Serbian scientist Dubravka Stojanovic has made a statement regarding the Serbian view of Albanians. Stojanovic said that Serbs have Albanophobia.
“Albanophobia or hatred of Albanians is very present in Serbia. Albanophobia is expressed in negative stereotypes, prejudices and discrimination against members of the Albanian people,” says scientist Stojanovic.
She also shows that Albanophobia can take the form of racism, if it is linked to the belief that Albanians are some kind of inferior race. Anti-Albanian feelings are reflected in the use of the title “shiptari”, which has negative connotations and in the Serbian language is considered an insult.
Throughout history, many Serbian intellectuals have proposed various anti-Albanian projects, notable ones include: Jovan Cvijic, Vaso Ćubrilović, Ivo Andrić, Vukotic, Stevan Moljevi? and others.
“The beginnings of anti-Albanian propaganda in Serbia date back to the end of the 19th century and are linked to the aspirations of the Serbian state towards the territories of the Ottoman Empire, which were inhabited by Albanians.
After the Serbo-Turkish War and the territorial expansion of the Principality of Serbia in 1878, there were massive forced expulsions of ethnic Albanians from the occupied regions (mainly from the Toplica district, once inhabited by Albanians) and the burning of Albanian villages and parts of cities.
Although many Serbian personalities at the time opposed the expulsion of the Albanian population, Serbian Prime Minister Milan Piro?anac stated on this occasion: If we were to allow them to stay here, they would create problems for us,” the scientist says.
Further growth of anti-Albanian sentiments related to the foreign policy claims of the Principality of Serbia envisaged in Nacertanije, in Kosovo, western Macedonia and northern Albania, which are inhabited by the Albanian Muslim population.
Serbian authors describe Albanians as bandits and usurpers, emphasizing their crimes against Serbs during the Ottoman period.
“They present the Albanian population in the Sandzak of Novi Pazar, Kosovo and Macedonia as a flood river that has overflowed its bed and that Serbia will return to the so-called border. “Albania’s right,” says Stojanovic.
Source
