nr. 58 / 6 prill 2004

Totalitarian system squeezing the pinchers of dictatorship

His name is Dul Maliq Buhaj, born on November 5, 1941, and resident in the “Kala” district of Drisht in the area of Postrriba. He spent all of his life in sufferings, poverty and misery. His story can be described in four words: family of standard-bearers for four generations (his cousin, his grandfather, his uncle and the son of his uncle today), nephew of leaders and officer of Zogu, his father and mother were discriminated, an anticommunist. His father’s and mother’s families followed marvelous patriotic traditions on defending the national sovereignty and integrity.

His mother’s uncle, Adem Haxhi Spahija was an officer of the first King, Ahmet Zogu, as well as a volunteer leading the fighters of Postrriba against foreigners. He was wounded 9 times fighting to defend the country. The last time he was wounded in the war of 1939, when he was arrested and interned along with many other Albanian leaders, in the prisons of Italy. In prison was poisoned and died. Hatred against the communist regime increases in the family of his father and mother, who participated on November 9, 1946 in the great anticommunist insurrection, which failed. They were arrested, tortured, imprisoned etc. Participants in the insurrection from the family of his father there were also his uncle, Myrto Dani, standard-bearer and leader in this insurrection and the other uncle, Zyber Dervishi, whom also were arrested, tortured and imprisoned. His mother’s three uncles, participating in the insurrection, were: Osman Haxhi Spahija, Haxhi Adem Spahija and Shaban Adem Spahija, whom also were arrested, tortured and imprisoned. Osman was condemned 101 years of prison and his house was burned up, for he was a leader of the insurgency by arm. In 1956, his aunt, Rabije Muho Spahija, along with her husband, Nderim Muja and many other citizens of Shkodra, broke the border through Shkodra’s Lake. She died in 1979 in Canada, while her family is still there.

As soon as the dictatorial regime fell, with the beginning of the anticommunist movements of 1990-1991, Dul Maliq Buhaj participated as an activist in the protests for the downfall of this regime. On February 20, 1994, he became member of the Association of the former political prisoners in the Commune of Postrriba, the branch of Shkodra. On March 1994 he became member of the Legality League Party (PLL), the branch of Shkodra. Even today, Dul is being persecuted as such, by the Socialist Party on power, succeeding the Party of Labor. Nothing has changed, for the party on power has changed only the shape and tactics of revenge, but not the tragedy. As a nationalist, member of the PLL and anticommunist, Dul is still being fought and persecuted. His hatred against this regime increases until the day he couldn’t suffer it anymore and decides to go into exile in order to save his life.

Zef Nika

Shkodra, the metropolis of Albanian culture missing its talents

Every country makes attempt to make its culture prosper, while Shkodra, just as the whole Albania, is doing the opposite. If you dig in the culture of Shkodra, you notice it is very dense, while if you stop today and look for its values, you see it’s very superficial. The first Albanian roman was written in Shkodra, the first Albanian drama was staged in Shkodra, and the first Albanian opera was realized and staged in Shkodra. The promising talents today are being forced to leave their country by the anarchy. And what’s the motive? To save their menaced lives, now in danger, maybe with a background someone directs. This is what happened to a young student of the School of Music “Prenk Jakova”. Levis Naçaj, a promising girl, with beautiful dreams for life, was down and gingerly. She had no desire to speak at all and tell who was menacing her. Like many others she was forced to exile and go where life is safe, yet with a great sorrow for her broken dreams, obviously hard to realize in another country. Even if she can realize them, they will not be marked “made in Shkodra, Albania”. As a young with a future, she was distinguished in the chorus of the Franciscan Church, directed by Enrik Çefa, she was a very good mezzo-soprano, since young participating in the Golden Repertory chorus, directed by Kolec Gajtani and later on participating in the “Prenk Jakova” chorus, directed by Gjon Shllaku, which was very successful in many high-toned shows in Italy, Montenegro and Kosovo. She was also distinguished as a regular participant in the arch orchestra of Shkodra as viola-player. We can mention the last concert of this orchestra, with the three violas played by Valdet Hoxha, Ruska Ruçi and Levis Naçaj. Unfortunately all of these three future artists left Albania. Levis was also involved in political activity in the Youth Forum of the Democratic Party, so she was targeted for revenge, making her life impossible.

This young Albanian was very promising and we are really sorry to miss these talents. Apologizing with this girl for bringing back the anxiety and sorrow she went through, we appeal to this state not to be so cruel and brutal even with the artists, these innocent creatures that would had made it proud in the future.

Sokol Pepushaj

Albania, country of conflicts

Conflicts, disagreements, violence, rape, robbery, injury and even murders are being a phenomenon in Albania. A 66 years old woman died these last days after she was raped by to individuals, the first 32 and the other 38 years old, now arrested. Many Albanian women are victims of this crazy time, while gangsters are drawing the Albanian society to a precipice that won’t be closed for many decades, whilst the state has no authority. According to a document of the League of Missionaries of Peace of Albania, with protocol number 01/14, Ilma Isuf Balaj, a young Albanian, born on July 27, 1980, from Shkodra, in Northern Albania, was victim of a gang that attempted to kidnap and put her forcedly in a car and rape her. Ilma Balaj could escape this beastly attempt of rape, on November 23, 2003, thanks God, but three nights later the gangs made a second attempt while she was with her husband, Ismet Balaj, as she was scared to go out alone. In this case, the woman left the fight aghast, while her husband was lightly injured by the rapists. Their goal was surely the rape, so they swore at her husband, as unable to reach the goal. These are daily and nightly banalities, while gangsters are playing havoc starting conflicts ending in murders, while the law isn’t working in this state involved and in solidarity with criminals.

