From etrit at alb-net.com  Wed Jan  3 18:25:59 2001
From: etrit at alb-net.com (Etrit Bardhi)
Date: Wed, 3 Jan 2001 18:25:59 -0500 (EST)
Subject: [NYC-L] Tragic Accident
Message-ID: <Pine.GSO.4.31.0101031825240.22962-100000@alb-net.com>

Four Killed in New Year's Crash

                  NEW YORK (AP) - Four people on their way home from a New
Year's
                  Day party died in a fiery crash when their speeding car
struck a city sanitation truck clearing snow.

                  The car was traveling between 60 and 80 mph in a 30 mph
zone in Brooklyn early Tuesday when it crashed
                  into the front-end loader and burst into flames, police
said. The snow plow's driver narrowly escaped the fire,
                  police said.

                  Mayor Rudolph Giuliani said all safety precautions were
taken for the loader to clear snow away from the area.
                  The loader is painted orange and has an orange light on
top of its cab to make it easily visible.

                  Police tentatively identified the victims as Gezim
Xhaferri, 30; his 26-year-old wife, Arleta; Gentian Demiraj,
                  25; and Suela Njolli, 25.

                  It was not known if alcohol or ice was a factor. The
driver of the plow passed a Breathalyzer test after the
                  accident, police said.

                  The accident came just days after a snowstorm dumped
more than a foot of snow on New York City.



From jello_blaster at yahoo.com  Thu Jan 11 15:41:12 2001
From: jello_blaster at yahoo.com (kate luarasi)
Date: Thu, 11 Jan 2001 12:41:12 -0800 (PST)
Subject: [NYC-L] Could anyone help me?
Message-ID: <20010111204112.20583.qmail@web1603.mail.yahoo.com>

Hi, my name is Keti Luarasi. I am an Albanian girl and
I am applying to Columbia College. As I'm sure you all
know, it's extremely difficult to schedule an
interview with an alumni due to outstanding amounts of
applicants.
If anyone knows an alumni who would be willing to meet
with me for an interview, I would really appreciate it
if you would contact me. My home phone number is
(718)339-4174, my e-mail address is
jello_blaster at yahoo.com
Thank you,
Keti

__________________________________________________
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Yahoo! Photos - Share your holiday photos online!
http://photos.yahoo.com/


From besnik at alb-net.com  Fri Jan 19 12:39:28 2001
From: besnik at alb-net.com (Besnik Pula)
Date: Fri, 19 Jan 2001 13:39:28 -0400
Subject: [NYC-L] FW: Could you distribute
In-Reply-To: <20010119090723.9248.qmail@web1608.mail.yahoo.com>
Message-ID: <B68DF40F.167A%besnik@alb-net.com>

------ Forwarded Message
From: Isa Blumi <ngapeja at rocketmail.com>
Date: Fri, 19 Jan 2001 01:07:23 -0800 (PST)

Assalam allaykum,

I am an Muslim Kosovar Albanian, an American citizen
and extremely upset.  My native Balkans has been
witness to genocide conducted in the name of a
national/fascist ideology that has used the symbolism
of the Serb orthodox church as its central cultural
vehicle.  The Chetnik-era use of the extended first
three fingers on the right-hand are well-known to us
in the Balkans who have faced Serb fascism, it is
equivalent to the NAZI straight-arm that is banned
from the world's acceptable behavior.  Why, I ask
rhetorically, are Serb nationalist symbols, the very
gestures used when millions of the Balkans Muslims
were cleansed from their homes in an orgy of genocide
during the 1990s, permitted to be used with impunity
in one of the US's major cultural/business exports,
the NBA?  I am refering to two Serb players who
constantly flash this demeaning and offensive symbol
on global television link-ups.  I am conducting
research in Istanbul and follow the behavior of the
two players in Sacramento, Vlade Divac and "Peja"
Stojakovic, who consistantly flash this symbol of
Muslim murder, if I can see it, millions around the
world see it.

My trouble is that this is a perfect example of how
incapable we Muslims are in organizing to protect our
interests.  How can the abuse of these symbols of hate
against Muslim be permitted to continue?  Simply, we
do not have the influence our size and collective
economic power warrents.  If an NBA player, on the
international stage as I watch it on television, would
display anti-Jewish or Nazi-era symbols, there would
be immediate uproar.  Our community, however, has
failed to make the world sensitive to anti-Muslim
behavior and its many manifestations.  Serb fascism is
a demonic force that persists, two central
perpretrators of this symbolism are playing for a
professional league that has many mMslims playing for
it.  These Serbs get away with these gestures of hate
and even our brothers playing on the same court are
not aware of it.  I am pleading with this organization
to at least reach out to the NBA and its Muslim
players, to make them aware of this.  I constantly see
"highlights" of these two individuals flaunt their
hatred and our community must demonstrate an ability
to resist this!

I suggest contacting the media and the NBA would have
a dramatic effect.  Publicizing this may seem small,
but it is, in my mind, an important gesture.  It
demonstrates that anti-muslim symbolism is not
permitted and this will have an international effect.
We are forced to fight with weapons around the world
because the murder of Chechens, Albanians, Kashmiris
and others is permissiable in a series of journalistic
tropes.  Once we make it politically and economically
impossible to display Muslims in a negative manner,
around the world, Russians, Serbs, Indians cannot kill
us and we will not be forced to take up arms, which is
putting us in this never-ending circle of violence
that gives us all a bad image.  Please look at a
letter I sent to numerous newspapers covering the
"Sacremento Kings."  As to be expected, I have
received no response.  Until we Muslims in American
can make it impossible for Serb professional
basketball players to flaunt their fascist symbols,
even after more than 10 years of genocide, we will be
second-class citizens and always vulnerable to murder,
rape and forced migration.  Newspapers and the NBA
should not be allowed to ignore us and our concerns.

