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Lufta provon trimin, zemerimi te diturin dhe fatkeqesia shokun.
--- Populli
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Menuja |
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Vizitoret e castit? |
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Kemi 95 vizitor(e) dhe 0 anetar(e) ne faqe ne kete moment.
Ju jeni vizitor anonim. Mund te rregjistroheni ne cast falas duke klikuar ketu
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Perkujtimore |
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Nje dite si kjo ...
2008
Arma e Aviacionit Luftarak
Nė 24 prill 1951 u themelua nė Tiranė Arma e Aviacionit Luftarak. Nė fushėn e aeroplanėve u kryen edhe flutrimet e para demonstrative me aeroplanė luftarakė. Pas 10 vjtėsh u themelua Aviacioni Gjuajtės Ushatark Shqiptar.
Gazeta "The Bozton News Letter"
Nė 24 prill 1704 doli numri i parė i njėrės nga gazetat mė tė hershme amerikane, "The Bozton News Letter", ku shkruan edhe mjaft emigrantė shqiptarė nė Amerikė.
Daniel Defo
Nė 24 prill 1731 u nda nga jeta shkrimtari dhe gazetari i njohur anglez Daniel Defo, i cili u bė i njohur nė botė me romanin e tij tė famshėm "Aventurat e Robinson Kruzosė".
Ēlirimi i kampit nazist tė pėrqendrimit nė Dakau
Nė 24 prill 1945 forcat amerikane qė u angazhuan nė Luftėn e Dytė Botėrore ēliruan kampin nazist tė pėrqendrimit nė Dakau.
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Koalicioni i Organizatave Shqiptaro-Amerikane
C/O 2021 L Street, N.W., Suite 402, Washington, DC 20036
Letra e Derguar tek Sekretari Colin Powell nga Koalicioni i Organizatave Shqiptaro- Amerikane
Uashington, 10 Janar, 2003 : Me nismėn e Kėshillit Kombėtar Shqiptaro Amerikan (KKSHA/NAAC) dhe Fondacionit tė Trashėgimisė Shqiptare (FTSH), shumica dėrrmuese e organizatave tė komunitetit shqiptaro-amerikan kontribuan, nėnshkruan dhe i dėrguan letrėn e mėposhtme Sekretarit tė Shtetit Colin Powell, Kėshilltares sė Presidentit Amerikan pėr Sigurimin Kombėtar, znj. Condoleeza Rice, Kryetarit tė Komitetit mbi Marrėdhėniet me Jashtė tė Senatit Amerikan, Senatorit Richard Lugar, Kryetarit tė Komitetit mbi Marrėdheniet Ndėrkombėtare tė Kongresit Amerikan, Kongresmenit Henry Hyde, si dhe Kryetarit tė Komitetit pėr Ēėshtjet Shqiptare, Kongresmenit Eliot Engel. Ju lutem vėreni se bashkangjitur me kėtė deklaratė ndodhet dhe njė kopje nė gjuhėn angleze. Teksti i plotė i letrės vijon si mė poshtė:
9 Janar, 2003
I Nderuari Colin Powell
Sekretar Shtetit Amerikan
Departamenti i Shtetit Amerikan
2201 C Street, NW
Washington, DC 20520
I nderuari Sekretari Powell,
Ne tė nėnshkruarit, si shqiptaro-amerikanė dhe si anėtarė tė organizatave qytetare, fetare, kulturore dhe humanitare shqiptare, po ju shkruajmė kėtė letėr pėr tė protestuar me tonet mė tė forta tė mundshme miratimin dhe pėrkrahjen zyrtare tė Departamentit Amerikan tė Shtetit pėr vizitėn qė bėri kohėt e fundit nė Shqipėri Nikolas Gejxh i njohur gjithashtu si Nikos Gaxojanis.
