Dua Lipa Explains Herself After Facing Major Backlash Following A 'Greater Albania' Tweet
Dua Lipa has explained what she meant by her tweet sent out earlier this week that some people took as her supporting extreme Albanian nationalism.
Alongside a map of ‘Greater Albania’, which includes Albania, Kosovo and parts of bordering Balkan countries, Dua had pasted the definition of ‘autochthonous’, an adjective meaning indigenous to a place. Fans took the tweet to imply that Dua was in favour of creating a Greater Albania incorporating all ethnic Albanians. For context: Dua’s parents are from Kosovo. They moved to the UK before she was born, though she still spent part of her childhood in Kosovo. The country is recognised by the US and most European governments, but not by Serbia and its allies, including Russia, reports the BBC.
Dua’s tweet soon went viral, with some fans saying she should be cancelled and sending the hashtag #DuaLipaIsOverParty trending.
Soon after, Dua hopped on Twitter to clarify her tweet. She explained that it “was never meant to incite any hate”.
“It makes me sand and angry that my post has been willfully misinterpreted by some groups and individuals who promote ethnic separatism, something I completely reject,” she wrote. “Whenever I post about Kosovo, my feed goes crazy, even if it’s about something as joyful as food or music, and I am met with a fierce resistance to the idea of an authentic Kosovan culture."
“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.”
Dua isn’t alone in supporting Kosovo – Rita Ora, who was born in its capital but also lives now lives in the UK, has also tweeted about it. Earlier this week, she wrote: “Would love to see @Apple spreading awareness by putting Kosovo on the map! Albania and Kosovo are full of so much beautiful and great talent.”
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