With much respect,

Isa Blumi

#######################


Dear Madame/Sir,

I am writing you to attract your attention to the use
of offensive gestures by one of the more popular
figures of Sacramento civic life.  Vlade Divac, the
Serb-born starting center for the National Basketball
Association Sacramento franchise, the ?Kings,? has
throughout the 1990s proven to be very popular among
those who attend the matches in which he participates
and among his teammates.  Unfortunately, contrary to
his easy-going demeanor and the never-ending
self-marketing of his charitable side, such popularity
distorts his offensive on and off-court behavior.
While I am currently living in Istanbul Turkey and
have little desire to follow such seemingly
unimportant activities as a NBA basketball players
activities, I have always been curious about how the
NBA handles such figures as Divac.  Mr. Divac is a
national icon in Serbia and throughout the wars in
Croatia, Bosnia and later in Kosova he regularly
played for the Serbian national team.  The fact that
he actively participated for the national team that
had clear political ties to the Milosevic regime and
its policies of ethnic cleansing and wide scale murder
and rape  is not a question I wish you to consider.
Although I do not accept the rather pathetic claims of
sports and politics not mixing.  Of course it does,
that is why Serbia?s political machinery constantly
used its successes on the Soccer field and Basketball
court to promote their agenda.  How can anyone forget
Hitler?s stewardship of the 1936 Olympics?
I am writing to draw your attention to the public
expression of Divac?s unbending nationalism.  For most
people in the Balkans it is today?s manifestation of
Fascism.  That a man can actively and consciously
display the three finger symbol of Serb fascism after
all that has happened is unambiguously offensive, and
Divac intends it to be.  Whether or not he supports
Slobadan Milosevic or promotes genocide is also not
relevant here, it is the fact that he has consistently
used the Ultra-Right hand gesture of extending the
first three fingers of the right hand that all victims
of Serb fascism find vulgar and unbecoming.  I am
responding tonight because while watching some
highlights from a recent match his team played in
Boston, to my disgust, I found that Divac, after
scoring a basket openly flashed the Serb nationalist
gesture (its closest equivalent in a sociocultural
context is the Nazi straight arm of the 1930s and
1940s.).  Not only was Divac openly parading around
the basketball court flashing a fascist symbol, but he
even got his team-mates to do it.  To see
Afro-Americans and even a Turk-national flash this
symbol of mass graves, rape and ethnic hatred strikes
me as scandalous.  That Divac flaunts his disgusting
nationalism on the court is nothing new, he has done
it for years, but the fact that the league and in
fact, the country as a whole does not take Divac to
task is an outrage.  I am sure by his flashing this
symbols of a nation?s chauvanism Albanian Kosovars,
Croats and Bosnians see this.  For them it must bring
such pain and disgust to their hearts.  I implore that
you or a colleague address this issue.  It is not an
issue for the sports desk but a social issue that
affects all citizens in the US.  The NBA would never
tolerate a Nazi or supporter of a White extremist to
flaunt their feelings like this.  One need only look
some recent footage of Serb soldiers and politicians,
how they arrogantly flash their three fingers
(representing the trinity of the Serb orthodox church)
before the hundreds of thousands of dead in the
Balkans.  This is a scandal waiting to be exposed and
this is an opportunity to show the world how inept the
NBA and its minders are.  The NBA is truly an
international league now, I am sure the several Croat
and Slovene nationals in the league do not appreciate
Divac and his Serb compatriots showing their racism on
their sleeves.  I am also sure the Afro-American
players who so ignorantly flash this symbol of murder
and hate now, would think twice if they were to learn
what it represented.  I am asking you, as a journalist
to at least draw to someone?s attention this offensive
activity.  It drives deep into how our society is
infested with gestures of hatred that most people not
directly affected just do not realize.  I am sure once
this is exposed, the league and the fans of the NBA
would not want to see Mr. Divac publicly display this
gesture that is the 1990s version of the Nazi
straight-arm.

I appreciate your attention and again ask you to
consider this with at least professional curiosity and
hopefully, a moral sense of duty as well.

Please feel free to contact me,

Yours truly,

Isa Blumi
Ph.D. Candidate
Departments of History and Middle Eastern Studies
New York University


------ End of Forwarded Message



From SimonVukel at aol.com  Fri Jan 19 18:08:21 2001
From: SimonVukel at aol.com (SimonVukel at aol.com)
Date: Fri, 19 Jan 2001 18:08:21 EST
Subject: [NYC-L] FW: Could you distribute
Message-ID: <23.64edc14.279a22e5@aol.com>

Regarding Isa Blumi's email, I have to admit I haven't watched enough 
basketball lately to see what Divac has been doing on the court, so I can't 
comment on that without seeing it for myself.  If in fact he has been 
fluanting a Serb symbol of hatred, then he should be taken to task for it.  
Thankfully we live in a free country and he can do as he wishes (as 
unfortunate as his actions may be), but as Isa states, his team members and 
his fans should at least be made aware of what that symbol potentially 
represents before they join him in its expression.  

Nevertheless, I do have an issue with Isa Blumi's attempt to portray this as 
a Muslim issue.  Serb aggression knew no religious boundaries -- Albanian 
Christians and other non-Serb Christians were just as equally slaughtered as 
Muslims, so it is unfortunate that Isa make this a call to arms, so to speak, 
for Muslims.  I would encourage all Albanians to resist any effort to make 
what happened in Kosova a religious issue.  It was not Christian vs. Muslim.  
It was Serb vs. Albanian.  And whether one believes in God, Allah, Yahweh, or 
none at all, let's all pray and hope that Kosova one day truly be free, and 
that the nations of the Balkans can one day come to a peaceful understanding. 
 They don't have to love each other, but no one's going anywhere, so they 
might as well learn to live together.

Have a good weekend everyone.
-Simon Vukel

-------------- next part --------------
HTML attachment scrubbed and removed

From ngapeja at rocketmail.com  Sat Jan 20 03:02:54 2001
From: ngapeja at rocketmail.com (Isa Blumi)
Date: Sat, 20 Jan 2001 00:02:54 -0800 (PST)
Subject: [NYC-L] FW: Could you distribute
Message-ID: <20010120080254.29911.qmail@web1607.mail.yahoo.com>

As regards to Simon's response and disjoinder as per
the religious aspect of the wars in the Balkans.  With
all due respect, the symbol itself is a religious
symbol and one cannot take the Serb vandalism and
symbolic targeting of religious communities and
promoting such activities using the vehicle of the
illegitimate "leadership" of the church which has
joined hands with neo-fascists.  A second point, I am
aware of the thin line one treads but if one were to
go back to the message, one will see I have sent two
seperate messages, the one to the reporters is not
reflecting on the inherent anti-Muslim aspects to the
gesture; in that respect, I have used the langauge to
adddress the issue to the Islamic-American relations
council out of frustration with my own multi-faith
community which has demonstrated an utter lack of
media savy has resulted in Kostunica being the sole
voice of authority on things Kosova.  I am desperately
trying to put Kosova back on the media map and as I
suggested in the letter, the fact the NBA is ignorant
to the antics of two Serb players reflects a lack of
interest in things not involving people who are
underrepresented in Washington.  And no, Divac or
Stojakovic do not have a "right" to use fascist
symbols on the platform they operate.  Neo Nazi's
using a stiff arm would never play in the league and I
think the victims of Serb facism in the 1990s should
have similar respect as per Divac.

If anyone is interested, I believe in the US in the
late afternoon, Divac and his teammate will appear on
NBC, Saturday.

I hope some of you in the states realize that we are
losing Kosova, that the process is excellerating and
it is, as I have always said, our fault.  We were
better than what we are going to get.

Tung,

Isa
--- SimonVukel at aol.com wrote:
> Regarding Isa Blumi's email, I have to admit I
> haven't watched enough 
> basketball lately to see what Divac has been doing
> on the court, so I can't 
> comment on that without seeing it for myself.  If in
> fact he has been 
> fluanting a Serb symbol of hatred, then he should be
> taken to task for it.  
> Thankfully we live in a free country and he can do
> as he wishes (as 
> unfortunate as his actions may be), but as Isa
> states, his team members and 
> his fans should at least be made aware of what that
> symbol potentially 
> represents before they join him in its expression.  
> 
> Nevertheless, I do have an issue with Isa Blumi's
> attempt to portray this as 
> a Muslim issue.  Serb aggression knew no religious
> boundaries -- Albanian 
> Christians and other non-Serb Christians were just
> as equally slaughtered as 
> Muslims, so it is unfortunate that Isa make this a
> call to arms, so to speak, 
> for Muslims.  I would encourage all Albanians to
> resist any effort to make 
> what happened in Kosova a religious issue.  It was
> not Christian vs. Muslim.  
> It was Serb vs. Albanian.  And whether one believes
> in God, Allah, Yahweh, or 
> none at all, let's all pray and hope that Kosova one
> day truly be free, and 
> that the nations of the Balkans can one day come to
> a peaceful understanding. 
>  They don't have to love each other, but no one's
> going anywhere, so they 
> might as well learn to live together.
> 
> Have a good weekend everyone.
> -Simon Vukel
> 
> 


