Kosovo-Style Independence For Palestine?

**AvarAllahNoor** · 02-20-2008

Senior officials in the Palestinian Authority said Wednesday they could follow the lead of newly-independent Kosovo and unilaterally declare independence if the current round of negotiations with Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni fail to yield sufficient Israeli concessions.

Yasser Abed Rabbo, a founding member of the Palestine Liberation Organization and a long-time confident of the late Yasser Arafat, told Reuters that "negotiations with Israel are not going anywhere" and said new and expanding Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria "prove" that Israel is "not serious" about achieving peace with the local Arab community. He continued to threaten a unilateral declaration of independence should Palestinian negotiators determine the current round of talks a failure.

"Kosovo is not better than us," he said. "If Kosovo was able to unilaterally declare independence and gain recognition from the United States, the European Union and many other important countries, then why can't we do the same?"

Independent Online

**Heera Singh** · 02-20-2008

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7255400.stm

Kosovo 'tool kit for separatists'

Many have protested in Serbia at Kosovo's declaration
Kosovo's independence has provided a tool kit for secessionist movements in Europe and beyond, Serbian Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic has said.
He also said recognition of Kosovo by some EU members would jeopardise Serbia's path to EU membership.

His remarks came as Nato troops prepared to reopen Kosovo's northern borders, closed after the demolition of two border posts by Serbian protesters.

Correspondents say the situation at the border is currently calm but tense.

Does anyone in this room think that the Kosovo Albanians are the only group in the world with a grievance against their capital?

Vuk Jeremic
Serbian foreign minister

World split over Kosovo

An unnamed UN official told the BBC the border was about to be reopened, but it was not clear whether UN customs controls, the real focus of Serb anger, would reopen.

Crowds of demonstrators used bulldozers and explosives on Tuesday to demolish the border posts at Jarinje and Brnjak, and peacekeepers were called in to restore order.

Nato commander Xavier Bout de Marnhac was quoted as blaming local Serbian leaders for the trouble.

See a map of Kosovo's ethnic breakdown
Students in the Serb-dominated town of Mitrovica are organising daily protests at 12.44 pm, referring to UN Security Council resolution 1244 under which Serbia insists it still has sovereignty of Kosovo under international law.

'Relations compromised'

Mr Jeremic said Kosovo's declaration of independence was illegal and illegitimate, adding that Serbia would fight tooth and nail to have it overturned.

KOSOVO PROFILE

Population about two million
Majority ethnic Albanian; 10% Serb
Under UN control since Nato drove out Serb forces in 1999
2,000-strong EU staff to take over from UN after independence
Nato to stay to provide security

EU fired up by Kosovo
Anger mounts in Mitrovica
Full text: Kosovo declaration

Speaking at the Council of Europe in Strasbourg, he said those who had recognised Kosovo had set a dangerous precedent.

"By the actions of some European member-states, every would-be ethnic or religious separatist across Europe and around the world has been provided with a tool kit on how to achieve recognition," he said.

"Does anyone in this room think that the Kosovo Albanians are the only group in the world with a grievance against their capital?"

Some Russian officials have hinted that Moscow could recognise the Georgian breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia in response to the Kosovan declaration.

Mr Jeremic also said Serbia's path to full EU membership had been damaged by the recognition of Kosovo by more than half the EU's member countries.

"The relations between Serbia and certain members of the European Union have been compromised and I don't see how we can accelerate our efforts towards Europe," he said.

Many - though not all - EU states have argued that Kosovo is a unique case - that Serbia lost its right to govern there because of the brutal repression of the Albanian majority.

UN divided

Earlier EU special envoy Pieter Feith began his work in Pristina as the head of the international civilian office due to take over from the UN.

STANCE ON RECOGNITION
For: Norway, Denmark, Finland, Sweden, Germany, Italy, France, UK, Austria, US, Turkey, Albania, Afghanistan
Against: Russia, Spain, Romania, Slovakia, Cyprus

Send us your comments

He insisted that a 2,000-strong EU police and justice mission would be deployed throughout Kosovo despite Serb hostility.

But Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said the mission was "in breach of the highest international law".

In a separate development, the German cabinet agreed formally to recognise Kosovo's independence. Norway also announced its intention to accept Kosovo as an independent state.

But Serbia responded by recalling its ambassadors to Germany and Austria, another country that has recognised Kosovo.

Britain, France, and Italy were among the first to come out in favour of Kosovo's independence but other EU countries are opposed.

The UN Security Council is divided over how to respond to Kosovo's move, and it has failed to agree on any action.

Serbian security forces were driven out of Kosovo in 1999 after a Nato bombing campaign aimed at halting the violent repression of ethnic Albanian separatists.

The province has been under UN administration and Nato protection since then.

**Trumble** · 02-20-2008

Sorry, didn't see this before commenting on your post in world affairs.

It's worth repeating though, I think the Palestinians should think very carefully before following this particular band-wagon. A little more thought than Mr Rabbo seems to have given it shows that Kosovo is a much closer parallel to the establishment of the State of Israel than it is to that of a new Palestinian state!

**Moon*Light** · 02-20-2008

Hmmm and what would be the result after the Palestinians do that?

Besides the Israelis are everywhere in Palestine except in Gaza at the moment.

**AvarAllahNoor** · 02-20-2008

Originally Posted by Moon*Light

Hmmm and what would be the result after the Palestinians do that?

Besides the Israelis are everywhere in Palestine except in Gaza at the moment.

They'll have to leave won't they!

