an Albanian of the Christian rite would kill ten Italians for one Albanian of the Turkish rite.”

Source and reference

Vuk Stefan Karadzic, “Srbi svi i svuda”. 1849.