[NYC-L] Re: [Re: [Albanian-UK] Re: [ALBSA-Info] 1/3 of Macedonia's Airforce de stroyed]

[ira panajoti]

    Some others of us, also from "Albania proper"
would like to note a couple of things:
 1.  People with Albanian passports are carefully
scanned everywhere.  Often they are abused even when
they come with regular visas.  E.g.  I recently made a
trip to Germany.  The immigration inspector not only
checked all sides of my passport, but also employed
two hand lenses to detect any fraud in my visa, which
luckily was issued from the German consulate in
Boston.  As an employee with INS in Logan airport, i
could tell you that we get daily two or three cases of
fraud whereby Albanian citizens enter with Albanian
passports and computer altered visas.  It is the job
of every immigration inspector, everywhere in the
world to assure that individuals are not entering
fraudulently in their countries.  Since Albanians have
a given talent and reputation for faking visas,
passports etc, I don't blame anyone that wants to
enforce the law.  After all, that's what they get paid
for.  That DOES NOT make it legitimate that they
should abuse people like yourself who are law abiding
citizens and enter a country legally, however as the
number of people entering a country through fraud far
exceeds that of people entering legally, every
individual would be predisposed to assume the worst. 
In these cases, the rule of "guilty until proven
innocent often applies."  Luckily, for us Albanians,
we don't have many Greeks, Serbs, Macedonians,
Americans, Italians etc entering the country
fraudulently.  Yes, they do a lot of dirty business
there, but what does our government or law enforcement
agencies do:  NOTHING!  THey close one eye not to see
the one hand receiving the bribe.  Others, just
couldn't care less about enforcing the law as long as
they receive their monthly stipend.  So you see: We
should definitely ameliorate our country, enforce
legislation and create a strong state before fighting
abroad for rights!  As far as I know Albanian citizens
do not have rights under Albanian law.  They are daily
threatened  by criminals, thiefs etc. and often they
are forced to emigrate out of their country, even if
it means a recourse to illegal means.  

2.  The mistake nr. 1 that Albanians make is look up
to Greeks as role models!  That is definitely a pitty!
 However, the Albanian role models is yet unborn, with
the exception of the intelligent graduates of Boston
who preach self-determination to their suffering
fellow Albanians in Albania proper and its vicinity! 
Perhaps it is time that all of us start to think on
how to make Albania a better place to live in, so that
we all did not have to leave the poor country and be
maltreated by Greeks, Italians, Serbs, Macedonians and
the like.  

3.  While some wait on lines at the border, being
abused and yelled at by Greek idiotic guards, why
don't they just raise their voice and demand justice! 
Why don't they note that it is wrong to treat
Albanians this way and that Greek claims for Northern
Epirus are totally unbased and ridiculous?  Why do
they shut up and take it?  Is it out of tolerance or
fear?  If they are so disgusted by the behavior of
these imbeciles at the border, what do they care about
going to such a country as Greece, citizens of which
abuse human rights?  Why don't they just tear up the
bloody visa right in their face and show them how
noble Albanians really are?  Wars in Macedonia and
Serbia should be an example to how people should stand
up for human rights and advocate them as passionately
as possible, especially if in their own country there
aren't any!  

4.  As regards the war in Macedonia, I think demanding
independence has been the biggest mistake ever.  It is
going to cost us, Albanians the loss of Kosovo's
independence and will make enemies out of all powers
of the world.  Claims for better conditions of living,
better enforcement of human rights etc, perhaps would
have drawn a more sympathetic support.  Even though
some of you do believe that fighting is the best way
to get something, when the whole world is against you
all you get is sanctions, as the Iraq-Kuwait case
should clearly illustrate.  True, the Big Powers
intervened as Kuwait was full of oil, but lack of oil
in Kosovo and Macedonia is not going to stop powers
from intervening to retain peace in the Balkans as its
a distraction to the process of concluding oil
transactions with Kuwait, while already watching out
for Iraq.  

5.  I wonder whether Albania proper will give any
contribution to assisting the brothers in Kosovo and
Macedonia win their quest for independence.  If yes,
when is the final word going to be?  