__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Yahoo! Auctions - Buy the things you want at great prices. 
http://auctions.yahoo.com/


From imerprishtina at hotmail.com  Sat Jan 20 19:13:54 2001
From: imerprishtina at hotmail.com (Imer Berisha)
Date: Sat, 20 Jan 2001 19:13:54 
Subject: [NYC-L] FW: Could you distribute
Message-ID: <F2117nyeKzGZuNY1SWo00004435@hotmail.com>

Zoti Isa Blumi ju keni te drejte se me teper duhet te behet ne luften kunder 
simboleve serbe qe paraqesin fashizem dhe fuqin qe beri gjenocid ne Bosnje 
dhe ne Kosove dhe PO faji eshte i yni.  Mire qe e keni prek kete teme se 
keshtu formohet opinioni edhe ne SHBA per mostolerimin e nje dukurie te 
caktuar, ne kete rast "tre gishtat" serb.
Une pajtomem me ju se eshte simbol cetnik-fashist po nuk mendoj se eshte 
vetem antimusliman.  Ai se pari eshte antiboshnjak, antikroat, antishqiptare 
dhe me kete antinjerezore pra ka te beje me te gjithe njerezimin gjegjesisht 
normat e sjalljes.

Nese eshte eshte e vertete ajo qe zoti Simon thot se Amerika eshte vend i 
lirive, dhe une mendoj se ka te drejte, prap ka mundesi qe nje sjellje e 
caktuar, ne kete rast tre gishtat serb te paraqiten ashtu si jane pra shenje 
antinjerezore, shenje e urrejtjes dhe shfarosjes, atehere kjo mund te ndikoj 
qe NBA apo klube te vecanta te nderrojne politken e tyre duke e ditur se 
publiku nuk e pranon nje gje te till.

Por qe te arrihet nje gje e till, qe te ngritet vetedija ne SHBA se ajo 
shenje eshte raciste/anti-boshnjake,anti-shqiptare etj. duhet pune.

Pra me vjen mire qe eshte prekur kjo ceshtje.

Ka shume pune per te bere per shqiptaret dhe mjafte kohe eshte humbur. Duhet 
te zihet hapi me gjera madhore por edhe kjo ceshtje e ka rendesin e saj sic 
e ka rendesin e saj edhe perdorimi i emerit Kosove ne formen serbe nga te 
huajt.  Une per vehten time vazhdimisht i bej me dije personat me te cilet 
kontaktoj se ata ne anglishte duhet ta perdorin emrin Kosova dmth -in 
Kosova, from Kosova etj. e jo Kosovo. Pra te gjithe shqiptaret pa dallim 
feje duhet te bejne shume sepse jemi ne gjusme te rruges dhe si duket disa 
shtete memzi kan pritur qe t'i afrohen Serbise.

Pershendes te gjithe

Imer Berisha
LLM in Laws Candidate
Case Western Reserve University


>From: Isa Blumi <ngapeja at rocketmail.com>
>Reply-To: nyc-l at alb-net.com
>To: nyc-l at alb-net.com
>Subject: Re: [NYC-L] FW: Could you distribute
>Date: Sat, 20 Jan 2001 00:02:54 -0800 (PST)
>
>           === NYC-L: New York City Discussion Forum ===
>
>As regards to Simon's response and disjoinder as per
>the religious aspect of the wars in the Balkans.  With
>all due respect, the symbol itself is a religious
>symbol and one cannot take the Serb vandalism and
>symbolic targeting of religious communities and
>promoting such activities using the vehicle of the
>illegitimate "leadership" of the church which has
>joined hands with neo-fascists.  A second point, I am
>aware of the thin line one treads but if one were to
>go back to the message, one will see I have sent two
>seperate messages, the one to the reporters is not
>reflecting on the inherent anti-Muslim aspects to the
>gesture; in that respect, I have used the langauge to
>adddress the issue to the Islamic-American relations
>council out of frustration with my own multi-faith
>community which has demonstrated an utter lack of
>media savy has resulted in Kostunica being the sole
>voice of authority on things Kosova.  I am desperately
>trying to put Kosova back on the media map and as I
>suggested in the letter, the fact the NBA is ignorant
>to the antics of two Serb players reflects a lack of
>interest in things not involving people who are
>underrepresented in Washington.  And no, Divac or
>Stojakovic do not have a "right" to use fascist
>symbols on the platform they operate.  Neo Nazi's
>using a stiff arm would never play in the league and I
>think the victims of Serb facism in the 1990s should
>have similar respect as per Divac.
>
>If anyone is interested, I believe in the US in the
>late afternoon, Divac and his teammate will appear on
>NBC, Saturday.
>
>I hope some of you in the states realize that we are
>losing Kosova, that the process is excellerating and
>it is, as I have always said, our fault.  We were
>better than what we are going to get.
>
>Tung,
>
>Isa
>--- SimonVukel at aol.com wrote:
> > Regarding Isa Blumi's email, I have to admit I
> > haven't watched enough
> > basketball lately to see what Divac has been doing
> > on the court, so I can't
> > comment on that without seeing it for myself.  If in
> > fact he has been
> > fluanting a Serb symbol of hatred, then he should be
> > taken to task for it.
> > Thankfully we live in a free country and he can do
> > as he wishes (as
> > unfortunate as his actions may be), but as Isa
> > states, his team members and
> > his fans should at least be made aware of what that
> > symbol potentially
> > represents before they join him in its expression.
> >
> > Nevertheless, I do have an issue with Isa Blumi's
> > attempt to portray this as
> > a Muslim issue.  Serb aggression knew no religious
> > boundaries -- Albanian
> > Christians and other non-Serb Christians were just
> > as equally slaughtered as
> > Muslims, so it is unfortunate that Isa make this a
> > call to arms, so to speak,
> > for Muslims.  I would encourage all Albanians to
> > resist any effort to make
> > what happened in Kosova a religious issue.  It was
> > not Christian vs. Muslim.
> > It was Serb vs. Albanian.  And whether one believes
> > in God, Allah, Yahweh, or
> > none at all, let's all pray and hope that Kosova one
> > day truly be free, and
> > that the nations of the Balkans can one day come to
> > a peaceful understanding.
> >  They don't have to love each other, but no one's
> > going anywhere, so they
> > might as well learn to live together.
> >
> > Have a good weekend everyone.
> > -Simon Vukel
> >
> >
>
>
>__________________________________________________
>Do You Yahoo!?
>Yahoo! Auctions - Buy the things you want at great prices.
>http://auctions.yahoo.com/
>____________________________________________________
>NYC-L: A discussion and information list of the
>Albanian community in the New York City Metro Area.
>To post to the list: NYC-L at alb-net.com
>For more information: http://www.alb-net.com/mailman/listinfo/nyc-l
>

_________________________________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com.



From SuzyQute68 at aol.com  Sat Jan 20 17:46:36 2001
From: SuzyQute68 at aol.com (SuzyQute68 at aol.com)
Date: Sat, 20 Jan 2001 17:46:36 EST
Subject: [NYC-L] Re: NYC-L digest, Vol 1 #67 - 2 msgs
Message-ID: <13.1054e960.279b6f4c@aol.com>

In regard to Isa Blumi's quest for unity,Mr Blumi your going about the wrong 
way, as Mr. Vukel stated this is not a religious fight it's battle of 
ethnicity, Serb Vs Albanian. So  Mr. Blumi I suggest if you want any response 
you address the people who are the targets of this hatred, ALBANIANS.Mr Blumi 
remember  what ethnicity you are even though it may be hard since your posted 
in Turkey a predominately a Muslim country, Serbs didn't stop to ask your 
fellow brothers (ALBANIANS) what religion they are before killing them, all 
the Serb needed to know was that he was eliminating another Albanian. Don't 
get sidetracked and cause division amongst our people, we are first all 
Albanian brothers and sisters, don't forget who your ancestors were and what 
the TURKS did to us .

