What is the number of families entangled in blood feuds?
Some say that the number is 2000, others say it is 1000. The estimate is based on the number of children absent from school. But children may have other reasons to be absent, like poverty. Anyway, even if only one family is in a blood feud, it is a problem. I hope that the practice will gradually disappear as people see the law applied. It was like that in the beginning of the 90s. The Kanun has recently been revived in Kosovo as well. In Kosovo this is felt less because Kosovo was part of another country. Kosovar intellectuals also organised a big campaign against blood feuding in the 90s, and this had good results. However, in the mountainous regions of Kosovo that border with Albania, blood feuds “inspire” each other – the pressure of public opinion and the pain for the lost people presses people to revenge. This is especially so when the state does not implement the laws. What outcome do you expect of Kosovo’s status talks? We think that the process is leading toward independence.