Nikolas Gejxh ėshtė njė kundėrshtar tepėr i njohur i interesave shqiptare nė Ballkan. Eshtė fakt i njohur publikisht se Federata Panepiriote e Amerikės, Kanadasė dhe Australisė, organizata qė pėrfaqėson z. Gejxh, i referohet Shqipėrisė Jugore si Epiri Verior dhe e konsideron atė tė pushtuar nga Shqipėria. Ky ėshtė njė provokim i hapur dhe njė mohim i drejtpėrdrejtė i sovranitetit tė Shqipėrisė. Nikolas Gejxh (i) qėllimisht dhe publikisht fallsifikon numrin e popullsisė sė minoritetit grek nė Shqipėri duke e ekzagjeruar atė deri nė 30 pėr qind tė popullsisė tre-milionėshe tė Shqipėrisė, krahasuar me numrin zyrtar prej 58.000 vetėve, perafersisht 2%; (ii) i portretizon tė gjithė shqiptarėt e besimit fetar ortodoks nė Shqipėri si grekė, duke ofenduar kėshtu Kishėn Ortodokse Shqiptare dhe pasuesit e saj kudo nėpėr botė; dhe (iii) nė pėrpjekje pėr tė dėmtuar imazhin e Shqipėrisė ka ndėrmarrė fushata agresive nė Washington dhe gjetkė, duke shpifur pėr gjoja mungesėn e tė drejtave tė minoritetit grek nė Shqipėri. Kėto pretendime pa bazė janė nė konflikt tė drejtpėrdrejtė me pėrfundimet dhe vlerėsimet pozitive qė kanė nxjerrė Departamenti Amerikan i Shtetit, Kėshilli i Evropės, Komisioni Evropian dhe organizata tė tjera ndėrkombėtare tė tė drejtave tė njeriut. Faktet tregojnė se minoriteti grek nė Shqipėri bashkėjeton me shqiptarėt dhe ka njė sėrė organesh shtypi qė komunikojnė dhe publikojnė informacione vetėm nė greqisht; nė zonat minoritare raporti mėsues/nxėnės pėr klasė ėshtė tri herė mė i lartė sesa ai i vetė shqiptarėve nė njė sistem arsimor qė mundėson shkollimin nė gjuhėn greke qė nga shkolla fillore deri nė universitet; dhe, pėr mė tepėr, minoriteti grek nė Shqipėri ka njė pėrfaqėsim tė lartė dhe nė pėrpjestim tė zhdrejtė nė qeverinė e Shqipėrisė.
Gejxh gjithashtu kundėrshtoi publikisht ndėrhyrjen e SHBA-sė/ dhe NATO-s nė Kosovė ndėrkohė qė mijėra qytetarė tė pafajshėm tė Kosovės po masakroheshin, duke pėrfshirė edhe qytetarė amerikanė me prejardhje shqiptare. Pėrveē kėsaj, jo mė larg se 22 maji 2001, ai deklaroi nė gazetėn e njohur Washington Post se mijėra grekė nė Shqipėri duhet tė trajtohen nė tė njėjtėn mėnyrė si rreth 2 milionė shqiptarėt e Kosovės, duke nėnkuptuar qartė se kur Kosova tė fitojė pavarėsinė, edhe Shqipėria Jugore duhet tė shkėputet dhe tė ndjekė tė njėjtėn rrugė. Kėto qėndrime i shėrbejnė vetėm rritjes sė tensionit dhe kėrcėnojnė progresin e bėrė nė pėrmirėsimin e marrėdhėnieve shqiptaro-greke, ndėrkohė qė pengojnė edhe stabilitetin e pėrgjithshėm nė Ballkan, njė zonė ku SHBA-ja ka bėrė investime strategjike tė mėdha, pėrfshirė kėtu burimet e tyre njerėzore, politike, financiare dhe ushtarake.
Ne jemi thellėsisht tė zemėruar qė gjatė vizitės sė tij nė Shqipėri, ndėrsa pritej nė nivel zyrtar nga Ambasada amerikane nė Tiranė, z. Gejxh (i) ripėrsėriti tė gjitha pikėpamjet e mėsipėrme, duke pėrfshirė fabrikimet nė lidhje me numrin e minoritetit grek dhe analogjinė e situatės sė tyre me atė tė shqiptarėve tė Kosovės; (ii) zhvleftėsoi kėrkesat dhe gjendjen e vėshtirė tė qindra-mijėra shqiptarėve me qėndrim nė Greqi, tė cilėt i nėnshtrohen mėnyrės greke tė spastrimit etnik tė njohur si Helenizim dhe, pėr mė tepėr (iii) pati guximin ti cilėsonte tė gjithė shqiptarėt e Ēamėrisė qė jetonin nė Greqi si bashkėpunėtorė tė nazistėve. Sikurse nėnvizohej nė njė njoftim pėr shtyp tė Ministrisė sė Jashtme tė Turqisė nė vitin 2001, teza e z. Gejxh jo vetėm qė ėshtė njė fabrikim krejt i hapur por ėshtė gjithashtu njė krim politik dhe historik kundėr ēamėve; ėshtė fakt se shumė shqiptarė tė Ēamėrisė dhanė jetėn gjatė pėrpjekjeve pėr ēlirimin e Greqisė gjatė Luftės sė Dytė Botėrore. Karakterizimi dashakeq i ēamėve si bashkėpunėtorė tė nazistėve ėshtė veēanėrisht tronditės kur merr parasysh faktin se shqiptarėt dhe Shqipėria shpėtoi 100 pėr qind tė hebrenjve qė kėrkuan