Haradinaj donates a litre to Croatian journalist and assures him that he has nothing to do with religion

The scripture, titled “My identity is not Islamic Islam... ..four generations of my family were Catholic”, is the quote of Prime Minister Haradinaj given to Croatian media “Vecernji.hr”.

An interesting story, Haradinaj shared with the Croatian team.

At the beginning of this scripture, Croatian journalist shows how Prime Minister Haradinaj hosted him in the office and what he had offered him to drink.

“With Kosovo Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj I always like to speak. No matter what position he is, he is always warm and friendly. The last time we spoke, about three years ago, he asked me if I drink rakhi”.

“Hessane Do you drink? I'm asking because I respect all religions. If you drink, I have a phenomenal brand here and I'd like you to enjoy it after the interview, Croatian journalist told Prime Minister Haradinaj.

After this conversation, he shows Haradinaj has given him a litre of that brandy, and he told “I also sent down to try”.

This interview was not just about showing the prime minister's fun or his life. Haradinaj here also indicated his political stances towards President Hashim Thaci. He even told Croatian media that he does not support Thaci's idea of exchange of territories in any form.

The prime minister also spoke of reports with Turkey, especially with the president there, Rexhep Tayyip Erdogan, but also about the attacks Erdogan media had made to Haradinaj, the moment it became public that the prime minister likes to drink alcohol and does not consider himself a Muslim, but considers himself Albanian.

Nearly all media influenced by Erdogan have attacked Kosovo's prime minister. Turkish media have written about it as an attack on Haradinaj's mistakes, presenting him as a man who drinks alcohol, and denies being Muslim and spending a lot of money on getting drunk. A writing in a Turkish media was even very low and offensive. A biographer of Haradinaj was presented, claiming he was the bodyguard of a discotheque and then during the war became one of the leading commanders of the KLA. Thus, the scripture also reminded Haradinaj of the time he spent at The Hague tribunal and his release from charges that he committed himself to Serbs during wartime”, wrote Croatian journalist.

Prime Minister Haradinaj followed by saying:

I don't care what Turkish media say, and after this incident I talked to Erdogan. I have respected only the Constitution and laws of the Republic of Kosovo”, Haradinaj has said.

He even mentioned the case of the deportation of Turkish citizens to Turkey from Kosovo, where after that the prime minister had decided to sack then Interior Minister Flamur Sefaj. In March of this year, when the case even took place, the Director of AKI, Driton Gashi was also fired.

The “those who did not abide by the Kosovo Constitution and the laws of Kosovo, two of my colleagues -- the director of the Kosovo Intelligence Service and the interior minister -- were dismissed. That was a good decision, and I just wanted to protect the Constitution of Kosovo and not submit to any outside pressure, even accepting no pressure from friendly countries. And as for the attack on me that I am not Muslim and that I drink alcohol I tell those people that attack on these grounds: I'm primarily Albanian. My identity is no religion. The ancient Albanians have lived as Christians. I don't owe anybody anything”, Haradinaj said, writes Express.

The prime minister even indicated that he has been visiting the mosque several times but as not a believer but a political representative.

I've been to the mosque, but not because of faith. I go there to visit the imams for Bajram, but not as a believer, but as political representative”, the prime minister has said, repeating the paper that Albanians were only religious in the Ottoman Empire, when religion was then imposed.

My family generations were Catholic. I was born a Muslim, but I don't know why I am Muslim”, Croatian media quoted Haradinaj as saying.

Among other things, he said that he has never visited any mosque to pray, and the only thing associated with Muslims and his name.

“Haradinaj has always said that religion for Albanians was a look at life only during Ottoman rule when Kosovo was ruled by Ottomans, former Turks. And only during this period did they hold short faith, but religion never became the priority or key thing in their lives”, Croatian media wrote.

At the end of this interview, Haradinaj was asked if he would run for another term in the prime minister.

Whoever changed his position, he's not going anywhere. From where I'm from, or I'm going to retire to or in the grave”, the prime minister said laughing.

In the end, as Prime Minister Haradinaj was promised to the Croatian team, was given a glass of brandy that was Kosovo's production.