[ALBSA-Info] Fwd: 50 years in an atheistic dungeon

[Endri Leno]

Kesaj i thone "fshati digjet, k... krihet".  Po pse
ore feja na ngeli neve tani se pak probleme te tjera
ka per te zgjidhur?  
A s'do te ishte me mire sikur t'i nxirrnin te gjtiha
fete jashte ligjit se fundi i fundit s'di te kemi pare
ndonje te mire prej tyre dhe sic ky artikull sugjeron
po krijojne me shume probleme.



--- Olsi <olsi at rocketmail.com> wrote:
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>  
> >50 years in an atheistic dungeon
> >Emergence, challenge and resistance
> >
> >
> >In the slightly over three years of the Communist
> turned
> >Socialist party government in Albania, Islam has
> been
> >facing problems just when Albanian Muslims, who
> form the
> >bulk of the population, were beginning to enjoy the
> freedom
> >to rebuild their shattered Islamic identity. Though
> not
> >comparable to the worst excesses of the brutal
> Communist
> >regime, the obstacles and restrictions have been
> piling on
> >frustrations. The problems of endemic corruption,
> grinding
> >poverty, high level of unemployment, law and order
> >breakdown and cultural destabilization have already
> made
> >life intolerable.
> >
> >Since the left wing press raised the bogey of
> 'Islamic
> >fundamentalism' in 1998 Muslim organizations in
> Albania
> >have been finding it very difficult to get help
> from
> fellow
> >Muslims from abroad. The protracted press campaign
> had led
> >to the arrest of many such Muslims who were working
> with
> >them. The surge of Islamic activities that swept
> over
> >Albania after it emerged from the long twilight of
> >Communist rule is being impeded, and also
> challenged by
> the
> >evangelizing missions.
> >
> >In Tirana, the capital, private television stations
> have
> >mushroomed, some 17 of them, most of them recently;
> in
> >every city there are at least two. It is very
> difficult to
> >organize Islamic programs, though, especially in
> Tirana,
> >unless thousand of dollars are paid to somebody, at
> a time
> >when television stations report everything
> connected with
> >Christians . The media are focused on the
> Europianization
> >of Albania a mainly Muslim country - the only one
> in
> Europe
> >[excluding Turkey].
> >
> >The government of Albania that is held responsible
> by the
> >European Union for the appalling level of poverty,
> >corruption and smuggling is impervious to
> criticism. The
> >Socialist administration, as far as the Muslims are
> >concerned, is even engaged in efforts to whittle
> away the
> >Muslim character of the nation. If its dubious
> statistics
> >are to be accepted, Muslims form only 50% of the
> population
> >of Albania - the correct percentage is 75.
> >
> >It is hardly surprising the government is not
> bothered
> >about the spiritual welfare of the 300,000 Albanian
> >emigrants who are working in Greece, and obliged to
> abandon
> >their Muslim names for Orthodox (Christian) ones.
> How can
> >one expect any better of the Socialist government
> that is
> >biased against Islam?
> >
> >Even the previous Democratic government that lost
> power in
> >the June 1997 election was - out of sheer naivet6
> or
> >ignorance - receptive to the onslaught of Albania
> by
> >foreign governmental and non governmental
> organizations
> and
> >Christian foundations. Some 120 of them put down
> roots in
> >Tirana alone, each with their own program, in
> contrast to
> >Muslim humanitarian organizations which were only
> 25.
> >
> >When the 50 years of Albania as 'fortress
> Communism' ended
> >and the walls of atheism and Stalinism tumbled
> ushering in
> >freedom, the country was fair game for NGOS,
> foreign
> >governments and organizations. The Albanian
> government
> >became their biggest supporter helping them in
> their
> >activities and, in the process, helping in the
> destruction
> >of the social, cultural and religious identity of
> the
> >nation. The streets, institutions, including
> schools and
> >universities, and other places were transformed -
> they
> >became the parade ground of the European-style
> women.
> >
> >The economic growth in 1996 was followed by
> indifference
> to
> >the recent gains of Islam, as the West-oriented
> economic
> >and cultural pressure increased. The Orthodox
> Christian
> >community represented by Greek Orthodox Bishop
> Janullatos
> >was very active, in collaboration with some very
> important
> >political personal ties, in opposing every single
> aspect
> of
> >the Islamic identity of Albanians.
> >
> >In 1995 acts of vandalism in Orthodox churches by
> some
> >unidentified people led the government of Prime
> Minister
> >Alexsander Meksi to order the closure of five
> madrassahs
> in
> >the south of Albania just what the Greeks wanted!