shpėtim nga persekutimi nazist nė Greqi (ose nė vende tė tjera tė Ballkanit), ndėrkohė qė, sipas Harvey Sarner-it, autor i Shpėtim nė Shqipėri, njė libėr qė tregon se si shqiptarėt i shpėtuan hebrenjtė, nga rreth 72.000 hebrenj qė jetonin nė Greqi para fillimit tė luftės, 60.000, plot 83 pėr qind e komunitetit hebre u bė viktimė e Holokaustit. Gjithashtu, z. Gejxh lehtėsisht harron se, sikurse ėshtė pėrshkruar nė fjalėt e Xhozef Xhejkobs-it, kryetar i Misionit tė SHBA-sė nė Shqipėri gjatė viteve 1945-1946, vetėm nė vjeshtėn e vitit 1944 dhe gjatė muajve tė parė tė 1945 autoritetet [greke] nė Greqinė Veriperėndimore kryen masakra ēnjerėzore duke dėbuar rreth 25.000 ēamė [shqiptarė] rezidentė tė Ēamėrisė nga shtėpitė e tyre dhe duke vrarė mė shumė se 5.000 burra, gra dhe fėmijė nė njė perpjekje tė dukshme pėr tė krijuar njė zonė kufitare me Shqipėrinė krejtėsisht tė pastėr etnikisht. Kėto ngjarje shėnuan kulmin e pėrpjekjeve pėr gjenocid dhe spastrim etnik tė ultranacionalistėve greke tė nisura qysh mė 1913. Deri nė vitin 1945, nacionalistėt grekė spastruan nga kjo zonė shqiptarėt etnikė tė fesė myslimane dhe ua morrėn atyre tė gjitha pronat, vlefta e tė cilave me ēmimet aktuale tė tregut shkon nė mė shumė se 2.5 miliardė dollarė amerikanė. Dhjetėra-mijėra ēamė shqiptarė kanė jetuar nė mėrgim qysh atėherė. Ndaj, ne dėshirojmė ti kujtojmė z. Gejxh, sikurse dhe atyre qė e pėrkrahin apo kanė tė njėjtat pikėpamje me tė, se me gjithė manipulimet, Gejxh nuk mund ta pėrdorė historinė si njė justifikim pėr planet e tij destabilizuese.
Si amerikanė dhe si pėrfaqėsues tė komunitetit shqiptaro-amerikan, ne jemi tepėr tė zhgėnjyer dhe tė shqetėsuar nga fakti qė gjatė vizitės sė tij nė Tiranė z.. Gejxh u prit dhe u shoqėrua publikisht nga ambasadori Xhejms Xhefri. Nė pėrpjekje pėr tė justifikuar pritjen madhėshtore pėr Gejxh, pas vizitėsė tij , pėrfaqėsues tė Departamentit Amerikan tė Shtetit nė SHBA dhe Tiranė kanė deklaruar se vizita e z. Gejxh dhe mbėshtetja e saj ishte e domosdoshme nė mėnyrė qė tė nxitej dialogu dhe tė bėhej e mundur qė z. Gejxh tė kishte ditėn e takimit me autoriteteve shqiptare. Komuniteti shqiptaro-amerikan pėrkrah fuqimisht dialogun pėr respektimin e tė drejtat tė minoritetit, tė marėdhėnieve miqėsore me vendet fqinje, si dhe integrimin e Shqipėrisė nė strukturat Euro-Atlantike dhe zhvillimin ekonomik tė saj. Nė fakt, dialogu me forumet e duhura si institucionet Euro-Atlantike, institucionet e tė drejtave tė njeriut dhe qeveritė fqinje ka qenė njė pjesė e rėndėsishme e zhvillimit demokratik tė Shqipėrisė. Sidoqoftė, ne nuk e kuptojmė se ēfarė lloj dialogu po pėrpiqet tė nxisė Departamenti Amerikan i Shtetit dhe nė pėrfitim tė kujt ėshtė ky dialog kur dihet se z. Gejxh ėshtė njė qytetar privat me njė qėndrim tė dokumentuar si njė prej armiqve mė tė flaktė tė interesave shqiptare, dhe, pėr mė tepėr, me sa dimė nuk pėrfaqėson as qeverinė greke dhe as atė amerikane.
Ne jemi tė sigurtė se Departamenti Amerikan i Shtetit ėshtė nė dijeni se, pėr arsye historike tė vjetra dhe tė reja, shqiptarėt i shohin amerikanėt si miqtė e tyre tė besuar. Cdo gjė qė mbėshtetet nga Shtetet e Bashkuara, perceptohet nga publiku shqiptar si diēka e vlefshme pėr ti kushtuar vėmendje dhe pėr ta pėrkrahur. Ndaj, duke e pritur dhe shoqėruar publikisht Nikolas Gejxhin Ambasada Amerikane nė Tiranė dhe Departamenti Amerikan i Shtetit, me qėllim apo pa qėllim, kanė mbėshtetur heshturazi pikėpamjet e tij dhe nė kėtė mėnyrė kanė shpėrdoruar besimin e shqiptarėve dhe shqiptaro-amerikanėve. Ne besojmė se si shqiptaro-amerikanė kemi tė drejtė tė kėrkojmė qė Departamenti Amerikan i Shtetit dhe Ambasada e SHBA-sė nė Tiranė tė punojnė pėr tė ēuar pėrpara principet demokratike dhe zhvillimin ekonomik tė Shqipėrisė, nė vend qė tė bėhen ndėrmjetėsues tė interesave tė individėve me plane shoviniste.
