He praised Vuchchi, the imam in the Valley scandalizes with the statement: Albanian but Muslim

At a time when Albanians in the Presevo Valley are facing systematic discrimination from Serbia, when primary rights are being denied and when protests have begun for “identity and dignity”, an imam from Novi Pazar called Mevludin Dudic, during an organisation in Presevo in Albanian, has made an anti-Albanian statement.

This imam, who is photographed with Serbia's president, Aleksandar Vucic, and whom he publicly lauds, has said that “I am Albanian, but Muslims like you who are”, trying to identify Albanians only as Muslims and strip of Albanian national identity, a campaigning project of Serbia in relation to Albanians applied in certain cases, especially at the Pazar of Rivov Pazar (Novi Pazar).

To these anti-Albanian declarations of imam, there have been numerous reactions which have strongly opposed his unacceptable attitudes.

Albanian National Council Chairman (KKSH) in Serbia Navzad Lutfiu has called on religious institutions in the Presevo Valley to have no co-operation with the mufti from Novi Pazar

This personality, which proclaims itself without national identity, should not enjoy the respect of a community that has 28 martyrs fallen for languages and flag”, wrote Lutfi on Facebook.

Lutfiu, in response to this imam, used one of the sayings of a prominent Albanian national personality, which by profession was also imam, hafaz Ali Korca.

If you create everything but save your country, that if you're loved, you can keep religion”, remember that Korca saying, which had an important role in consciousness of Albanians in one of their most glorious periods, Renaissance.

Among the many who have reacted has been philosopher Professor Blerim Latifi.

Commenting on this scandalous statement of the mufti, the surprised Latif has said it is neither 1912 nor 1930, but it is being said in 2024.

“In the middle of Presevo, in a packed hall, a hoja is brought up and tells attendees: We are not Albanians, we are Muslims! It has since revived the old mechanism, which through the co-operation of hosts with Serbian state bodies, was assimilated into Bosnia by all Sandzak Albanians of Novi Pazar and a large part of Albanians in Montenegro”, Latifi wrote on Facebook.

He added that currently, the same mechanism has been activated to deAlbanianise the entire Presevo Valley.

“Albanians know UDB's nose well, but very little of its cultural engineering”, stated.

Albanians living in Serbia are systematically oppressed by the regime there. They are not even allowed to use the national flag.

One of the issues that has been raised in the American Senate, but also in the European Union, is the avoidance of addresses that Serbian authorities are making to ethnic Albanians, especially in Medvedja.

Recently, Albanians in Serbia have also organised a protest in Bujanoc, for identity and dignity, and have warned another in Presevo.

Following the protest in Bujanoc, racist and inflammatory X-rays of hate in the Serbian language have emerged as “Albanians' death “Kosovo is Serbia” and similar, which are strongly condemned by Albanian politicians in the Valley but not by Serbian authorities.