> Five
> >-students of the Korca (a southern city) madrassah
> (Islamic
> >schools) had been accused of spoiling the religious
> >pictures.
> >
> >Examples of discrimination against the Muslims were
> plenty.
> >There was not much restoration by the state of waqf
> >(Islamic religious foundations) land and property
> seized
> by
> >the previous Communist dictator Enver Hoxha. But
> the
> >authorities were meticulous about returning to the
> church
> >all the Christian properties. The building of a
> mosque in
> >Tirana near parliament was not allowed. The opening
> of a
> >new madrassah was blocked. Money received from the
> Muslim
> >world for investment in Islamic work in Albania was
> >controlled by the Albanian secret service.
> >
> >Ignorance of Islam and weakness of the Albanian
> Muslim
> >community, which are at the root of their problems,
> showed
> >up in the pyramid investment schemes in 1995-96
> that
> >attracted Albanians like bees to a honey pot. Money
> was
> >raked in from the people and alluring percentage of
> >interest paid out; at first interest rates were
> 20-30%;
> >towards the end of 1996, a phenomenal rise in the
> number
> of
> >pyramid schemes interests rate shot up to 70 per
> cent.
> This
> >incredibly absurd form of economic activity was
> allowed by
> >the government. The opposition Socialist party
> leader
> Fatos
> >Nano, a former Communist, had nothing to say
> either. The
> >European 'friends' were very late to comment on
> this
> >dangerous economic activity.
> >
> >Every day hordes of 'investors' arrived. More than
> 50% of
> >the population fell into the trap of making quick
> money.
> >Two billion dollars were in the pyramid hole. As
> was bound
> >to happen, at the end of 1996, the pyramid
> investment
> >schemes collapsed, because they were unable to pay
> the
> >increasing number of 'investors'. Some operators of
> the
> >pyramid schemes, mostly former Communist and
> pro-Greek
> >elements, fled Albania taking the money; others
> could not
> >do anything.
> >
> >President Berisha and Prime Minister Meksi, who
> failed to
> >prevent the economic collapse, returned 50% of
> their
> >investment to the pyramid 'investors', which was
> not
> >enough. It was a recipe for disaster. There was
> chaos in
> >Vlore, a city in the south, where the people fought
> with
> >police forces. Violence and chaos visited other
> cities.
> >
> >In March 1997 some unidentified groups brought in
> arms,
> >which as later reported, came from Greece, and
> spread to
> >the people. Soon mobs raided military arms stores
> and
> stole
> >thousands of guns, Kalashnikovs, bombs etc. The
> same
> >scenario was seen in all the other cities. The
> country was
> >in a state of rebellion. Economic collapse became
> >inevitable.
> >
> >Socialist party and its leader openly supported the
> >rebellion against the elected government of a state
> that
> >had only recently become democratic. They spared no
> efforts
> >to destroy everything that was connected with the
> ruling
> >Democratic Party. Prime Minister Meksi and his
> government
> >resigned. President Sali Berisha had no choice but
> to
> agree
> >to fresh election so relentless was the pressure
> from the
> >Council of Europe represented by the left political
> forces,
> >and in Albania by Franz Wranicky and Katherine
> Lalyrnier.
> >
> >The 30 June 1997 general election brought to power
> the
> >Socialists who obtained two-thirds of the seats in
> >parliament. It is beyond comprehension how a
> genuine
> >election could be held in a country of only 3.5
> million
> >awash with a million weapons, hundreds of murders
> in
> >polling stations, and the leaders of the left
> sharing - as
> >reported by the press - dollars with armed gangs.
> It was
> >obvious Albania then had everything but democracy
> and
> >democratic election. However, for the Council of
> Europe
> and
> >its representatives in Albania, Franz Wranicky and
> >Katherine Lalymier the polls were democratic and
> >acceptable.
> >
> >There are many opinions why the European Community
> was
> >agreeable to the re-labelled Communists -
> Socialists
> taking
> >power in Albania. Some link it directly with the
> pyramid
> >schemes. In the view of most Albanians pyramid
> schemes
> were
> >organized to destabilize the economy and the
> country since
> >the five years of economic stability was paving the
> way
> for
> >the rehabilitation of Islam, which growing numbers
> of the
> >younger generation were embracing. Some even think
> it was
> >done to render Albania impotent to act in a
> potential
> >conflagration in Kosova that showed all the signs
> of
> >occurring.