Heshtja e Departamentit Amerikan tė Shtetit para vizitės sė z. Gejxh, sikurse dhe ngjarjet gjatė vizitės sė tij kanė demonstruar se ka njė hendek nė komunikim dhe perceptim ndėrmjet pėrfaqėsuesve tė Departamentit Amerikan tė Shtetit dhe qytetarėve amerikanė me prejardhje shqiptare. Ėshtė evidentuar qartė pėrmes fjalėsh dhe veprash se miqtė mė tė mirė dhe tė vėrtetė tė Amerikės nė Evropė, dhe ndoshta nė botė, janė shqiptarėt. Prandaj, ne besojmė se ka ardhur koha pėr tė bėrė pėrpjekje tė pėrbashkėta pėr tė ndėrtuar njė marrėdhėnie cilėsisht tė ndryshme mes komunitetit shqiptaro-amerikan dhe Departamentit Amerikan tė Shtetit. Ne kėrkojmė qė hapi i parė nė drejtim tė kapėrcimit tė kėtij hendeku ėshtė bėrja publike nga Departamenti Amerikan i Shtetit e natyrės dhe agjendės sė takimeve tė z. Gejxh nė Shqipėri, si dhe njė shpjegim publik se si kanė pėrparuar interesat shqiptare dhe amerikane nga pėrkrahja e njė dialogu me z. Gejxh, njė individ pikėpamjet e tė cilit mbi rajonin nxisin vetėm zjarre dhe tensione etnike.
Pavarėsisht nga mė lart, Departamenti Amerikan i Shtetit duhet tė shėrbejė si ndėrmjetėsues pėr njė dialog tė vėrtetė mbi tė drejtat e minoriteteve dhe ēėshtjeve tė tjera nė Ballkan. Pėrsa i pėrket Greqisė, ne e nxisim Departamentin Amerikan tė Shtetit qė tė ushtrojė trysni ndaj qeverisė greke nė mėnyre qė ajo tė njohė tė gjitha minoritetet etnike brenda territorit tė saj, duke pėrfshirė mė shumė se 40.000 ēamė shqiptarė tė besimit fetar ortodoks dhe tu japė atyre tė njėjtat tė drejta, qė ka numri pėrafėrsisht i njėjtė i minoritetit grek nė Shqipėri. Sikurse dėshmohet qartė nga organizatat greke dhe shumė organizata ndėrkombėtare tė tė drejtave tė njeriut, politika e mosnjohjes sė minoriteteve qė ndiqet nga Greqia nuk mund tė lejohet mė tej. Gjithashtu, mė shumė dialog nevojitet pėr tė adresuar ankesat e qindra mijėra mėrgimtarėve shqiptarė me banim nė Greqi, tė cilėt po i nėnshtrohen mėnyrave tė ndryshme tė Helenizimit sikurse dhe diskriminimit social dhe institucional. Pėr mė tepėr, ne nxisim Departamentin Amerikan tė Shtetit, qė tė bėjė ēėshtė e mundur pėr tu dhėnė njėherė e mirė njė zgjidhje tė drejtė tė ēėshtjeve tė pronėsisė dhe atyre ligjore tė ēamėve shqiptarė, duke pėrfshire dhe tė drejtėn e riatdhesimit dhe marrjen e nėnshtetėsisė greke. Sė fundmi, e njė rėndėsie tė veēantė dhe si njė hap plotėsues dhe paraprak pėr tė arritur zgjidhjen e kėtyre ēėshtjeve, ne i kėrkojmė Departamentit tė Shtetit Amerikan qė tė ushtrojė trysni ndaj qeverisė greke qė tė abrogojė Statusin e Ligjit tė Luftės me Shqipėrinė qė daton qė nė kohėn e pushtimit tė Shqipėrisė nga Italia nė vitin 1940. Pėrmes mbajtjes nė fuqi tė Statusit tė Ligjit tė Luftės me Shqipėrinė mėse 60 vjet mė vonė, ndėrkohė kur nė tė njėjtėn kohė ka firmosur njė Marrėveshje Miqėsie me tė, Greqia jo vetėm qė ka krijuar njė situatė absurde, por po shkel haptazi Deklaratėn e OKB-sė, e cila u kėrkon tė gjithė anėtarėve qė tė pėrmbahen ....nga kėrcėnimi apo pėrdorimi i forcės kundėr integritetit territorial ose pavarėsinė politikė tė ēdo shteti
, si edhe dhe norma tė tjera tė sė Drejtės Ndėrkombėtare.
