nr. 126 / 8 mars 2009

The lessons from the tragedy of “Barberino del Mugello”

What happened, happened! An Albanian family, immigrants in Italy, was totally extinguished in the most macabre possible way. A 37 years old mother who had to go to work that March 1st, 2009, though it was Sunday, a 13 years old boy who had to play at the soccer green field of Barberino del Mugello, to realize a dream, a 14 years old girl who dreamed to become a famous “vellina” of the Italian TV’s, suddenly left this world, though innocent, just because under them lived a problematic person, the 38 years old Tommaso Mengoni. They left in a moment when their father had crossed the sea to get to his birth-country, probably to prepare the return of the family after a long and hard immigration in Italy. The tragedy is complete, painful, but it needs to be revealed to give justice, though it cannot bring back the 3 innocent victims of the irresponsibility of an individual, the proprietor of the horrible building in “Barberino del Mugello”.

Not only the Albanians, but also the Italians, even the Mayor of Barberino del Mugello (Florence), Gian Piero Luchi, admitted for the local media that “effectively, in the past, the 38 years old Mengoni had problems of drug addiction. But if his behavior would ever result dangerous to the neighbors we’d intervene”. Other inhabitants of the area told that Mengoni not only behaved like an insane, he not only had problems with drug addiction, but he also raised off the limits the volume of music and television, until 4 am. Only the last months there were 3 alerts of gas leak in this palace. The day of the tragedy, Angjelina Gjonaj, 37 years old mother of the two children Dorina and Dorian, went downstairs to Mengoni’s door, to inform him about a gas leak noticed by the smell spread all over the building. She also went by his windows to call the 38 years old, without getting any answer. This was declared to the media even by Mengoni himself, who actually was wounded by the tragedy. He told he heard the calls, got up from the bed and as soon as he prepared to smoke a cigarette, he ended out on the street pushed out by the pressure of gas explosion. The first explosion resulted in fire and the mother with the two children went to the windows calling for help. Their only help were the calls of the neighbors who invited them to jump because they would catch them…

After only a few minutes there was a second explosion, even stronger, and the roof fell down crushing three innocent lives and registering the next Albanian tragedy with three innocent victims, a mother and two children…

I don’t believe that anyone, either Albanian or Italian, has the suspect that Tommaso Mengoni did it purposely, for he risked his life too. Yet, there is and there must be responsibility, more than that of the 38 years old, that of those who had to watch over certain problematic individuals. Let’s change positions for a moment: let’s consider that the three victims were Italian, a mother and her two children, while the “cause” of the tragedy was an Albanian. The tragedy wouldn’t come indeed, because at the first case the authorities would notice a problematic stranger, drugs addicted and trouble causing, would immediately show him his place: the jail or even the extradition out of Italy.

It’s true we are a “nation of emigrants”, likewise the Italians until the ’70-s of the past century. It is true that the economical conditions made us look for a better alternative abroad. It is true that likewise any other nation, we too have criminals who have the same passport like ours. It is true that likewise any other nation, we have our symbols that make us proud, and we should be proud. But, for all these motives, we ask to be treated like equal to the Italians, though we have or not the same passport, but answer just like any other citizen to the obligations of the country we’ve chosen or have to live.

The situation of the Italian Mengoni on March 1st, is made clear by what he told, that as soon as he got up from the bed, he tried to smoke a cigarette, without noticing the bad smell of gas leak, though it was smelled out in the courtyard. In this crime have their part of responsibility also the authorities of Barberino del Mugello. How could they leave out of control a person, to whom only the last months was noticed gas leak for three times, risking explosion. And the tragedy happened, this time suffered by three innocent Albanians! Nothing can bring back to life that family, none can bring back to a husband his wife and the children, none can give life to the dreams cut off, none can bring time back, none can undo what is already done. But all, I mean all, more Italians (in this case) than Albanians, should get lessons, especially about the behavior toward the foreigners or the shameful generalization of crimes, guilt or mistakes a foreigner can commit. I want to close this writing with a comment taken from an Italian website (www.ilsalvagente.it).

“Pesantemente sotto accusa il modo di fare del proprietario della villetta, Tommaso Mengoni. “Lui è uno fuori testa, un drogato, fino alle 4 di mattina teneva la musica, il televisore, a volume alto. È lui il motivo della tragedia”: dicono i vicini. Anche il sindaco di Barberino del Mugello, Gian Piero Luchi, parla di “uno personaggio un po’ particolare, in passato c’erano stati piccoli incidenti”.