Regards, 
msh


From XHUNGA at unhcr.ch  Sun Jan 21 12:05:42 2001
From: XHUNGA at unhcr.ch (Mariola Xhunga)
Date: Sun, 21 Jan 2001 18:05:42 +0100
Subject: [NYC-L] Anti-Albanian symbol in NBA--Reply to the e-mail of Simon
 Vukal
Message-ID: <sa6b5ce6.027@unhcr.ch>

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Url: http://www.alb-net.com/pipermail/nyc-l/attachments/20010121/6a0e79ef/attachment.pl 

From imerprishtina at hotmail.com  Mon Jan 22 00:36:19 2001
From: imerprishtina at hotmail.com (Imer Berisha)
Date: Mon, 22 Jan 2001 00:36:19 
Subject: [NYC-L] Albanian L. on the web/Isa Blumi etc.
Message-ID: <F158CPx33E1ioWwr2UA00004d2f@hotmail.com>

Has anyone read my letter to Isa Blumi?
I know it was written in Albanian, but I think we should be able to 
communicate in both languages.
After all Albanian is our mother tongue.  If Albanians do not use their 
language who is going to do that.  How can we talk about other problems if 
we cannot talk in Albanian.
I am sorry if I am a bit hursh.  For me as an Kosovan Albanian it is 
abslutely important that I speak Albanian until I die. Of course not only 
Albanian, other languages too. But Albanian language lives by being used by 
Albanians.  If we do not use it we are "killing" it.  I have lived abroad 
for some years so I know a bit about being far away from home, but looking 
to other communities I have come to conclusion that it is possible to live 
in another country and be integrated into its cultural and economic life and 
still preserve your own culture and language first of all.

Sorry again. I speak few languages but my priority is and will be Albanian 
language.
This can be another important topic to talk about as I think it goes against 
our oun national interest to talk/write only in English.
We are not giving an oportunty to yonger generations to preserve and learn 
their mother tongue. On the other hand it is better to write in Albanian, 
even with some mistakes than puting Albanian language aside altogether.

I cannot think of a possibility that people cannot read and write in 
Albanian. I hope I am wrong. And I hope somebody has read and understood 
what I have written in Albanian.

Look forward for some reactions on this subject. This subject I believe is 
as important as the Serb sign that I wrote about, if not even more.

Regards to all of you
Pershendetje te gjitheve

Imer Berisha
Shqipetare/jurist nga Kosova/Prishtina
student ne shkallen e III / LLM in US Legal Studies
Case Western Reserve University
Cleveland, Ohio, U.S. e-mail:imerprishtina at hotmail.com



>From: "Imer Berisha" <imerprishtina at hotmail.com>
>Reply-To: nyc-l at alb-net.com
>To: nyc-l at alb-net.com
>Subject: Re: [NYC-L] FW: Could you distribute
>Date: Sat, 20 Jan 2001 19:13:54
>
>          === NYC-L: New York City Discussion Forum ===
>
>Zoti Isa Blumi ju keni te drejte se me teper duhet te behet ne luften 
>kunder
>simboleve serbe qe paraqesin fashizem dhe fuqin qe beri gjenocid ne Bosnje
>dhe ne Kosove dhe PO faji eshte i yni.  Mire qe e keni prek kete teme se
>keshtu formohet opinioni edhe ne SHBA per mostolerimin e nje dukurie te
>caktuar, ne kete rast "tre gishtat" serb.
>Une pajtomem me ju se eshte simbol cetnik-fashist po nuk mendoj se eshte
>vetem antimusliman.  Ai se pari eshte antiboshnjak, antikroat, 
>antishqiptare
>dhe me kete antinjerezore pra ka te beje me te gjithe njerezimin 
>gjegjesisht
>normat e sjalljes.
>
>Nese eshte eshte e vertete ajo qe zoti Simon thot se Amerika eshte vend i
>lirive, dhe une mendoj se ka te drejte, prap ka mundesi qe nje sjellje e
>caktuar, ne kete rast tre gishtat serb te paraqiten ashtu si jane pra 
>shenje
>antinjerezore, shenje e urrejtjes dhe shfarosjes, atehere kjo mund te 
>ndikoj
>qe NBA apo klube te vecanta te nderrojne politken e tyre duke e ditur se
>publiku nuk e pranon nje gje te till.
>
>Por qe te arrihet nje gje e till, qe te ngritet vetedija ne SHBA se ajo
>shenje eshte raciste/anti-boshnjake,anti-shqiptare etj. duhet pune.
>
>Pra me vjen mire qe eshte prekur kjo ceshtje.
>
>Ka shume pune per te bere per shqiptaret dhe mjafte kohe eshte humbur. 
>Duhet
>te zihet hapi me gjera madhore por edhe kjo ceshtje e ka rendesin e saj sic
>e ka rendesin e saj edhe perdorimi i emerit Kosove ne formen serbe nga te
>huajt.  Une per vehten time vazhdimisht i bej me dije personat me te cilet
>kontaktoj se ata ne anglishte duhet ta perdorin emrin Kosova dmth -in
>Kosova, from Kosova etj. e jo Kosovo. Pra te gjithe shqiptaret pa dallim
>feje duhet te bejne shume sepse jemi ne gjusme te rruges dhe si duket disa
>shtete memzi kan pritur qe t'i afrohen Serbise.
>
>Pershendes te gjithe
>
>Imer Berisha
>LLM in Laws Candidate
>Case Western Reserve University
>
>
>>From: Isa Blumi <ngapeja at rocketmail.com>
>>Reply-To: nyc-l at alb-net.com
>>To: nyc-l at alb-net.com
>>Subject: Re: [NYC-L] FW: Could you distribute
>>Date: Sat, 20 Jan 2001 00:02:54 -0800 (PST)
>>
>>           === NYC-L: New York City Discussion Forum ===
>>
>>As regards to Simon's response and disjoinder as per
>>the religious aspect of the wars in the Balkans.  With
>>all due respect, the symbol itself is a religious
>>symbol and one cannot take the Serb vandalism and
>>symbolic targeting of religious communities and
>>promoting such activities using the vehicle of the
>>illegitimate "leadership" of the church which has
>>joined hands with neo-fascists.  A second point, I am
>>aware of the thin line one treads but if one were to
>>go back to the message, one will see I have sent two
>>seperate messages, the one to the reporters is not
>>reflecting on the inherent anti-Muslim aspects to the
>>gesture; in that respect, I have used the langauge to
>>adddress the issue to the Islamic-American relations
>>council out of frustration with my own multi-faith
>>community which has demonstrated an utter lack of
>>media savy has resulted in Kostunica being the sole
>>voice of authority on things Kosova.  I am desperately
>>trying to put Kosova back on the media map and as I
>>suggested in the letter, the fact the NBA is ignorant
>>to the antics of two Serb players reflects a lack of
>>interest in things not involving people who are
>>underrepresented in Washington.  And no, Divac or
>>Stojakovic do not have a "right" to use fascist
>>symbols on the platform they operate.  Neo Nazi's
>>using a stiff arm would never play in the league and I
>>think the victims of Serb facism in the 1990s should
>>have similar respect as per Divac.
>>
>>If anyone is interested, I believe in the US in the
>>late afternoon, Divac and his teammate will appear on
>>NBC, Saturday.
>>
>>I hope some of you in the states realize that we are
>>losing Kosova, that the process is excellerating and
>>it is, as I have always said, our fault.  We were
>>better than what we are going to get.
>>
>>Tung,
>>
>>Isa
>>--- SimonVukel at aol.com wrote:
>> > Regarding Isa Blumi's email, I have to admit I
>> > haven't watched enough
>> > basketball lately to see what Divac has been doing
>> > on the court, so I can't
>> > comment on that without seeing it for myself.  If in
>> > fact he has been
>> > fluanting a Serb symbol of hatred, then he should be
>> > taken to task for it.
>> > Thankfully we live in a free country and he can do
>> > as he wishes (as
>> > unfortunate as his actions may be), but as Isa
>> > states, his team members and
>> > his fans should at least be made aware of what that
>> > symbol potentially
>> > represents before they join him in its expression.
>> >
>> > Nevertheless, I do have an issue with Isa Blumi's
>> > attempt to portray this as
>> > a Muslim issue.  Serb aggression knew no religious
>> > boundaries -- Albanian
>> > Christians and other non-Serb Christians were just
>> > as equally slaughtered as
>> > Muslims, so it is unfortunate that Isa make this a
>> > call to arms, so to speak,
>> > for Muslims.  I would encourage all Albanians to
>> > resist any effort to make
>> > what happened in Kosova a religious issue.  It was
>> > not Christian vs. Muslim.
>> > It was Serb vs. Albanian.  And whether one believes
>> > in God, Allah, Yahweh, or
>> > none at all, let's all pray and hope that Kosova one
>> > day truly be free, and
>> > that the nations of the Balkans can one day come to
>> > a peaceful understanding.
>> >  They don't have to love each other, but no one's
>> > going anywhere, so they
>> > might as well learn to live together.
>> >
>> > Have a good weekend everyone.
>> > -Simon Vukel
>> >
>> >
>>
>>
>>__________________________________________________
>>Do You Yahoo!?
>>Yahoo! Auctions - Buy the things you want at great prices.
>>http://auctions.yahoo.com/
>>____________________________________________________
>>NYC-L: A discussion and information list of the
>>Albanian community in the New York City Metro Area.
>>To post to the list: NYC-L at alb-net.com
>>For more information: http://www.alb-net.com/mailman/listinfo/nyc-l
>>
>
>_________________________________________________________________________
>Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com.
>
>____________________________________________________
>NYC-L: A discussion and information list of the
>Albanian community in the New York City Metro Area.
>To post to the list: NYC-L at alb-net.com
>For more information: http://www.alb-net.com/mailman/listinfo/nyc-l
>

