[MGSA-L] Kosovo/Macedonia/Bulgaria: Gorani ask for autonomy in Kosovo

[Greek Helsinki Monitor]

This is a case of negotiating identity as social anthropologists would say. 
Gorani in Kosovo have similar cultural characteristics with Pomaks in 
Bulgaria and Greece and Torbeshi in Albania (Muslim religion and a 
Macedonian or Bulgarian mother tongue).


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MILS NEWS                          Skopje December 26, 2005


GORANS ASK FOR CULTURAL AUTONOMY IN KOSOVO

The Macedonians living in Kosovo, known as Gorans (Gorani), are to forward a
demand for cultural autonomy in Kosovo as part of the solution for the future
status of Kosovo, regardless whether Kosovo would remain under Serbia's 
control,
or become independent. "Dnevnik" says this would be the main demand that the
Gorans are planning to put forward during the Conference of Gorans, scheduled
for 14th January in Skopje. "We are planning to table a proposal for language
autonomy and education in our mother tongue i.e. declaration of Gorans in 
Kosovo
for a euro-region", Ismail Bojda, President of the Association of 
Macedonians of
Islamic Religion, said. He added that the scheduled conference in Skopje would
include debates on the measures that the Gorans are expected to undertake 
during
the census in Kosovo, as well as talks on the political and religious 
oppression
over the Gorans in Kosovo. "Dnevnik" says that representatives of the
Macedonians in Kosovo, especially the locals from the village of Dragas, 
claimed
to have been exposed to strong pressure exerted by the Bosnians, Serbs and
Albanians from Kosovo, forcing them to join their ethnic community.

"Dnevnik" says some 200 Gorans have already applied for Bulgarian citizenship,
which would enable them free access to the countries from Western Europe. The
newspaper adds that a Bulgarian National Association, registered by UNMIK, has
already been established in the region of Gora and Sredacka Zupa in Kosovo.