Kosovo's new independence is encouraging religious freedoms

(8 Jun 2008)

AP Television
Lapusnik, 40km western Kosovo 23rd May 2008
1. Wide of panoramic views of the village
2. Walking shot of Ismet Sopi
3. Pan from bible to Ismet's face as he watches TV
4. Close up of TV showing Ismet with his son during baptism ceremony
5. Wide of Ismet watching his baptism
6. Close up of Bible
7. Various of village
8. Wide of farmer with cows in the field
9. Mid of children playing with a dog
10. Close up bird
11. Wide of Ismet showing where the church used to be
12. SOUNDBITE: (Albanian) Ismet Sopi, Kosovo Albanian, Catholic Convert:
"On February 17th, the pulps of this tree were planted and they flowered on May 1st when 32 members of this village publicly professed the religion of their fathers and their forefathers."

13. Close up of Ismet's hands during the interview
14. SOUNDBITE: (Albanian) Ismet Sopi, Kosovo Albanian, Catholic Convert:
"Our genesis is Christian as the Albanian people have proved and will do so in the future they will prove they belong to Europe and to the Christian world and have absolutely nothing to do with Asia or Africa. They are part of Europe physically and spiritually."

15. Wide of Ismet talking where the church used to be
16. SOUNDBITE: (Albanian) Ismet Sopi, Kosovo Albanian, Catholic Convert:
"I am the happiest man in the world, because I have had the opportunity to do what my father and grandfather could not. I came out publicly and said I am who I am, whether you like it or not. I am an Albanian, I am a Catholic, I am an inhabitant of Lapusnik and a citizen of Kosovo"

17. Pan from village as Ismet looks around

AP Television
Gjakovo 90km western Kosovo, 24 May 2008
18. Exterior of the Catholic church
19. Mid of a Catholic priest walking in
20. Set up of a priest
21. Close up of a book
22. Close up of a bible
23. Mid of priest reading
24. SOUNDBITE: (English) Ndue Kajtazi, Kosovo Albanian Priest: "Many people especially Christians and Catholics during history, for a long time - more than 500 years - lived like Muslims outside, but inside the house they practiced the Catholic faith. And now we also have many people here in Kosova, that are and feel free to declare their faith. This is very difficult, I know that, but I think they are very brave people specially people in Lapusnik, they are very, very brave people that they declared the faith."

25. Close up of a photo on a wall of a little girl praying

AP Television
Pristina, Kosovo 24 May 2008
26. Set up Anna di Lellio, an author and lecturer at New York's New School:
27.SOUNDBITE: (English) Anna di Lellio, Author / Lecturer, New School, New York:
"This is not just a religious issue, but also political. The politics you find is the connection between Christianity and Europe. Europe is a Christian concept. By showing that they are Christian, the Albanians in Kosovo are also trying to show that they belong to Europe. They did in the past and they belong in Europe now."

AP Television
Letnica, 90km eastern Kosovo, 1 May 2008,
28. Various of Ismet Sopi with his son during the church ceremony

LEAD IN:

Ismet Sopi has done what his father and grandfather feared to do.

He has come out to profess his Catholic faith in predominantly Muslim Kosovo, an act he says had to wait until Kosovo declared independence from Serbia.

STORYLINE

Sopi's choice to convert from Islam to Catholicism reflects a new found freedom in the country, but it also echoes an ongoing debate about Kosovo's identity and its place in a Europe under the threat of Islamic extremists.















Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork
Twitter:   / ap_archive  
Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​
Instagram:   / apnews  


You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...