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Minority discriminated
I wrote this article moved by an
article on the harmony in Shkoder, amongst various communities living here.
Following the religious tolerance and harmony amongst minorities Albanian and
not Albanian, loudly spoken by the media,
seemingly independent from the Albanian State, as well as by the politics,
right or left winged, there is much speech about extraordinary rights
existing in Albania for the ethnicities and minorities. This is a card, so
much spoken of and sensible, that every government keeps in its hands and use
any time they need, all over the offices of the European countries. The
reality is totally different, fitting governments, right and left winged.
Every time the politicians are in power, they have to close their eyes for
the injustice toward these communities, in exchange of personal interests.
This situation becomes even more impossible during party conflicts, or during
elections, while these individuals, part of these communities, are
overlooked, mistreated or even thrown away by elements of parties on power,
who use everything to make them work for them, pay for them, and when these
do not respond, they have to face different forms of pressure, menaces to
close their activity, break their business or even murder and kidnapping.
These communities, being in minority, like that of Serbs-Montenegrins and
Bosnians, living here in Shkoder, have tried to integrate in their lives, and
have shown to be examples of cooperation and tolerance, trying to keep their
identity, which is actually outraged, especially after the unkind situation
during the conflict in Kosovo and the increasing influence of Kosovars in
Albania. This community felt that more than anyone else, though they entered
in an association called “Rozafa-Moraca” (1994).
They suffered various mistreatments, coming from both sides of politics,
socialists as well as democrats with their extremist activists, every time
their parties were on power. There were discharges,
human rights not respected, mistreatment, insults, so that this community had
to feel despised. They had to go to Montenegro for medical cure, because
disregarded here. Many known families known in Shkoder, like Halluni (Hallunovic), Pepa (Pepic), Ceraj (Ceric), Culic, Hebovija (Hebovic), Gogovi (Gogovic), Buljaj (Buljic), Leka (Lekic), Bebezic, Tuzi, Mandija (Mandic), Ademovi (Ademovic), Hadjagic, Mustagrudic, Salagic, Piranic, Bashli (Beshlic) ecc., experienced various ways of persecution. To Bajram, the nephew of the family Hallunovic,
was not given the right to work in education, though he had so much
experience, Mirsad, the youngest son of Bajram Gogovi (Gogovic), was deprived from the right to study here, so
he had to go in Montenegro. The political structures removed with threats
from his position as a director of the water-supply enterprise in a village, Hamdi Salagici (Salagici). Even the family of professor Remzi Mandija (Mandic) had to leave the country with his family, as well
as the talented engineer Ali Mustagrudic. Even the
family of Agim Hebovia (Hebovic) has hardly damaged, because their business
(Fast-Food) was closed because he didn’t help manipulating the votes for the
DCP, alley of the parties on power, during the elections of 2005, and he was
continuously menaced in many ways, until on May 2008 they menaced even his
private business in Velipoje with an absurd
argumentation. They told him to stop reporting otherwise he would have
consequences. All the family was insulted until the point to have a physical
conflict with a police officer involved in damaging his business in Velipoje, though in civil dress, named Erzen Lika, from Tropoja or Kosovo, who menaced to exterminate him and his
family if he wouldn’t shut his mouth, menacing also of blood-feud. Mr. Agim tried to report this, but the unexpected happened, a
very shameful occurrence for all of us. On December 16, 2008, at about 12.30,
there was an attempt to kidnap his little son 5 years old, on his way home
from the kindergarten, accompanied by his older brother. During the attempt
the older brother was knocked hard falling and losing consciousness. He
didn’t know what happened, but someone passing by, who saw everything, helped
to stop this tragedy. The family was traumatized even by menacing
phone-calls, so Mr. Hebovija had to stay apart. As
always, the competent organs “did everything they could to arrest the
persons” declared unidentified and leaving in unknown direction. The
occurrence had a scaring effect, but it was forgotten soon. What remained was
very clear, life in this country is getting worse and the level of crime is
increasing rapidly, though the State is officially showing achievements in
the struggle against corruption, the reality is different. The office of
People’s Advocate is telling every day through newspapers and news, about the
violation of human rights in prisons, police stations, public mistreatments,
discrimination to minorities, for ordinary crimes and generally with
political background. The international community, diplomatic corps in our
country, the Helsinki Committee have continuously criticized the politics of
the government and its inability on preventing and finding these crimes in
noticeable increase, especially as far as the human rights for minorities is
concerned, their right for education, equality, culture, integration, without
which we would never have a passport to the free world, where we want to be,
where there is no ethnic, race or social difference, to the world which is
really free and to which we belong.
Fatime
Kulli
Defender of the free
vote in Albania
While before 1990, elections were
formal and only for the Party of Labor (communist) and the result was always
99.9%, after that year there have never been free elections in Albania. Just
as existed and unfortunately still exist the violators and stealers of the
votes of Albanians, fortunately have existed and exist the defenders of the
free vote, who risk their lives and their families in the name democracy and
the holy principles of democracy.
Andis Kuluri,
born on April 1st, 1979, was very young when he faced those who violated the
free vote in Albania, during the elections of 1996. As a member of the
Euro-socialist Forum, Kuluri had the charge of
monitoring the elections in the “Ahmet Haxhija” district, where he lived. As a young idealist, Kuluri believed in democracy and freedom to express the
political preference. However, as it is already known, those elections were a
bluff, a manipulation of the party on power, the Democratic Party. Andis Kuluri was one of those
young p eople who suffered
physical violence in the name of the freedom of vote, in Tirana, on May 28,
1996, during the big protest of opposition, while even leaders of the protest
were wounded by the political police of that time. Just after e few months,
the government of that time had to prepare new elections, won by the
opposition, led by the Socialist Party, part of which was Andis
Kuluri.
The young Kuluri
was totally engaged in the political structures, becoming a member of the
Socialist Party, also keeping the position of the Secretary of the Youth
Euro-socialist Forum in the “Ahmet Haxhija” District, as it is also proved by the leaders of
the SP branch in Shkoder.
Blindly believing in democracy
and free vote, Andis Kuluri
was involved in defending the free vote even during the political elections
of 2005. No matter the many threats before the elections, but also during the
elections, Kuluri didn’t allow any manipulation at
the voting center he was assigned. Yet, he was already part of the “black
list” of the “enemies” of the new system installed in Albania after the DP
and its allies got the power. There are numerous threats received by Andis Kuluri and his family,
just because he didn’t permit anyone anytime to steal the vote of Albanians.
Through many troubles, Andis didn’t give up, though
the police was now a tool in the hands of the power, not regarding the many
reports, because amongst many of those who menaced and violated him, there
were many police officers “wearing the uniform of the State” as militants.
Threats increase for Andis and his new family, at the beginning of the tour of
the leader of opposition, Edi Rama all over the country, and especially in
Shkoder. Though not official, the electoral campaign has already started in
Albania and the political situation has grown harsh. In the meeting with the
Euro-Socialist Forum, as well as in other occasions, Andis
Kuluri was beside Edi Rama. A few days ago, on
December 2, 2008, in the evening, when it was darkness, unidentified people
attacked Andis with hard stuff at the place called
“Zdrale”. He had serious wounds and he had to be
cured hidden, for now he was a target to be eliminated. In these conditions, Andis Kuluri and his family
have to live hidden, in order to save their lives, threatened by the power of
those who are used to use violence on the defenders of free vote, just as
during 1996.
Arben
Cubaj
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