**snakelegs** · 02-21-2008

if the palestinians declared independence now, they would be accepting a land that is divided in to little bits and pieces cut off from other bits and pieces. they would be recognizing the jewish settlements on the west bank.
as long as they don't have the military capability of being sure they would be able to wipe out all the settlements, it would be a really stupid thing to do. they would still be stuck with horrors like security walls and waiting for hours at check points and being subjected to humiliation from israeli soldiers.
i see no advantage at all in it.

**AvarAllahNoor** · 02-21-2008

Kastriot Sadiku has a confession: Like a good Muslim, he was near a mosque when Kosovo declared independence. But like a good Kosovar, he was just around the corner, sipping suds at his favorite pub.

As minaret loudspeakers broadcast afternoon prayers, "I was having a beer," said Sadiku, 25. "In the entire Muslim world, I think that's probably something that can only happen here, where our religion doesn't interfere with the rest of our lives."

Much has been made of Kosovo's status as the world's newest mostly Muslim nation. But its secular government, religious leaders and faithful have carefully distanced themselves from the slightest hint of extremism.

The Republic of Kosovo, they insist, embraces a decidedly laid-back version of Islam.

"Our Islam is 'lite' — like Coke Lite or Marlboro Light cigarettes," said Ilmi Krasniqi, an imam at one of five mosques in the eastern town of Gnjilane. "This is not Baghdad, and what goes on in Saudi Arabia cannot happen here."

But if terrorism is a relative term in Kosovo, so is "Muslim."

The Ottoman Turks imported Islam centuries ago, but it hasn't saturated this society. Kosovo was Christian before, about 7 percent of its ethnic Albanians are Catholics, and a cathedral is being built in the heart of Pristina, the capital.

The late President Ibrahim Rugova was fascinated with Roman Catholicism, and there were even unconfirmed reports after his death in 2006 that he had converted.

Kosovo is not the only place with a Muslim population and secular traditions — strong secular lifestyles exist in Turkey and Lebanon, but they are exceptions.

Although the conflict here pitted Albanian Muslims against Christian Orthodox Serbs, who consider Kosovo the cradle of their religion and national identity, it was a battle for turf — not a holy war.

"We've never had a Christian-Muslim conflict here,"

**Cabdullahi** · 02-21-2008

First and foremost most of kosovans are not practising muslims from what i know and second of all the latest news we are hearing about kosovos independence is a new project designed to build a new middle east,Kosovar "independence" is part of a neo-colonial program with underlying economic and geo-political interests In this sense Kosovo provides a blueprint and a "dress-rehearsal" which can now be applied to restructuring the economies and borders of the Middle East, under the Project for a "New Middle East."

The restructuring model that is being applied in the former Yugoslavia is precisely what is intended for the Middle East, a process of balkanization and economic control.

thank you

**The_Prince** · 02-21-2008

Originally Posted by AvarAllahNoor

Kastriot Sadiku has a confession: Like a good Muslim, he was near a mosque when Kosovo declared independence. But like a good Kosovar, he was just around the corner, sipping suds at his favorite pub.

As minaret loudspeakers broadcast afternoon prayers, "I was having a beer," said Sadiku, 25. "In the entire Muslim world, I think that's probably something that can only happen here, where our religion doesn't interfere with the rest of our lives."

Much has been made of Kosovo's status as the world's newest mostly Muslim nation. But its secular government, religious leaders and faithful have carefully distanced themselves from the slightest hint of extremism.

The Republic of Kosovo, they insist, embraces a decidedly laid-back version of Islam.

"Our Islam is 'lite' — like Coke Lite or Marlboro Light cigarettes," said Ilmi Krasniqi, an imam at one of five mosques in the eastern town of Gnjilane. "This is not Baghdad, and what goes on in Saudi Arabia cannot happen here."

But if terrorism is a relative term in Kosovo, so is "Muslim."

The Ottoman Turks imported Islam centuries ago, but it hasn't saturated this society. Kosovo was Christian before, about 7 percent of its ethnic Albanians are Catholics, and a cathedral is being built in the heart of Pristina, the capital.

The late President Ibrahim Rugova was fascinated with Roman Catholicism, and there were even unconfirmed reports after his death in 2006 that he had converted.

Kosovo is not the only place with a Muslim population and secular traditions — strong secular lifestyles exist in Turkey and Lebanon, but they are exceptions.

Although the conflict here pitted Albanian Muslims against Christian Orthodox Serbs, who consider Kosovo the cradle of their religion and national identity, it was a battle for turf — not a holy war.

"We've never had a Christian-Muslim conflict here,"

it seems after reading this report that a Muslim who wants to prove hes not extemist must drink beer! and not only drink beer, but drink beer while the mosque is making the athan!

i dont get why this report immidietly reports there not extemists after saying they drink beer. so if a Muslim doesnt drink alcohol, performs the prayers properly etc that makes him an extemist?

the report is suggesting that..........

**AvarAllahNoor** · 02-21-2008

^^^ Haha true. It's like 'Sikhs' who drink, I get asked why I don't drink, because Sikhs are ''supposed'' to drink, - They are shocked when I state it's banned in Sikhism!

**Cabdullahi** · 02-21-2008

Listen! What the west wants from us muslims is basicaly for us to indulge in whatever they do,they simply do not want any islamic presence in society.Regarding the report originally posted by our sikh brother,the report shows that if you are a muslim and you practise and refrain from evil things you are considered an extremist,the west get irritated when they see a rise of islamic influence they know that their secular ideas are no good to humanity and they know islam can some what end some problems in the world but they almost feel ashamed how can a religion followed by stinky arabs be correct its a typical demagogy,this is what satan said to god when god created adam "why should i bow to this creation i am made from fire and he is made from clay i am better than him"

thank u