Questa volta il “piccolo incidente” è costato la vita a tre poveri immigrati: una giovane donna e due ragazzi. A parti invertite si invocherebbero le “ronde” contro gli albanesi. Così, invece, non resta che piangere tre vittime innocenti.”

“An accusation aggravates on the behavior of the proprietor of the palace, Tommaso Mengoni. “He is one out of mind, drug addicted, who raised high the volume of the music and television until 4 am. He is the cause of the tragedy”, say the neighbors. Even the Mayor of Barberino del Mugello, Gian Piero Luchi speaks about “a quite particular person, who cause little incidents in the past”.

This time “the little incident” caused the death of three poor immigrants: a young woman and two children. If the places were changed, there would be “mottos” against Albanians. But this way, what remains is just to cry on three innocent victims.”

The solidarity of the Region, the Province and the municipality must be appreciated. But what gives it to a husband, a parent whose family was exterminated because of the irresponsibility of an Italian and other structures of this State?! Even the punishment of Mengoni, or a hundred “Mengoni” wouldn’t change anything, but to serve as a lesson to reflect more for the Italians than for the Albanians…, a State who welcomed us, gave us shelter, work and food, but that still doesn’t treat us as we deserve, at least most of the Albanians who live in Italy.

Blerti Delija

The risked life

These days of March 2009 n, at the home of Kol and Mri Dedvukaj (MARTINI), (at the village of Dobre of Commune of Qender, Malesi e Madhe ) who are the father-in-law and the mother-in-law of Margerita Martini, have been presented some persons with the piolicemen uniforms, who have allegedly controlled their home. During the control, they have seriously threatened them and among the others, they have said to them that we know that Margerita would be turned back to Albania, but if she wouldn’t be renounced by the made denouncement in april 2000 about the ill-treatment and the violence on her , then we will eliminate her.

Kola and Mria, convinced that the persons were came by the socialist Party structures , who pretend to get the power in the parliamentary elections on June 28, 2009, have been preseented by the Police Organs, but these last ones have taken no measurement.

The police structures have shown only their disability up to now, as they think only about their profits and the political elections, and they don’t think about the security of the citizens’ life.

We, as the written Media, don’t hesitate to publish this flagrant case which threats the innocent peoples’ lives. Unfortunately, up to present, we as a Newspaper "SHQIPERIA ETNIKE", have nothing to do, only to pray to God "protect this Christian and albanian family".

Ndue Bacaj

Revenge with explosion

The last night, at about 00.30 am, in the “T.Tashko” street in Tirana was registered an explosion. The target of the terrorist explosion was the private subject of the citizen Blendi Aga. Fortunately there were no victims, but there have been enormous material damages. The explosion has terrorized not only the members of the Aga family, but also the inhabitants around. Even near the private school “Zemra e Krishtit” in Shkoder, a religious school, almost one thousands of pupils were evacuated a few days ago, because the security found in time some explosive material, that was deactivated by the specialized forces of the police. But the last night there was an explosion, shocking the capital. The family Aga didn’t want to give any details to the journal, maybe fearing any revenge from the terrorists, as it happened in other occasions. Mustafa Aga, Blendi’s father, and his mother, Sulltane Aga, or Tone, as they call her, and his sister, Merida, let us know, in those few words we could get from them, that it is about a revenge against Blendi Aga, for when you ask about him, they answer that not only about him, but even about his wife, Alie and their daughter, Amandia, they have no news. In a moment, the old Sulltane, said: “Thanks God that my son had a daughter, because if he had a son, he couldn’t grow up. That’s blood-feud”. So, it seems like the explosion was caused by blood-feud. After quick investigations we came to know that on November 8th, 1998, Blendi’s brother, had caused a quarrel in Shkoder, while his car crashed on another. That incident caused wounded. After a few years, on August 29, 2006, Blendi’s brother died because of a serious disease. Seven days after his death, on September 8, 2006, Mustafa and Blendi Aga, had to close in, after they had been given trust by the avenger, an already known code of the 600 years old Canon of Leke Dukagjini. The old man closed in was ill couldn’t move from the bed. He cannot even move. The crash of cars in Shkoder in 1998 had caused blood-feud amongst Blendi’s brother and the other man in Shkoder. This was more clear after we came to know that in the beginning of September 2006, Blendi Aga had reported to the police the receiving of phone-calls threatening the life of the male members of the family Aga. Apparently, the avenger got even angrier, for in 2007 there were shots in the parking place. All these induce to believe that the last night’s explosion was motivated by revenge.

The correspondent