Sė fundi, njė pėrmirėsim themelor nė kanalet e komunikimit dhe pėrpjekjeve tė bashkėpunimit ndėrmjet qeverisė sė SHBA-sė dhe komunitetit shqiptaro-amerikan ėshtė i domosdoshėm pėr njė varg ēėshtjesh tė tjera shqiptare nė rajon. Qysh prej rrėzimit tė komunizmit, Shqipėria ka hedhur hapa tė rėndėsishėm drejtė themelimit tė njė demokracie dhe ekonomisė sė tregut. Mirėpo, siē evidentohet nga njė sėrė raportesh, progresi i Shqipėrisė, zhvillimi ekonomik dhe integrimi i saj nė institucionet Euro-Atlantike ėshtė penguar nga korrupsioni i nivelit tė lartė, nga mungesa e transparencės politike, nga reforma elektorale joefikase si dhe rezultate tė ulėta nė luftėn kundėr krimit tė organizuar dhe trafikut tė njerėzve. Nė Kosovė, ndėrkohė qė ėshtė i dukshėm njė zhvillim i madh, vonesat nė zgjidhjen e statusit tė pavarur pėrfundimtar tė saj po pengojnė investimet dhe zhvillimin ekonomik sikurse dhe po krijojnė njė mjedis pjellor pėr destabilizim. Pėr mė tepėr, me gjithė stabilitetin relativ nė Ish-Republikėn Jugosllave tė Maqedonisė, autoritetet maqedonase duhet tė bėjnė shumė mė tepėr qė tė zbatojnė Marrėveshjen e Ohrit, e cila u arrit me ndėrmjetėsimin e komunitetit ndėrkombėtar dhe ka mbėshtetjen e SHBA-sė, si edhe pėr tė njohur e pranuar shqiptarėt si qytetarė tė barabartė e tė respektuar maqedonas . Nė pėrfundim, shumė mė tepėr mund tė bėhet pėr tė drejtat e shqiptarėve nė Mal tė Zi dhe atyre nė Luginėn e Preshevės nė Serbinė Jugore. Komuniteti shqiptaro-amerikan ėshtė i gatshėm tė ofrojė ekspertizėn, njohuritė, eksperiencėn dhe kontaktet e tij nė rajon nė mėnyrė qė tė punohet drejt zgjidhjes sė kėtyre ēėshtjeve dhe arritjes sė njė stabiliteti tė qėndrueshėm e tė vėrtetė nė Ballkan.
Shqiptarėt e konsiderojnė ShBA-nė si miken e tyre mė tė mirė. Nė njė kohė kur vendi ynė ėshtė i angazhuar nė luftėn kundėr terrorizmit global, nė njė kohė kur shumė vėnde kanė shfaqur ndjenjat e tyre tė sinqerta ose tė shtirura ndaj Shteteve tė Bashkuara, miqėsitė e vėrteta si ajo qė shqiptarėt u ofrojnė amerikanėve, nuk duhet tė neglizhohen apo harrohen. Le tė nxjerrim mėsime nga situata e keqe e krijuar nga vizita z. Gejxh kohėt e fundit dhe le tė na shėrbejnė mėsimet e nxjerra prej saj si njė gur themeli pėr ndėrtimin e njė partneriteti tė vėrtetė pėr pėrparimin e interesave tė pėrbashkėta amerikane dhe shqiptare.
Njė letėr e ngjashme i ėshtė dėrguar edhe Kėshilltares sė Presidentit Amerikan pėr Sigurimin Kombėtar, znj. Condoleeza Rice, Kryetarit tė Komitetit mbi Marrėdhėniet me Jashtė tė Senatit Amerikan, Senatorit Richard Lugar, Kryetarit tė Komitetit mbi Marrėdheniet Ndėrkombėtare tė Kongresit Amerikan, Kongresmenit Henry Hyde, si dhe Kryetarit tė Komitetit pėr Ēėshtjet Shqiptare, Kongresmenit Eliot Engel.
