Dua Lipa Clarifies That She Is Not A Fascist After ‘Greater Albania’ Tweet Raises Eyebrows
"My previous post was never meant to incite any hate."
After sending fans into a headspin with a social media post in which she called for a ‘Greater Albania’, Dua Lipa has clarified that she is not a fascist or a believer in ethnonationalism.
In case you missed it, yesterday the British-Kosovar pop star posted a picture of Greater Albania — Albania featuring several territories from neighbouring countries, including Greece and Kosovo — alongside a definition of the word “autochthonous” to argue that Kosovars are the Indigenous and therefore rightful owners of the land in question.
It’s a very complex geopolitical situation, and while everyone generally agreed that Dua probably wasn’t intentionally calling for more Balkan wars, they didn’t really appreciate that she’d used a far-right talking point and terminology.
Still, it sent stan Twitter into arguing over Balkan history and whether or not Dua was a “supreme Karen”, and discussing ethnonationalism on the hashtage #DuaLipaIsOverParty. It was a lot to take in.
Today, Dua has clarified her position, which was not to call for ethnic separatism but to support the right for Kosovo to be recognised as an independent state. Kosovo annexed from Serbia in 2008, a decade after the Kosovo war which saw 10,000 lives lost. It is still claimed by Serbia as an autonomous province, and only 50 percent of the UN’s member states recognise it as a state.
“My previous post was never meant to incite any hate,” Dua wrote. “It makes me sad and angry that my post has been wilfully misinterpreted by some groups and individuals who promote ethnic separatism, something I completely reject.”
She then stressed her pride as a Kosovar, and says she is continually met “with a fierce resistance to the idea of an authentic Kosovan culture” whenever she posts about her heritage.
“We all deserve to be proud of our ethnicity and where we are from. I simply want my country to be represented on a map and to be able to speak with pride and joy about my Albanian roots and my mother country. I encourage everyone to embrace their heritage and to listen and learn from each other. Peace, love and respect to all.”
Read the full post and original tweet below.
au•toch•tho•nous adjective
(of an inhabitant of a place) indigenous rather than descended from migrants or colonists pic.twitter.com/OD9bNmLcZ4— DUA LIPA (@DUALIPA) July 19, 2020
— DUA LIPA (@DUALIPA) July 21, 2020