_________________________________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com.



From imerprishtina at hotmail.com  Mon Jan 22 00:39:54 2001
From: imerprishtina at hotmail.com (Imer Berisha)
Date: Mon, 22 Jan 2001 00:39:54 
Subject: [NYC-L] Albanian L. on the web/Isa Blumi etc.
Message-ID: <F139zUrIz8Ut65BVEpV0000394b@hotmail.com>

Has anyone read my letter to Isa Blumi?
I know it was written in Albanian, but I think we should be able to 
communicate in both languages.
After all Albanian is our mother tongue.  If Albanians do not use their 
language who is going to do that.  How can we talk about other problems if 
we cannot talk in Albanian.
I am sorry if I am a bit hursh.  For me as an Kosovan Albanian it is 
abslutely important that I speak Albanian until I die. Of course not only 
Albanian, other languages too. But Albanian language lives by being used by 
Albanians.  If we do not use it we are "killing" it.  I have lived abroad 
for some years so I know a bit about being far away from home, but looking 
to other communities I have come to conclusion that it is possible to live 
in another country and be integrated into its cultural and economic life and 
still preserve your own culture and language first of all.

Sorry again. I speak few languages but my priority is and will be Albanian 
language.
This can be another important topic to talk about as I think it goes against 
our oun national interest to talk/write only in English.
We are not giving an oportunty to yonger generations to preserve and learn 
their mother tongue. On the other hand it is better to write in Albanian, 
even with some mistakes than puting Albanian language aside altogether.

I cannot think of a possibility that people cannot read and write in 
Albanian. I hope I am wrong. And I hope somebody has read and understood 
what I have written in Albanian.

Look forward for some reactions on this subject. This subject I believe is 
as important as the Serb sign that I wrote about, if not even more.

Regards to all of you
Pershendetje te gjitheve

Imer Berisha
Shqipetare/jurist nga Kosova/Prishtina
student ne shkallen e III / LLM in US Legal Studies
Case Western Reserve University
Cleveland, Ohio, U.S. e-mail:imerprishtina at hotmail.com