Me respekt e neshkruar nga,
Ana e Malit - Xheladin Zeneli, President
Federata Pan-Shqiptare VATRA Agim Karagjozi, Kryetar
Fondacioni i Dedė Gjo Lulit Prelė Sinishtaj, Kryetar
Fondacioni i Plavės dhe Gucisė Xhevat Kukaj, President
Fondacioni i Shoqėrise Shqiptaro-Amerikane Esad Rizai, President
Fondacioni i Trashėgimisė Shqiptare Geri Kokalari, President
Fondacioni Kulturor Shqiptaro-Amerikan Cafo Boga, President
Fondi Humanitar Malėsia Gjon Ivezaj, President
Forumi Shqiptar Ilirjan Papa, Administrator
Gazeta Illyria Ekrem Bardha, Publicist
Grupi i Mediave Shqiptare Vera Mjeku, President
Kėshilli Kombėtar Shqiptaro-Amerikan Richard Lukaj, Kryetar
Kisha Shqiptare Katolike e Shėn Palit At Anton Kqira
Komuniteti Shqiptaro-Amerikan i Illinois Ilaz Kadriu, President
Lidhja Demokratike e Kosovės nė SHBA Agim Rexhaj, President
Lidhja e Prizrenit - Ismet Berisha, President
Miqtė e Trupave Mbrojtėse tė Kosoves Shefki Mexhuani, Kryetar
Qendra Islamike Shqiptaro-Amerikane - Imam Vehbi Ismail, Udhėheqes Fetar i Myslimanėve Shqiptarė nė SHBA dhe Kanada
Qendra Shqiptare e Nju Jorkut Drita Kokalari, Presidente
Rrjeti i Informacionit Frosina Van Christo, Pronar dhe Drejtor
Shoqata Atlantiku Arbėr Muriqi, Pėrfaqėsuesi Kryesor
Shoqata e Pejės Agim Cavdėrbasha, Kryetar
Shoqata e tė Drejtave tė Njeriut "Ēamėria"
Shoqata Patriotike e Dibres Lavdrim Cami, President
Shpirti i Shqiptarit Ilirjan Papa, Administrator
Coalition of Albanian American Organizations
C/O 2021 L Street, N.W., Suite 402, Washington, DC 20036
Letter to Secretary Powell Regarding Nicholas Gage from the Coalition of Albanian American Organizations
Washington, January 10, 2003: Through the initiative of the National Albanian American Council (NAAC) and the Albanian Heritage Foundation (AHF), the overwhelming majority of the Albanian American organizations contributed, signed and sent the following letter to the US Secretary of State Colin Powell and the National Security Advisor to the President, Ms. Condoleeza Rice, the Chairman of the US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, Senator Richard Lugar, the Chairman of the US House Committee on International Relations, Congressman Henry Hyde and the Chairman of the Albanian Issues Caucus, Congressman Eliot Engel. Please note that an Albanian version of this letter is also released along with this statement. The full text of the letter reads as following:
January 9, 2003
The Honorable Colin Powell
United States Secretary of State
US Department of State
2201 C Street, NW
Washington, DC 20520
Dear Secretary Powell,
We the undersigned, as Albanian Americans and as members of Albanian civic, religious, cultural and humanitarian organizations, are writing to protest in the strongest possible terms the United States of America Department of States (DOS) official endorsement and support of the recent visit to Albania by Nicholas Gage - a.k.a. Nikos Gatzoyiannis.
Nicholas Gage is a well-known opponent of Albanians interests in the Balkans. It is a matter of public record that the Panepirotic Federation of America, Canada and Australia, the organization Mr. Gage represents, refers to Southern Albania as Northern Epirus and considers it to be occupied by Albania, an obvious provocation and a direct renunciation of Albanias sovereignty. Nicholas Gage (i) greatly, intentionally and publicly misrepresents the population of Albanias Greek minority up to an astounding 30% of Albanias population of three million, compared to the official Albanian government number of 58,000, approximately 2% (ii) implicitly portrays all of the Albanians of the Orthodox faith in Albania as Greeks, thus offending the Albanian Orthodox Church and its congregation throughout the world, and (iii) in an effort to vilify Albanians, has aggressively campaigned in Washington and elsewhere with his fabrications about the lack of human rights of Albanias Greek minority. These false claims are in direct conflict with the conclusions reached by DOS, the Council of Europe, the European Commission, and other international human rights organizations in their various positive assessments. The facts are that the Greek minority lives side by side with the Albanians, has several media outlets which communicate and publish only in the Greek language, has a three-times-better teacher/student classroom ratio when compared with Albanians in a system that provides education in Greek from elementary school to university, and has a disproportionately high representation in Albanias government.
In addition, Gage publicly opposed the US/NATO intervention in Kosova even as innocent Kosovar civilians were being massacred by the thousands, including American citizens of Albanian descent. Furthermore, as recently as May 22, 2001, he stated in the Washington Post that the thousands of Greeks in Albania should receive the same treatment as the nearly two million Kosovar Albanians, clearly implying that when Kosova attains its independence, Southern Albania should secede and follow step. These positions serve only to fuel tensions and threaten the progress of improving Albanian-Greek relations while undermining overall stability in the Balkans, an area where the U.S. has made a significant strategic investment of its human, political, financial and military assets.
