Kosovo’s religious diversity came to light this week as the Balkan nation’s Christian and Muslim communities both embarked on a traditional period of fasting and spiritual reflection. This year marks a rare occasion when the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan and the Catholics’ Ash Wednesday coincided, encouraging tolerance and understanding between different religions. Kosovo, a young nation of 2 million people is more than 90% Muslim, is still reeling from a war in 1998-99 it waged for independence from predominantly Orthodox Christian Serbia. Kosovo’s ethnic Albanian authorities have pledged to promote religious and ethnic tolerance following the conflict that killed 13,000 people.