>From: "Imer Berisha" <imerprishtina at hotmail.com>
>Reply-To: nyc-l at alb-net.com
>To: nyc-l at alb-net.com
>Subject: Re: [NYC-L] FW: Could you distribute
>Date: Sat, 20 Jan 2001 19:13:54
>
>          === NYC-L: New York City Discussion Forum ===
>
>Zoti Isa Blumi ju keni te drejte se me teper duhet te behet ne luften 
>kunder
>simboleve serbe qe paraqesin fashizem dhe fuqin qe beri gjenocid ne Bosnje
>dhe ne Kosove dhe PO faji eshte i yni.  Mire qe e keni prek kete teme se
>keshtu formohet opinioni edhe ne SHBA per mostolerimin e nje dukurie te
>caktuar, ne kete rast "tre gishtat" serb.
>Une pajtomem me ju se eshte simbol cetnik-fashist po nuk mendoj se eshte
>vetem antimusliman.  Ai se pari eshte antiboshnjak, antikroat, 
>antishqiptare
>dhe me kete antinjerezore pra ka te beje me te gjithe njerezimin 
>gjegjesisht
>normat e sjalljes.
>
>Nese eshte eshte e vertete ajo qe zoti Simon thot se Amerika eshte vend i
>lirive, dhe une mendoj se ka te drejte, prap ka mundesi qe nje sjellje e
>caktuar, ne kete rast tre gishtat serb te paraqiten ashtu si jane pra 
>shenje
>antinjerezore, shenje e urrejtjes dhe shfarosjes, atehere kjo mund te 
>ndikoj
>qe NBA apo klube te vecanta te nderrojne politken e tyre duke e ditur se
>publiku nuk e pranon nje gje te till.
>
>Por qe te arrihet nje gje e till, qe te ngritet vetedija ne SHBA se ajo
>shenje eshte raciste/anti-boshnjake,anti-shqiptare etj. duhet pune.
>
>Pra me vjen mire qe eshte prekur kjo ceshtje.
>
>Ka shume pune per te bere per shqiptaret dhe mjafte kohe eshte humbur. 
>Duhet
>te zihet hapi me gjera madhore por edhe kjo ceshtje e ka rendesin e saj sic
>e ka rendesin e saj edhe perdorimi i emerit Kosove ne formen serbe nga te
>huajt.  Une per vehten time vazhdimisht i bej me dije personat me te cilet
>kontaktoj se ata ne anglishte duhet ta perdorin emrin Kosova dmth -in
>Kosova, from Kosova etj. e jo Kosovo. Pra te gjithe shqiptaret pa dallim
>feje duhet te bejne shume sepse jemi ne gjusme te rruges dhe si duket disa
>shtete memzi kan pritur qe t'i afrohen Serbise.
>
>Pershendes te gjithe
>
>Imer Berisha
>LLM in Laws Candidate
>Case Western Reserve University
>
>
>>From: Isa Blumi <ngapeja at rocketmail.com>
>>Reply-To: nyc-l at alb-net.com
>>To: nyc-l at alb-net.com
>>Subject: Re: [NYC-L] FW: Could you distribute
>>Date: Sat, 20 Jan 2001 00:02:54 -0800 (PST)
>>
>>           === NYC-L: New York City Discussion Forum ===
>>
>>As regards to Simon's response and disjoinder as per
>>the religious aspect of the wars in the Balkans.  With
>>all due respect, the symbol itself is a religious
>>symbol and one cannot take the Serb vandalism and
>>symbolic targeting of religious communities and
>>promoting such activities using the vehicle of the
>>illegitimate "leadership" of the church which has
>>joined hands with neo-fascists.  A second point, I am
>>aware of the thin line one treads but if one were to
>>go back to the message, one will see I have sent two
>>seperate messages, the one to the reporters is not
>>reflecting on the inherent anti-Muslim aspects to the
>>gesture; in that respect, I have used the langauge to
>>adddress the issue to the Islamic-American relations
>>council out of frustration with my own multi-faith
>>community which has demonstrated an utter lack of
>>media savy has resulted in Kostunica being the sole
>>voice of authority on things Kosova.  I am desperately
>>trying to put Kosova back on the media map and as I
>>suggested in the letter, the fact the NBA is ignorant
>>to the antics of two Serb players reflects a lack of
>>interest in things not involving people who are
>>underrepresented in Washington.  And no, Divac or
>>Stojakovic do not have a "right" to use fascist
>>symbols on the platform they operate.  Neo Nazi's
>>using a stiff arm would never play in the league and I
>>think the victims of Serb facism in the 1990s should
>>have similar respect as per Divac.
>>
>>If anyone is interested, I believe in the US in the
>>late afternoon, Divac and his teammate will appear on
>>NBC, Saturday.
>>
>>I hope some of you in the states realize that we are
>>losing Kosova, that the process is excellerating and
>>it is, as I have always said, our fault.  We were
>>better than what we are going to get.
>>
>>Tung,
>>
>>Isa
>>--- SimonVukel at aol.com wrote:
>> > Regarding Isa Blumi's email, I have to admit I
>> > haven't watched enough
>> > basketball lately to see what Divac has been doing
>> > on the court, so I can't
>> > comment on that without seeing it for myself.  If in
>> > fact he has been
>> > fluanting a Serb symbol of hatred, then he should be
>> > taken to task for it.
>> > Thankfully we live in a free country and he can do
>> > as he wishes (as
>> > unfortunate as his actions may be), but as Isa
>> > states, his team members and
>> > his fans should at least be made aware of what that
>> > symbol potentially
>> > represents before they join him in its expression.
>> >
>> > Nevertheless, I do have an issue with Isa Blumi's
>> > attempt to portray this as
>> > a Muslim issue.  Serb aggression knew no religious
>> > boundaries -- Albanian
>> > Christians and other non-Serb Christians were just
>> > as equally slaughtered as
>> > Muslims, so it is unfortunate that Isa make this a
>> > call to arms, so to speak,
>> > for Muslims.  I would encourage all Albanians to
>> > resist any effort to make
>> > what happened in Kosova a religious issue.  It was
>> > not Christian vs. Muslim.
>> > It was Serb vs. Albanian.  And whether one believes
>> > in God, Allah, Yahweh, or
>> > none at all, let's all pray and hope that Kosova one
>> > day truly be free, and
>> > that the nations of the Balkans can one day come to
>> > a peaceful understanding.
>> >  They don't have to love each other, but no one's
>> > going anywhere, so they
>> > might as well learn to live together.
>> >
>> > Have a good weekend everyone.
>> > -Simon Vukel
>> >
>> >
>>
>>
>>__________________________________________________
>>Do You Yahoo!?
>>Yahoo! Auctions - Buy the things you want at great prices.
>>http://auctions.yahoo.com/
>>____________________________________________________
>>NYC-L: A discussion and information list of the
>>Albanian community in the New York City Metro Area.
>>To post to the list: NYC-L at alb-net.com
>>For more information: http://www.alb-net.com/mailman/listinfo/nyc-l
>>
>
>_________________________________________________________________________
>Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com.
>
>____________________________________________________
>NYC-L: A discussion and information list of the
>Albanian community in the New York City Metro Area.
>To post to the list: NYC-L at alb-net.com
>For more information: http://www.alb-net.com/mailman/listinfo/nyc-l
>

_________________________________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com.



From imerprishtina at hotmail.com  Mon Jan 22 00:40:48 2001
From: imerprishtina at hotmail.com (Imer Berisha)
Date: Mon, 22 Jan 2001 00:40:48 
Subject: [NYC-L] Albanian L. on the web/Isa Blumi etc.
Message-ID: <F194bB8qrkgCeR9eJjt00004d05@hotmail.com>

Has anyone read my letter to Isa Blumi?
I know it was written in Albanian, but I think we should be able to 
communicate in both languages.
After all Albanian is our mother tongue.  If Albanians do not use their 
language who is going to do that.  How can we talk about other problems if 
we cannot talk in Albanian.
I am sorry if I am a bit hursh.  For me as an Kosovan Albanian it is 
abslutely important that I speak Albanian until I die. Of course not only 
Albanian, other languages too. But Albanian language lives by being used by 
Albanians.  If we do not use it we are "killing" it.  I have lived abroad 
for some years so I know a bit about being far away from home, but looking 
to other communities I have come to conclusion that it is possible to live 
in another country and be integrated into its cultural and economic life and 
still preserve your own culture and language first of all.

Sorry again. I speak few languages but my priority is and will be Albanian 
language.
This can be another important topic to talk about as I think it goes against 
our oun national interest to talk/write only in English.
We are not giving an oportunty to yonger generations to preserve and learn 
their mother tongue. On the other hand it is better to write in Albanian, 
even with some mistakes than puting Albanian language aside altogether.

I cannot think of a possibility that people cannot read and write in 
Albanian. I hope I am wrong. And I hope somebody has read and understood 
what I have written in Albanian.

Look forward for some reactions on this subject. This subject I believe is 
as important as the Serb sign that I wrote about, if not even more.