We are outraged by the fact that during his visit to Albania, and while being hosted in an official capacity by our Embassy in Tirana, Mr. Gage (i) reiterated all of the above-mentioned views, including the fabrications about the number of the Greek minority and the analogy of their situation with the Albanian Kosovars, (ii) downplayed the plight of the several hundred thousand ethnic Albanians residing in Greece, who are subjected to the Greek form of ethnic cleansing known as Hellenization, and (iii) had the audacity to malign all of the Albanian Chams who used to live in Greece as Nazi collaborators. As highlighted in a 2001 press release of the Turkish Foreign Ministry, Mr. Gages thesis is not only a blatant fabrication but it is a political and historical crime against Albanian Chams, since, in fact, many Albanian Chams died in Greeces liberation struggle during WWII. The malicious characterization of Albanian Chams as Nazi collaborators is particularly appalling in light of the fact that Albanians and Albania saved 100% of the Jews who sought refuge from Nazi persecution in Greece (as well as in other Balkan countries), while, according to Harvey Sarner, the author of Rescue in Albania, - an account of how Albanians saved Jews - of the total population of approximately 72,000 Jews who lived in Greece prior to the beginning of the war, 60,000, fully 83% of the Jewish population, became victims of the Holocaust. In addition, Mr. Gage conveniently forgets that, as described in the words of Joseph Jacobs, Head of the US Mission in Albania in 1945-1946, only in the fall of 1944 and during the first months of 1945 the [Greek] authorities in north-western Greece perpetrated savage brutality by evicting some 25,000 [Albanian] Chams - residents of Chameria - from their homes and by killing over 5,000 men, women and children in a clear attempt to establish an ethnically pure border region with Albania. These events marked the culmination of genocidal and ethnic cleansing efforts that Greek ultranationalists had commenced since 1913. By 1945, the Greek nationalists had cleansed the area of ethnic Albanians of Muslim faith and also stripped them of their properties, valued at well over $2.5 billion at the current market prices. The tens of thousands Albanian Chams have lived in exile ever since. Thus, we would like to remind Nicholas Gage, as well as those who share or support his views, that, despite the manipulations, Mr.Gage cannot use history as a justification for his destabilizing agenda.
As Americans and representatives of the Albanian American community, we are deeply disappointed and disturbed that during his visit to Tirana, Mr. Gage was hosted and publicly accompanied by Ambassador James Jeffrey. In ex post facto efforts to justify this grand-scale reception, DOS representatives in the U.S. and Tirana have stated that Mr. Gages visit and endorsement was necessary in order to foster dialogue and enable Mr. Gage to have his hearing day before the Albanian authorities. The Albanian-American community is very supportive of dialogue regarding respect for minority rights, friendly relations with neighboring countries, Albanias integration in Euro-Atlantic structures, and its economic development. Indeed, dialogue with the proper forums such as Euro-Atlantic institutions, human rights institutions, and the neighboring governments, has been an important part of Albanias development as a democracy. However, we do not understand what dialogue DOS is seeking to foster, and for the benefit of whom, when Mr. Gage is a private citizen who has a documented public record as one of the most fervent adversaries of Albanian interests and who, to our knowledge, does not have any standing either from the Greek government or from the American government.
We are certain that DOS is aware that, for historical and more recent reasons, Albanians view Americans as their truest friends. Everything that is endorsed by the United States, in the Albanian publics perception, becomes worthy of attention and support. Therefore, by publicly hosting and endorsing Nicholas Gage, the American Embassy in Tirana and DOS willingly or unwillingly have tacitly endorsed his views, and thus they have breached the trust of Albanians and Albanian-Americans. We believe that as Albanian-Americans, we have the right to demand that DOS and the U.S. Embassy in Tirana serve as instruments for the furtherance of democratic principles and economic development in Albania, rather than becoming facilitators of the interests of individuals with chauvinist agendas.
DOSs silence that preceded Mr. Gages trip to Albania, as well as the events during his visit on the ground, have demonstrated that there is a gap in communication and perception between DOS representatives and the American citizens of Albanian descent. It has been clearly evidenced through words and deeds that Americas truest and best friends in Europe, and possibly in the world, are the Albanians; therefore, we believe that the time has come for joint efforts to establish a qualitatively different relationship between the Albanian-American community and DOS. We request that the first step toward bridging this gap be for DOS to issue a full public disclosure pertaining to the nature and agenda of Gages meetings in Albania, as well as render a public explanation about how Albanian and U.S. interests were served by supporting a dialogue with Mr. Gage, an individual whose views on the region serve only to stoke the fires of ethnic tension.
