koka

nr. 35 / 19 nëntor 2002

alukit

numrat

They should die because of the Canon!

They are Agron Sait Neziraj, born on 1970 and Alma Sadik Zenelaj, born on October 17, 1982. They are both from the same district in Bujanovc a municipality near Kosovo and along with Presheva and Metvegja, two other Albanian municipalities, are under the Serb government. The two families, Neziraj and Zenelaj, although neighbors, have constantly been at loggerheads. Until 1997-98 there were no victims from the two families. Agron and Alma grew up in this atmosphere of conflicts, although they had a different conception on life. In contrast with the hatred between their families, a pure love was being planted in the hearts of the two young members of those families, deciding the destiny of the lives of Agron and Alma. Without considering the dangers because of the terrible Canon of the mountains, they had sworn each other to let nothing divide them but death. Agron was 27 years old while Alma wasn’t yet 16. Their parents neither know nor would had accepted their love, that’s why Agron “kidnapped” her lover and both left Bujanovc toward Tuz in Montenegro, to find shelter in Koder-Budan, at the home of Rexho Paljeviq, a friend of the family Neziraj. Being afraid of the family Zenelaj, who was hunting for them, as they could never forgive the shame they had brought (their daughter Alma had been kidnapped when she had not yet 16, which is censurable by the Albanian moral and traditions), after six months they left their shelter, going away in a western country, where their life, freedom and rights are protected by law. They can never go back to Bujanovc to meet their loved ones, for the members of the family Zenelaj are ready to shot on them, as it is written in the Canon. Their return to Bujanovc is also impossible as it is left out of Kosovo, under the Serb administration, because of the increasing hatred of the Serbs toward Albanians. While the opinion condemns the act of kidnapping a girl at the age of Alma, they have no other place to live, and their return means their sure death. Agron and Alma should die as they have broken the tradition and customs of their ancestors, although being primitive as customs coming from the depth of the centuries. This is a bitter yet true reality wherever the Albanians live.

Rifat Ymeri

 

Will ever be brought to light the crimes in Kosovo?

We have been several times sent by the journal “Shqipëria Etnike” in Kosovo, and it is really hurting when you have to write down facts like murders, violence, conflicts, robbery, rape, or when you meet facts like “After the Serbs stepped back in June 1999, there are just 23.000 those who have deserted the war in Serbia”. This is a fact coming from governmental authorities of Kosovo and international organizations.

The Kosovar tragedy demands a hard work from the international justice to close the holes between crime and life, regression and progression. About 10.000 Albanians have been killed by Serbs during the war in Kosovo, there are hundreds of common graves, hundreds of others burned up, and other 23.000 still wanted to be fired.

In the municipality of Gjilan we came to know these last days the tragedy of the young Nikolin Agim Salihi, wanted to be arrested since during the war time, as considered one of the deserters of the military service. He didn’t want to be enrolled to fight against the Kosovars, and didn’t want the war at all, so refused to join the KLA too. Members of the KLA had doubts on him, and had pointed him to be arrested, while there’s no news about him and many others. Some good authorities confirm that he was to be fired out by the KLA as a catholic. There have been many terrorist acts in Kosovo; there is a rumor that even Osama Bin Laden had been in Albania for a short time.

Nikolin Salihi is just one case. There were many other facts of crimes, as we came to know in Gjilan, and we’ll tell about them the next editions. There are over 1200 living areas burned up in Kosovo today, which are being reestablished by the internationals. But when will be condemned the crimes on innocent people of Kosovo, when the Kosovar boys and girls will be secure in their Kosovo, when mothers and fathers will have no tears in their eyes and pain in their souls for the sons they’re missing, being dead or alive, or in prisons, or even spread all over Europe?