6.  Perhaps all answers to these questions would have
been easier had Albania been a stronger country, with
a much better organized economy, a less corrupt
government, a thinner net of criminals, drug-dealers,
prostitution promoters.  Perhaps if it were a more
consolidated country it could give the Greeks the
finger, the Serbs and the Macedonians a good kick in
the ass, and a real scoff to the rest of the powers. 
But we all know this isn't possible, is it?  Perhaps
then, it's time for all of us to stop jabbering about
how the world treats us and start looking at how we
treat ourselves.  Konica said, "The biggest enemy of
Albanians are Albanians" and we should try to prove
him wrong.  Once we have done so, and if this is
possible at all (decades have proved the opposite)
then we could search for respect!   Once we have begun
to quit poking each other's eyes, mentioning to
each-other their biographical stains (like saying "us
from Albania proper"  since IRA PANAJOTI does not
sound quite Albanian) then maybe we can talk about
respect!  

7.  Not once did I stop being Albanian, despite my
unfortunate Greek name (I did not have a choice when
they named me--talk about human rights--can't even
chose my own name) and not once did I stop helping
Albanians (who enter the U.S. both legally and
illegally) in my line of work to get every right they
deserved!  We should all be proud of being Albanian,
yet we should make sure that our pride is based on
truth and not on empty cockiness!  

8.  When talking about tolerance, cooperation and
understanding, please take a look at how a simple
e-mail (be it mine in regards to the Macedonian
helicopter joke, or all of yours in response to mine)
can be turned into an internet everlasting debate
without solution!  Don't we all have an innate love of
fighting?  Where is the tolerance people?  If
Albanians can't find a common language between
themselves, alas, they will never find it with the
neighbors or the world!  

9.  Having said all this, I apologize to all if I
somehow raised your blood pressure too much!  I was
always good at doing that and apparently can't seem to
avoid it!  Between being a patriot (although some of
you might not think so) and a realist, the latter
often tends to win!  I apologize in turn to all
patriots as well as my patriotic side for any
injustice done!  