Notwithstanding the above, DOS can and should indeed serve as a facilitator for true dialogue with respect to minority rights and other issues in the Balkans. As it relates to Greece, we urge DOS to pressure the Greek government to recognize all ethnic minorities within its territory, including more than 40,000 remaining Albanian Chams of the Orthodox faith, and grant them the same rights that Albania provides to an approximately equivalent number of existing Greeks in Albania. As Greek human rights groups and many international human rights organizations state clearly, Greece's policy of nonrecognition of the existence of ethnic minorities is no longer permissible. In addition, dialogue is needed to address the grievances of the hundreds of thousands of Albanian immigrants living in Greece, who are being subjected to different forms of Hellenization as well as societal and institutional discrimination. Furthermore, we urge DOS to do all it can in order to, once and for all, seek a just resolution to the proprietary and other legal claims of the Albanian Chams, including their right to repatriation and Greek citizenship. Of paramount importance, and as a complementary and preliminary step to achieving the resolution of these issues, we ask DOS to pressure the Greek government to abolish the Status of War Law with Albania dating back to then Italian-occupied Albania of 1940. By still maintaining a Status of Law of War with Albania over 60 years later, while at the same time signing a Treaty of Friendship, Greece not only has created an absurd situation, but is in clear violation of the U.N. Charter, which requires [a]ll Members [to] refrain
from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state
, as well as of other provisions of International Law.
Finally, a drastic improvement in communication channels and cooperative efforts between the U.S. Government and the Albanian-American community is necessary for a plethora of other Albanian issues in the region. Since the fall of communism, Albania has made considerable steps towards the establishment of a democracy and market economy. However, as evidenced by several reports, Albanias progress, economic development, and integration within the Euro-Atlantic institutions has been constantly impeded by high-level corruption, lack of political transparency, ineffective election reforms, and limited results in the fight against organized crime and human trafficking. In Kosova, while tremendous progress is clearly evident, further delays in the resolution of its final independent status are impeding investment and economic development as well as creating a fertile environment for destabilization. Furthermore, despite the relative stability achieved in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, the Macedonian authorities have a long way to go in order to fully comply with the internationally brokered and the U.S.-endorsed Ohrid Agreement and recognize and accept Albanians as equal and respected Macedonian citizens. Last, but not least, much more can be done for the rights of Albanians in Montenegro, as well as those of the Albanians in the Presheva Valley of Southern Serbia. The Albanian-American community stands ready to offer its expertise, knowledge, experience, and contacts in the region in order to work toward the resolution of these issues and the achievement of a sustainable and real stability in the Balkans.
Albanians consider the United States to be their best friend. At a time when our country is engaged in a global war against terrorism, at a time when many have tested their true feelings toward the United States, big or small, true friendships such as the one the Albanians offer to Americans, must not be neglected or forgotten. Let us use the most recent Gage debacle as a learning experience and a steppingstone toward the establishment of a true partnership for the advancement of the common U.S. and Albanians interests.
A similar letter was sent to the National Security Adviser to the President, Ms. Condoleeza Rice, the Chairman of the US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, Senator Richard Lugar, the Chairman of the US House Committee on International Relations, Congressman Henry Hyde and the Chairman of the Albanian Issues Caucus, Congressman Eliot Engel.
Respectfully submitted by,
Albanian American Community of Illinois Ilaz Kadriu, President
Albanian American Cultural Foundation Cafo Boga, President
Albanian American Islamic Center - Imam Vehbi Ismail, Religious Leader of Albanian Muslims in the US and Canada
Albanian American Society Foundation Esad Rizai, President
Albanian Center of New York Drita Kokalari, President
Albanian Heritage Foundation Gary Kokalari, President
Albanian League of Prizren Ismet Berisha, President
Albanian Media Group Vera Mjeku, President
Alba Soul Ilirjan Papa, President
Ana e Malit - Xheladin Zeneli, President
Atlantic Association Arber Muriqi, Head Representative
Dede Gjo Luli Foundation Prele Sinishtaj, Head Representative
Democratic League of Kosova U.S.A. Agim Rexhaj, President
Forumi Shqiptar - Ilirjan Papa, Director
Friends of Kosova Protection Force Shefki Mexhuani, Head Representative
Frosina Network Van Christo, Owner and Director
Human Rights Association "Chameria"
Illyria Newspaper Ekrem Bardha, Publisher
Malesia-Humanitarian Fund Gjon Ivezaj, President
National Albanian American Council Richard Lukaj, Chairman
Pan Albanian Federation, VATRA Agim Karagjozi, Chairman
Patriotic Association of Dibra Lavdrim Cami, President
Peja Association Agim Cavderbasha, Head Representative
Plave and Guci Foundation Xhevat Kukaj, President
St. Pauls Albanian Catholic Church Father Anton Kqira
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