> >
> >However far fetched the opinions may seem, there is
> no
> >doubt that Albania nestling in the southeast corner
> of
> >Europe with its European Muslim identity in deep
> coma was
> >stirring into life, thanks to the end of the worst
> >Communist regime in the world in March 1991. The
> Albanian
> >student movement played a pivotal role in taking on
> the
> >regime. As in most other East European countries
> Albanian
> >students organized the biggest post Communist
> movement and
> >held demonstrations in several cities.
> >
> >In April 1985 Enver Hoxha had died, but it was not
> the end
> >of the dictatorship. He was replaced by another
> committed
> >Communist, Ramiz Alia who was as relentless in
> tightening
> >his grip on the country as in cracking down on
> those
> trying
> >to escape from Albania; hundreds of them were
> jailed and
> >killed. However the people's uprising in Romania
> and the
> >failure of the Communist system in Eastern Europe
> shook
> the
> >Alia regime.
> >
> >The first riots that took place in Shkodra in the
> north
> >were followed elsewhere. The regime saw the writing
> on the
> >wall and he hastened to create new political
> parties
> >with,-former Communist leaders to support him in
> the new
> >plural political system. In December announcement
> was made
> >of the first multi-party election on 10 February
> 1991
> which
> >was held on 31 March.
> >
> >The setting up of the Democratic Party of Albania
> (DPA)
> was
> >the first genuine Albanian opposition party after
> nearly
> 50
> >years of totalitarianism. Sali Berisha was elected
> leader
> >who led the party in winning nearly one third of
> the seats
> >in parliament. Failure by the old Communists in
> governing
> >the new Albania resulted in fresh election in March
> 1992
> >that put DPA in power, which had secured two thirds
> of
> >parliamentary seats.
> >
> >The first freely elected democratic government led
> by
> >President Sali Berisha was a milestone in the
> history of
> >post-war Albania for it was the death toll of
> atheistic
> >Communist rule and the revival of the Islamic
> spirit that
> >Enver Hoxha had tried to destroy.
> >
> >The old mosques were opened. Those destroyed were
> being
> >rebuilt. The Albanian Muslim community was taking
> shape
> and
> >coalescing around its spiritual leader Hafiz Sabri
> Koci
> >Effendi who emerged as the Grand Mufti after
> languishing
> in
> >Communist prisons for 25 years. New books,
> magazines and
> >newspapers began publishing. Some 25 Muslim
> organisations
> >became active, and engaged in rebuilding mosques in
> >villages and cities.
> >
> >After half a century of isolation and persecution
> under
> >Communism, the people were at last finding what
> they had
> >long been deprived of reconnecting to Islam at all
> levels.
> >Muslims - as well as Christians - found on 28
> November
> 1944
> >that the liberation of Albania from the Nazi
> Germans was a
> >false dawn; life under occupation had been replaced
> with
> >life tinder Communist totalitarianism. (The
> Communist
> Party
> >of Albania was founded on 8 November 1941 by a
> group of
> >Albanian Communists.)
> >
> >Politicians and leaders were executed, religious
> scholars
> >and leaders were not spared either. Every
> religious,
> >national and cultural value connected with the past
> was
> >denied. A new collective, Communist life was
> imposed.
> Every
> >private activity was outlawed. All the wealth and
> property
> >seized by the state.
> >
> >In 1967 Enver Hoxha achieved the destruction of
> 2169
> >mosques and churches; what remained were turned
> into
> >storage places, sport palaces and public toilets. A
> law
> was
> >passed prohibiting religious practices and
> prescribed jail
> >sentences for those who did and public execution
> for those
> >who tried to leave the country.
> >
> >A whole generation grew up without faith, without
> seeing a
> >mosque in their life, not knowing their identity.
> Communism
> >reigned supreme casting its shadow on every aspect
> of
> life.
> >But Islam, the marvelous faith remained deep in the
> hearts
> >of the people. Islamic ceremonies were organized in
> secret.
> >Fasting was carried out on the quiet during the
> holy
> >Ramadan month. Salat was offered in private.
> >
> >Although Islam faces difficulties and pressures
> today in
> >Albania under Socialist rule Muslims are making
> efforts to
> >rebuild their Islamic identity. A hopeful sign is
> that the
> >Islamic spirit still remains in the heart of
> Albanians
> even
> >if they lack the knowledge of Islam. Sons are
> inviting
> >their parents to Islam and more Islamic books are
> being
> >sold. Equally significant, if not more, mosques are
> >frequently filled by more people, especially by the
> younger
> >ones.
> >
> >Redi Shehu
> >
> >impact INTERNATIONAL 
> >VOL 30 NO 9 SEPTEMBER 2000
> 
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