Regards to all of you
Pershendetje te gjitheve

Imer Berisha
Shqipetare/jurist nga Kosova/Prishtina
student ne shkallen e III / LLM in US Legal Studies
Case Western Reserve University
Cleveland, Ohio, U.S. e-mail:imerprishtina at hotmail.com



>From: "Imer Berisha" <imerprishtina at hotmail.com>
>Reply-To: nyc-l at alb-net.com
>To: nyc-l at alb-net.com
>Subject: Re: [NYC-L] FW: Could you distribute
>Date: Sat, 20 Jan 2001 19:13:54
>
>          === NYC-L: New York City Discussion Forum ===
>
>Zoti Isa Blumi ju keni te drejte se me teper duhet te behet ne luften 
>kunder
>simboleve serbe qe paraqesin fashizem dhe fuqin qe beri gjenocid ne Bosnje
>dhe ne Kosove dhe PO faji eshte i yni.  Mire qe e keni prek kete teme se
>keshtu formohet opinioni edhe ne SHBA per mostolerimin e nje dukurie te
>caktuar, ne kete rast "tre gishtat" serb.
>Une pajtomem me ju se eshte simbol cetnik-fashist po nuk mendoj se eshte
>vetem antimusliman.  Ai se pari eshte antiboshnjak, antikroat, 
>antishqiptare
>dhe me kete antinjerezore pra ka te beje me te gjithe njerezimin 
>gjegjesisht
>normat e sjalljes.
>
>Nese eshte eshte e vertete ajo qe zoti Simon thot se Amerika eshte vend i
>lirive, dhe une mendoj se ka te drejte, prap ka mundesi qe nje sjellje e
>caktuar, ne kete rast tre gishtat serb te paraqiten ashtu si jane pra 
>shenje
>antinjerezore, shenje e urrejtjes dhe shfarosjes, atehere kjo mund te 
>ndikoj
>qe NBA apo klube te vecanta te nderrojne politken e tyre duke e ditur se
>publiku nuk e pranon nje gje te till.
>
>Por qe te arrihet nje gje e till, qe te ngritet vetedija ne SHBA se ajo
>shenje eshte raciste/anti-boshnjake,anti-shqiptare etj. duhet pune.
>
>Pra me vjen mire qe eshte prekur kjo ceshtje.
>
>Ka shume pune per te bere per shqiptaret dhe mjafte kohe eshte humbur. 
>Duhet
>te zihet hapi me gjera madhore por edhe kjo ceshtje e ka rendesin e saj sic
>e ka rendesin e saj edhe perdorimi i emerit Kosove ne formen serbe nga te
>huajt.  Une per vehten time vazhdimisht i bej me dije personat me te cilet
>kontaktoj se ata ne anglishte duhet ta perdorin emrin Kosova dmth -in
>Kosova, from Kosova etj. e jo Kosovo. Pra te gjithe shqiptaret pa dallim
>feje duhet te bejne shume sepse jemi ne gjusme te rruges dhe si duket disa
>shtete memzi kan pritur qe t'i afrohen Serbise.
>
>Pershendes te gjithe
>
>Imer Berisha
>LLM in Laws Candidate
>Case Western Reserve University
>
>
>>From: Isa Blumi <ngapeja at rocketmail.com>
>>Reply-To: nyc-l at alb-net.com
>>To: nyc-l at alb-net.com
>>Subject: Re: [NYC-L] FW: Could you distribute
>>Date: Sat, 20 Jan 2001 00:02:54 -0800 (PST)
>>
>>           === NYC-L: New York City Discussion Forum ===
>>
>>As regards to Simon's response and disjoinder as per
>>the religious aspect of the wars in the Balkans.  With
>>all due respect, the symbol itself is a religious
>>symbol and one cannot take the Serb vandalism and
>>symbolic targeting of religious communities and
>>promoting such activities using the vehicle of the
>>illegitimate "leadership" of the church which has
>>joined hands with neo-fascists.  A second point, I am
>>aware of the thin line one treads but if one were to
>>go back to the message, one will see I have sent two
>>seperate messages, the one to the reporters is not
>>reflecting on the inherent anti-Muslim aspects to the
>>gesture; in that respect, I have used the langauge to
>>adddress the issue to the Islamic-American relations
>>council out of frustration with my own multi-faith
>>community which has demonstrated an utter lack of
>>media savy has resulted in Kostunica being the sole
>>voice of authority on things Kosova.  I am desperately
>>trying to put Kosova back on the media map and as I
>>suggested in the letter, the fact the NBA is ignorant
>>to the antics of two Serb players reflects a lack of
>>interest in things not involving people who are
>>underrepresented in Washington.  And no, Divac or
>>Stojakovic do not have a "right" to use fascist
>>symbols on the platform they operate.  Neo Nazi's
>>using a stiff arm would never play in the league and I
>>think the victims of Serb facism in the 1990s should
>>have similar respect as per Divac.
>>
>>If anyone is interested, I believe in the US in the
>>late afternoon, Divac and his teammate will appear on
>>NBC, Saturday.
>>
>>I hope some of you in the states realize that we are
>>losing Kosova, that the process is excellerating and
>>it is, as I have always said, our fault.  We were
>>better than what we are going to get.
>>
>>Tung,
>>
>>Isa
>>--- SimonVukel at aol.com wrote:
>> > Regarding Isa Blumi's email, I have to admit I
>> > haven't watched enough
>> > basketball lately to see what Divac has been doing
>> > on the court, so I can't
>> > comment on that without seeing it for myself.  If in
>> > fact he has been
>> > fluanting a Serb symbol of hatred, then he should be
>> > taken to task for it.
>> > Thankfully we live in a free country and he can do
>> > as he wishes (as
>> > unfortunate as his actions may be), but as Isa
>> > states, his team members and
>> > his fans should at least be made aware of what that
>> > symbol potentially
>> > represents before they join him in its expression.
>> >
>> > Nevertheless, I do have an issue with Isa Blumi's
>> > attempt to portray this as
>> > a Muslim issue.  Serb aggression knew no religious
>> > boundaries -- Albanian
>> > Christians and other non-Serb Christians were just
>> > as equally slaughtered as
>> > Muslims, so it is unfortunate that Isa make this a
>> > call to arms, so to speak,
>> > for Muslims.  I would encourage all Albanians to
>> > resist any effort to make
>> > what happened in Kosova a religious issue.  It was
>> > not Christian vs. Muslim.
>> > It was Serb vs. Albanian.  And whether one believes
>> > in God, Allah, Yahweh, or
>> > none at all, let's all pray and hope that Kosova one
>> > day truly be free, and
>> > that the nations of the Balkans can one day come to
>> > a peaceful understanding.
>> >  They don't have to love each other, but no one's
>> > going anywhere, so they
>> > might as well learn to live together.
>> >
>> > Have a good weekend everyone.
>> > -Simon Vukel
>> >
>> >
>>
>>
>>__________________________________________________
>>Do You Yahoo!?
>>Yahoo! Auctions - Buy the things you want at great prices.
>>http://auctions.yahoo.com/
>>____________________________________________________
>>NYC-L: A discussion and information list of the
>>Albanian community in the New York City Metro Area.
>>To post to the list: NYC-L at alb-net.com
>>For more information: http://www.alb-net.com/mailman/listinfo/nyc-l
>>
>
>_________________________________________________________________________
>Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com.
>
>____________________________________________________
>NYC-L: A discussion and information list of the
>Albanian community in the New York City Metro Area.
>To post to the list: NYC-L at alb-net.com
>For more information: http://www.alb-net.com/mailman/listinfo/nyc-l
>

