[ALBSA-Info] Leter per gazeten DITA JUGE

[Agron Alibali]

I am an Albanian American residing in New York.  My father, Lemi Kokalari, 
was born in Gjirokaster and migrated to America as a young boy.   My mother, 
Drita, was born in the America, but she is also Albanian, and her parents 
were from Nivica in the mountains of Laberia.   I have been active in 
political and humanitarian causes related to Albania and the Balkans.   I am 
very proud to be an American, but I am even prouder to be an Albanian. 

I had the great pleasure of visiting Gjirokaster last fall for the purpose of 
attending the folk festival.  It gave me a great deal of joy to be able to 
participate in the return of a famous  Albanian tradition to Gjirokaster and 
to listen to the beautiful Albanian music in the ancient Albanian home of my 
ancestors. 

Several weeks ago, I wrote a letter to the editor of the Washington Post,  a 
well known  American newspaper,  in response to an article the paper 
published that was written by Nick Gage (a.k.a. Nicholas Gatzojannis).    As 
usual, Mr. Gage  was trying to vilify Albanians and misrepresent the facts 
about Albania’s Greek minority.  Mr. Gage, a Greek American and the President 
of the Panepirotic Federation, has been a constant provocateur working to 
undermine Albanians.  He persistently refers to Southern Albania as "Northern 
Epirus," a belligerent reference used by those who seek the annexation of 
Southern Albania by Greece.   In my opinion, with his words and deeds, Mr. 
Gage has insulted all Albanians and should be viewed as an enemy of Albania. 

For this reason, it was highly disturbing for me to learn that Mr. Gage has 
been actively supporting and campaigning for candidates from Albania’s Greek 
minority.    The objective of Mr. Gage and these Greek politicians is highly 
transparent - they seek Greek domination of Southern Albania.   Therefore, 
those political candidates who are supported by Mr. Gage should be held 
suspect with respect to their ambitions for Southern Albania, and they should 
also be viewed by Albanians as enemies of the State. 

It is my hope that Albanians will keep this in mind, and for the good of 
Albania, support the Albanian candidates of their choice of  June 24th.   


Gary Q. Kokalari is an Albanian American who serves as president of the 
Albanian Heritage Foundation and as a director of the Kosova Relief Fund.    
He was a founder and former director of the National Albanian American 
Council and the Albanian Relief Foundation..   Professionally, Mr. Kokalari 
is a senior financial advisor with a major multi-national financial 
institution.  He holds an M.B.A. from the Wharton School of the University of 
Pennsylvania and a B.S. from Boston University. 


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