Albert Vataj

 

Klodian Mlloja experiences terror

Klodian Mlloja is 21 years old, too young to suffer the terrible fact of blood-feud. Klodian leaves home, after a quarrel of his uncle, ending in the drama of blood-feud, very familiar to Albania, while the Albanian state is unable to stop this terrible phenomenon. The quarrel occurred in a bar of Shkodra, where some gangs attempted to rob Klodian, while his uncle entered and one of the gangs was wounded. After this quarrel ending in tragedy, the family of Klodian Mlloja is in serious danger. The inexistent state doesn’t take any precautionary measure to stop this terrible phenomenon of blood-feud. That’s why the life of the young Klodian Mlloja, born on 1981 in Shkodra, is in serious danger. He left Albania while none knows his address.

Albert Vataj

 

The life of the brothers Marenglen and Hektor Çelaj, seriously in danger by the ghost-myth

Although we’re living in the 21st century, there’s still an insecure life in Albania, menaced by the crime just like in medieval times. It is the phenomenon of blood-feud that became a nightmare for two brothers from Shkodra. Their life is in constant danger, followed by the ghost-myth, mostly known as the Canon law, applied 600 years ago. It is still acting in Albania, as the state is almost inexistent and totally paralyzed by the blood-feud. Marenglen Çelaj, born in Shkodra on 1982, and his brother Hektor Çelaj, born on 1983, are the innocent victims of the blood-feud, as a relative of them wounded another citizen who came from the villages to forcedly take the property of the first. After this incident between this relative of the brothers Çelaj and the wounded citizen, many of the family Çelaj are shut in, while the life of Marenglen and Hektor Çelaj is in serious danger, as the Albanian state is unable to protect them.

Sokol Pepushaj

 

The family Berisha on target

This family has been persecuted, imprisoned, tortured by the Serb regime for 60 years, until the end of the war in Kosovo. The family of Halim Berisha has been, is and will be a family of patriotic traditions. The men of this family spared not their lives for the freedom of Kosovo. As if it was enough for them the 60 years of persecution under the regime of Serbia, after the end of the war in Kosovo, during 1999-2000-2001 and on, this family was still in danger, but even more was Besim Berisha, although this time not by Serbs but by Albanians, by some unidentified armed groups, who kill, burn up and destroy in the name of KLA. They are called dark forces with the name of “Black hand”. After the departure of Besim Berisha from Kosovo, his familiars have been ill-treated. Salim Berisha, Besim’s father was killed along with his son, and we are showing here the picture of the father massacred. The other members of the family are under pressure to tell the address of Besim. There are unknown accused toward Besim, while he is constantly wanted. It is said that he left the KLA and refused to fight. If he will ever be found he is condemned to be fired. This is the decision of the dark forces.

“The observer”

 

The situation in Presheva and Bujanovc is difficult

The general situation in Presheva and Bujanovc is far away from the agreement between the Albanian and Serb authorities. The Serb government hasn’t fulfilled any of the promises made in this agreement, and keeps on turning a deaf ear to the requests of Albanians, while promising a lot to the international authorities. There’s a continuous persecution to individuals, ex-members of the PMBLA, and their familiars. In the agreement was established that amnesty had to follow their disarming, while they’re still penalized as terrorists. After the damages caused by the Serb forces on their houses, burning them, and the terror applied by the government of Belgrade, it stops them from turning to their own homes. Many of them found shelter in Kosovo and other countries of Europe. There is a great number of Albanians, over 30.000, who left their homes. Many families are separated, as women and children emigrated abroad while their husbands are sheltered somewhere in Kosovo, hoping to have a possible return in their homelands. The families Sahitaj, Islami, Qernezi, Rama, Hoxha etc. from Presheva, no matter the request of the Albanian Association for the Return of the Refugees, are not allowed by the Serb government to go back as considered families of terrorists. The life of Nail Faton Hoxha is in serious danger. The ethnic cleansing goes on in those areas, but it is done in silence. Why are the international authorities silent? Are they waiting for the Albanians to take again their guns? It suits someone.

