Dispute between ‘ethnic Albanians’ and Serbs part of old conflict

Montenegro is a diverse country, with several ethnic groups occupying different locales as well as the same towns and cities. Religion, ethnicity and history still play important roles in Montenegro. Attempted restoration of a Serbian Orthodox church in Martinaj, a small town whose population is mostly “ethnic Albanian” has brought protests from the majority population. 

The term “ethnic Albanian” almost always means Muslim. In Kosovo, for example, the majority of the population is “ethnic Albanian,” or Muslim, more than 95 percent by census.

The Serbs want to build their church building on the foundation of a previous church. Eurasia Review says the original building “was built in 1928, but was destroyed in 1941 during World War II.”

https://www.eurasiareview.com/18052019-montenegro-vandalizing-of-church-raises-ethnic-tensions/

Eurasia Review also says, “Martinaj is situated in the mainly Bosniak and Albanian municipality of Gusinje, where locals have previously asked ethnic Albanian politicians to demand that the restoration work on the church be halted, calling it a ‘provocation’.

“During a gathering of priests and Orthodox believers at the church foundations in 2013, a conflict erupted with local villagers, and police arrested 22 people. Orthodox Christians and priests set up a wooden cross at the site at end of April, but it was removed two weeks afterwards.”

Saying the cross “was removed” is true, but Balkan Review has a different explanation than simple removal.

“A local dispute has turned into became a much larger inter-ethnic row after unknown perpetrators removed a wooden cross from the foundations of St. Vasilije Ostroski church in the village of Martinaj and threw it into a nearby stream.”

https://balkaninsight.com/2019/05/17/vandalising-of-church-raises-ethnic-tensions-in-montenegro/

Taking the side of Montegran ethnic Albanians, “former Albanian Prime Minister Sali Berisha wrote on Facebook that “Montenegro-Serbian extremists are restoring the church to provoke Albanian residents’”.

That is the way things are in parts of the Balkans, the way things have been for centuries. Any attempt at restoring anything Christian is termed provocation by Muslims.

Of Martinaj, sq.wikipedia says, “This settlement is almost completely inhabited by Albanians.” Census numbers state a population of 650 Albanians, 25 Serbs and 5 others. The site also says “the average age of the population is 87.2 years.”

https://sq.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martinaj