10.  Have a nice day everybody and try not to make too
much out of my lengthy discussion!  Take care.
  Ira Panajoti
--- Iris Pilika <ipilika at hotmail.com> wrote:
>           ----------- ALBSA-Info Mailing List
> ---------
>           - ALBSA Web Site:
> http://www.albstudent.org -
>  
> Well, many of us from Albania proper see things in a
> different perspective.  
> Take our experiences at the Greek-Albanian border. 
> The Greek police can 
> have you wait for hours, can decide for no reason
> (just because you are 
> Albanian) that the visa you have is false and refuse
> to let you through.  If 
> you persist, they can tear apart your passport.  Or
> they can scream at you 
> that if you want to touch Greek land, you should go
> back to Tirana and 
> overthrow the government, because he (the Greek)
> does not like it (this 
> being true for the previous government).  If you get
> a chance to go into 
> their office (an official immigration office) you
> will see a sign in the 
> wall saying that Northern Epirus is Greek.  There,
> you learnt something you 
> did not know before, half of your country is not
> Albanian, but Greek, and it 
> holds a name it might have had at the time of Pirro.
>  If they ask you about 
> your religion, which will be the first question, and
> you happen to be 
> Orthodox, then you will learn something else about
> your identity you did not 
> know before, that you too are Greek or put in a more
> seemingly civilized 
> word, Epirote.  And this is probably half of what
> Albanians really go 
> through.
> 
> But just so we Albanians "don't look bad", not only
> will we and our 
> government never complain, but we will still welcome
> these Greeks, look at 
> them as role models, and let them do whatever they
> want in our country.  If 
> they want to fill our churches with Greek
> inscriptions, we won't complain, 
> we'll just learn Greek, even though that wouldn't
> take us anywhere.  We will 
> do every effort in our part not to look bad, because
> we value tolerance, and 
> that's why we are better, no, I'm sorry, more
> "civilized", than those 
> Albanians in Kosova or Macedonia, who don't stop
> talking about some kind of 
> human rights.  Did someone say we have a deep
> inferiority complex?  No, we 
> are just tolerant and civilized.  It's wonder how we
> have not become part of 
> the EU yet, because the French and the Germans still
> hold grudges from World 
> War II.  We better give them some lessons from what
> the Greeks have taught 
> us about democracy and tolerance, especially in this
> era of globalization.
> 
> 
> >From: Dardan Blaku <dardan at alb-net.com>
> >To: "nyc-l at alb-net.com" <nyc-l at alb-net.com>
> >CC: Fisnik Ismaili <Fisnik.Ismaili at edengene.com>,  
> 
> >"albanian-uk at alb-net.com"
> <albanian-uk at alb-net.com>,   
> >"prishtina-l at alb-net.com"
> <prishtina-l at alb-net.com>,   
> >"tetova-l at alb-net.com" <tetova-l at alb-net.com>,  
> "albsa-info at alb-net.com" 
> ><albsa-info at alb-net.com>,   "puka at usa.net"
> <puka at usa.net>
> >Subject: Re: [NYC-L] Re: [Re: [Albanian-UK] Re:
> [ALBSA-Info] 1/3 of 
> >Macedonia's Airforce de stroyed]
> >Date: Mon, 19 Mar 2001 18:53:27 -0500 (EST)
> >
> >-------- Albanian UK --------
> >
> >Did any of you wait in the Kosova/Macedonia border
> for over 6/7 hour while
> >the jackass macedonian official played around with
> you and your
> >passport just because you were albanian?
> >
> >
> >
> >On 19 Mar 2001, G.S wrote:
> >
> > >           === NYC-L: New York City Discussion
> Forum ===
> > >
> > > To tell you the truth I do not like this war
> since it is having a very
> > > negative effect on our public relations, and I
> do not hate the 
> >Macedonians
> > > even though a lot of them are jackasses (the
> police that is). The only 
> >thing
> > > that I find interesting is that the Serbs were
> so powerful compared to 
> >the
> > > Macedonians, so I find their weakness a bit
> amusing (which is in sharp
> > > contrast to the image they try to portray). All
> in all I hope the war 
> >ends
> > > today, the message has gotten through and the
> pressure is on for 
> >extended
> > > Albanian rights in Macedonia. Every extra day
> the war goes on will only 
> >make
> > > us look more like the Serbs(the media that is).
> > >
> > > >That's one hell of a conclusion from 3 lines of
> text the poor guy has
> > > >written.
> > >
> > > >Dare I say that it is you who seem to be
> lacking a sense of humour or 
> > >does
> > > that make me a shameful Albanian, too?
> > >
> > > >Easy with the accusations...
> > >
> > > > If it's people like these who start a war,
> it's a
> > > > shame because they put a bad name for all
> Albanians!
> > > > The joke was not funny and neither is it funny
> that
> > > > the shedding of blood of either Albanians,
> Macedonians
> > > > or Serbs provokes laughter in some people. The
> author
> > > > of the e-mail, I am sorry to say, has either a
> sense
> > > > of humor or a career in politics! Stay away
> from
> > > > comedy or the political arena! Good luck!
> > > > --- "G.S" <puka at usa.net <mailto:puka at usa.net>>
> wrote:
> > > > > ----------- ALBSA-Info Mailing List
> > > > > ---------
> > > > > - ALBSA Web Site:
> > > > > <http://www.albstudent.org> -
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > "Macedonian Airforce" eshte e perbere prej 3
> > > > > helikopterave, sot rra njeri
> > > > > helikopter sepse piloti nuk ka hanger
> mengjez para
> > > > > se me dal...
> > > > >
> > > > > Earlier Saturday night, an army helicopter
> crashed
> > > > > near the scene of the
> > > > > clashes, killing the army pilot and injuring
> 12
> > > > > policemen, Macedonian and NATO
> > > > > sources said.
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > --- "G.S" <puka at usa.net <mailto:puka at usa.net>>
> wrote:
> > > > > ----------- ALBSA-Info Mailing List
> > > > > ---------
> > > > > - ALBSA Web Site:
> > > > > <http://www.albstudent.org> -
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > "Macedonian Airforce" eshte e perbere prej 3
> > > > > helikopterave, sot rra njeri
> > > > > helikopter sepse piloti nuk ka hanger
> mengjez para
> > > > > se me dal...
> > > > >
> > > > > Earlier Saturday night, an army helicopter
> crashed
> > > > > near the scene of the
> > > > > clashes, killing the army pilot and injuring
> 12
> > > > > policemen, Macedonian and NATO
> > > > > sources said.
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > >
>
____________________________________________________________________
> 
=== message truncated ===


__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Get email at your own domain with Yahoo! Mail. 
http://personal.mail.yahoo.com/