There are many cases when if someone gives report to the police for people terrorizing, raping, kidnapping or killing, it is the same police that tells this to the criminals, who take revenge or kill, instead of being arrested.

Albania is the country where conflicts, murders and unseen crimes have become usual even because inside the police there are many criminals and not less members of terrorist groups. We have evidence of concrete reports for terrorist groups in the name of Osama Bin Laden, and the report evaporated, though we went to the American services recording the messages and conversations, even the individuals’ names and number-plates of vehicles still going around in Albania. However the international forces might be watching for more dangerous organizations. Nevertheless, we are showing objectively and courageously our concern, like in the case of Ilma Balaj, who didn’t resist the terror and was forced to leave Albania. She left, but she might have left behind a conflict, now in the lists of conflicts hard to be closed, recorded in the chronicles of the League of the Missionaries of Peace of Albania.

Albert Vataj

The Albanian society against terror

The last days wide protests against the government, with the only request “Nano go!” show that it is necessary to Albania the removal of this political caste from the seats of crime. None here has his life safe. Even the family of the former principal of Special Forces of the Police of the State, Bardhyl Kaçorri, was protected by the police of London, after the happenings of February 7, when the Premier Seat was assaulted. If those at the head of this fascist state receive death threats, what about the simple people, the democrats aspiring for a European society? Shkodra is menaced the most. Shyqiri Mustaf Duli, the well-known Albanian democrat, had often received death threats. Since the beginning of the democratic processes, likewise many others, he suffered violence, pressure and menaces, until the day he was forced to leave Albania. Let us explain what happened. On March 11, 2003, after he was arrested and tortured for nine hours, only the intervention of the former Prefect of North Albania, Gjergj Leqejza could take him out of the police station. The medieval revenge of the dictators, against whom the people protests every day, is too heavy against democrats. Three days later, on March 14, 2003, Shyqiri Duli, as a bodyguard of the Mayor of that time, was kidnapped and kept hostage by anarchist individuals, who use violence on him in the suburbs. The violence is endless. On March 18, 2003, at about 17⁰⁰, two people with helmets, riding motorbike, have shot toward him. He escaped death for God maybe wanted so, for the bullets intended to kill him. His wife too was beaten, even though she was pregnant. His relatives have received menaces too. As violence is being very clear now, he could be killed at any time, if he wasn’t to leave toward occidental countries, wherever he could have a chance to live.

Vasel Gilaj

Albania, far away from Europe

Albania is a den of gangs, of medieval customs and the integration in the civilized Europe seems too far for it. Innocent people are being killed. Even this young guy, Elvis Ismet Hoxha, born on March 24, 1987, is in danger by the gun of someone. His uncle’s son, Besnik Qamil Hoxha, was found dead in his house on January 3, 1999. Besnik owned a restaurantand his murder occurred after several menaces from unknown people. This family was again menaced and on August 17, 2003, Mirsad Hoxha, the brother of Elvis, was wounded. Since then, Elvis Hoxha and his family had to live shut-in. This young guy, receiving death threats, had to cut off his dreams and goals, as he was engaged as a footballer in young’s soccer team of “Vllaznia”. Since he was 8 years old, he was engaged in the different age’s teams of “Vllaznia”. But Elvis had to cut off the goals for his life, just to save his life.

Vasel Gilaj

Grigor Laka has been killed

Shkodra under blood – Shkodra has been blooded for many times during this last month. In a supurb of Shkodra a 28-year old man from Korca has been killed by an automatic gun shooting. The man is called Gregor Lako. This happened on Thursday on 08.04.2004 about 18.00 at “Tre Heronjte” quarter. The sources from the place of happening do not offer any preleminary information about the act of crime and the victim. Also the police, which came on delay at the place, does not give any information about the authours or the suspicious persons for the crime. From the police we learned that they are investigating several possibilities. Until now, because of investigation, they have confirmed nothing about the crime and its authours.

Coresp.”Shqiperia Etnike”

Police in Albania Arrest and Beat Teenagers, too, for Political Motives

On March 14, 2004, police officers arrested and detained Leonard Jushajin, shown on the picture, born on April 2, 1987 and resident of Mali Jushit, Bushat, Shkodra. Police have questioned him for “disruptive motives” in the protest of February 7, 2004, when his father Zef Jushaji, the Organizational Secretary of Bushat Region, was arrested and detained as well. However, it is clear that the government of Fatos Nano is revenging against all his opponents and people who participated in the Movement “Nano Leave”, a movement organized by the right wing parties, asking for the resignation of Premier FAtos Nano, whom they had accused of corruption, political assassination, drug and human trafficking, etc.

This young man was threatened and beaten for two days, while at the hands of police in Barbullush Police Station. The treatment of Leonard Jushaji is confirmed by pictures, witnesses and medical reports.

We call upon the Socialist government, socialist party members and anyone connected to them to stop violence on children. This is against Human Rights laws, but do Albanian authorities care about that?!

Albert Vataj