Sokol Pepushaj

 

The fear of condemnation makes the youth leave their country

The young people educated to continue the tradition of a European education, hating the communist system, as deprived their forerunners from the freedom of working and living with the concepts of the European development, are being deprived from the right of choosing their job and the security of life. The young Kreshnik Martini, born on October 22, 1979, is one of them, coming from a family of old traditions. His uncles were known as disagreeing with the injustice and clearly opposing the communist system. He finished the secondary school with great difficulties, as living alone with his mother Rozita. His background, as coming from a democratic family, was a hindrance to his hope to compete based on his abilities, having a good knowledge of foreign languages. He participated in all the protests against the communist system in Shkodra, in the events of April 2, on September 14, in the funeral of Azem Hajdari etc. He was menaced to be killed, although being an only son, if he was to continue with the political activity, as he was very active during the elections, when Jozefina Topalli won. Even if his uncle is an important member of the DP in Shkodra, this doesn’t give him any assurance for his life, in case of his return in Albania.

Zef Nika

 

Those who fought the communist system have to leave Albania

One of the democrats supporting the democratic movements to pull down the communist system is the democrat Lulzim Hafizi, born on June 23, 1962. He was member of the DP since its foundation and makes up its branch in his quarter Perash on December 20, 1990. He participated in the events of January 11, December 13 and April 2, as chairman and vice-chairman of the commission in the electoral centers Nr. 9 of Perash and Nr. 26 of Rus. He was member of the electoral group of the candidate of opposition Ferit Hoti during the parliamentary elections of 2001. Defending the votes by manipulation from the socialist, he had a discussion with the representatives of the SP in the voting center Nr. 26. This democrat since 1993 makes up a successful business sponsoring some activities of the DP in the alliance “Bashkimi për Fitore”. He also sponsored some TV broadcasts for the opposition in the anticommunist TV Station “Antena Nord” of Shkodra, having many times a debate with the socialist representatives, on political, economical and order problems in Shkodra. On March 13, 1997, he was shot by the political opposition, “the red groups”, who destroyed his shop. On August 16, 1997, there’s an attempt to kidnap his son, failing thanks to the help of some people in Rus, yet they burn up his car, for revenge, while there’s no reaction from the police. On April 3, 1998, in the presence of his wife and children he was menaced, by some people saying that none wanted to kill him, but the “Party”, if he wasn’t to lay aside his political activity. For some time he is forced to find shelter in Tirana, coming back to Shkodra on September 1998, fearing the arrest as participating in the funerals of the democrat Azem Hajdari, on September 14. The tax officers close his trade activity. On August 12, 2002, after 10 minutes he left home, there’s a phone call telling him his house was being burned. Someone wanted it, as it was some gasoline found at the door. The specialists of the police, coming after the fire was out, didn’t want to investigate about the causes, and everything ends in a formal document written by the fire brigade. Having his life and his family menaced because of his political position, he feels forced to leave Albania and depart for USA, while there is no security of life for him if he comes back.

Zef Nika

 

The violence on democrats makes them leave their country

It is already known that the Albanian youth is leaving Albania, looking for a better life, without the nightmare of persecution and the fear to be killed by the Mafia, supported by the state, as it is the case of Mr. Mikel Bushi, born in 1982, from Aliaj of Kastrat in M. Madhe. Most of those forced to leave their country are democrats who have been victims of violence, threats and political revenge. They cannot suffer the government and its supporters who want to dictate their political convictions, forcing them to leave their ideals for a true democracy and an honest government, to stop their struggle for the observing of the human rights and freedom.

One of these democrats is the young Mikel Bushi. He was a member of the Democratic Party, an active participant in the elections’ campaigns of the DP in M. Madhe, a firm anticommunist, courageously condemning the corruption of the socialist government and the state’s violence toward democrats. This was the reason he was beaten and ill-treated by certain elements of the political crime and violence, so his life and freedom were menaced. To escape this violence and terror, he left Albania on September of this year, just like many other democrats.

As long as the violence of the state over the political opposition, particularly on the young democrats, will go on, these will be going through seas and continents, to be as far as possible from this threatening evil…

Vasel Gilaj