_________________________________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com.



From imerprishtina at hotmail.com  Mon Jan 22 00:41:31 2001
From: imerprishtina at hotmail.com (Imer Berisha)
Date: Mon, 22 Jan 2001 00:41:31 
Subject: [NYC-L] Albanian L. on the web/Isa Blumi etc.
Message-ID: <F113hG4YdlbEwPIHn0T000051e9@hotmail.com>

Has anyone read my letter to Isa Blumi?
I know it was written in Albanian, but I think we should be able to 
communicate in both languages.
After all Albanian is our mother tongue.  If Albanians do not use their 
language who is going to do that.  How can we talk about other problems if 
we cannot talk in Albanian.
I am sorry if I am a bit hursh.  For me as an Kosovan Albanian it is 
abslutely important that I speak Albanian until I die. Of course not only 
Albanian, other languages too. But Albanian language lives by being used by 
Albanians.  If we do not use it we are "killing" it.  I have lived abroad 
for some years so I know a bit about being far away from home, but looking 
to other communities I have come to conclusion that it is possible to live 
in another country and be integrated into its cultural and economic life and 
still preserve your own culture and language first of all.

Sorry again. I speak few languages but my priority is and will be Albanian 
language.
This can be another important topic to talk about as I think it goes against 
our oun national interest to talk/write only in English.
We are not giving an oportunty to yonger generations to preserve and learn 
their mother tongue. On the other hand it is better to write in Albanian, 
even with some mistakes than puting Albanian language aside altogether.

I cannot think of a possibility that people cannot read and write in 
Albanian. I hope I am wrong. And I hope somebody has read and understood 
what I have written in Albanian.

Look forward for some reactions on this subject. This subject I believe is 
as important as the Serb sign that I wrote about, if not even more.

Regards to all of you
Pershendetje te gjitheve

Imer Berisha
Shqipetare/jurist nga Kosova/Prishtina
student ne shkallen e III / LLM in US Legal Studies
Case Western Reserve University
Cleveland, Ohio, U.S. e-mail:imerprishtina at hotmail.com



>From: "Imer Berisha" <imerprishtina at hotmail.com>
>Reply-To: nyc-l at alb-net.com
>To: nyc-l at alb-net.com
>Subject: Re: [NYC-L] FW: Could you distribute
>Date: Sat, 20 Jan 2001 19:13:54
>
>          === NYC-L: New York City Discussion Forum ===
>
>Zoti Isa Blumi ju keni te drejte se me teper duhet te behet ne luften 
>kunder
>simboleve serbe qe paraqesin fashizem dhe fuqin qe beri gjenocid ne Bosnje
>dhe ne Kosove dhe PO faji eshte i yni.  Mire qe e keni prek kete teme se
>keshtu formohet opinioni edhe ne SHBA per mostolerimin e nje dukurie te
>caktuar, ne kete rast "tre gishtat" serb.
>Une pajtomem me ju se eshte simbol cetnik-fashist po nuk mendoj se eshte
>vetem antimusliman.  Ai se pari eshte antiboshnjak, antikroat, 
>antishqiptare
>dhe me kete antinjerezore pra ka te beje me te gjithe njerezimin 
>gjegjesisht
>normat e sjalljes.
>
>Nese eshte eshte e vertete ajo qe zoti Simon thot se Amerika eshte vend i
>lirive, dhe une mendoj se ka te drejte, prap ka mundesi qe nje sjellje e
>caktuar, ne kete rast tre gishtat serb te paraqiten ashtu si jane pra 
>shenje
>antinjerezore, shenje e urrejtjes dhe shfarosjes, atehere kjo mund te 
>ndikoj
>qe NBA apo klube te vecanta te nderrojne politken e tyre duke e ditur se
>publiku nuk e pranon nje gje te till.
>
>Por qe te arrihet nje gje e till, qe te ngritet vetedija ne SHBA se ajo
>shenje eshte raciste/anti-boshnjake,anti-shqiptare etj. duhet pune.
>
>Pra me vjen mire qe eshte prekur kjo ceshtje.
>
>Ka shume pune per te bere per shqiptaret dhe mjafte kohe eshte humbur. 
>Duhet
>te zihet hapi me gjera madhore por edhe kjo ceshtje e ka rendesin e saj sic
>e ka rendesin e saj edhe perdorimi i emerit Kosove ne formen serbe nga te
>huajt.  Une per vehten time vazhdimisht i bej me dije personat me te cilet
>kontaktoj se ata ne anglishte duhet ta perdorin emrin Kosova dmth -in
>Kosova, from Kosova etj. e jo Kosovo. Pra te gjithe shqiptaret pa dallim
>feje duhet te bejne shume sepse jemi ne gjusme te rruges dhe si duket disa
>shtete memzi kan pritur qe t'i afrohen Serbise.
>
>Pershendes te gjithe
>
>Imer Berisha
>LLM in Laws Candidate
>Case Western Reserve University
>
>
>>From: Isa Blumi <ngapeja at rocketmail.com>
>>Reply-To: nyc-l at alb-net.com
>>To: nyc-l at alb-net.com
>>Subject: Re: [NYC-L] FW: Could you distribute
>>Date: Sat, 20 Jan 2001 00:02:54 -0800 (PST)
>>
>>           === NYC-L: New York City Discussion Forum ===
>>
>>As regards to Simon's response and disjoinder as per
>>the religious aspect of the wars in the Balkans.  With
>>all due respect, the symbol itself is a religious
>>symbol and one cannot take the Serb vandalism and
>>symbolic targeting of religious communities and
>>promoting such activities using the vehicle of the
>>illegitimate "leadership" of the church which has
>>joined hands with neo-fascists.  A second point, I am
>>aware of the thin line one treads but if one were to
>>go back to the message, one will see I have sent two
>>seperate messages, the one to the reporters is not
>>reflecting on the inherent anti-Muslim aspects to the
>>gesture; in that respect, I have used the langauge to
>>adddress the issue to the Islamic-American relations
>>council out of frustration with my own multi-faith
>>community which has demonstrated an utter lack of
>>media savy has resulted in Kostunica being the sole
>>voice of authority on things Kosova.  I am desperately
>>trying to put Kosova back on the media map and as I
>>suggested in the letter, the fact the NBA is ignorant
>>to the antics of two Serb players reflects a lack of
>>interest in things not involving people who are
>>underrepresented in Washington.  And no, Divac or
>>Stojakovic do not have a "right" to use fascist
>>symbols on the platform they operate.  Neo Nazi's
>>using a stiff arm would never play in the league and I
>>think the victims of Serb facism in the 1990s should
>>have similar respect as per Divac.
>>
>>If anyone is interested, I believe in the US in the
>>late afternoon, Divac and his teammate will appear on
>>NBC, Saturday.
>>
>>I hope some of you in the states realize that we are
>>losing Kosova, that the process is excellerating and
>>it is, as I have always said, our fault.  We were
>>better than what we are going to get.
>>
>>Tung,
>>
>>Isa
>>--- SimonVukel at aol.com wrote:
>> > Regarding Isa Blumi's email, I have to admit I
>> > haven't watched enough
>> > basketball lately to see what Divac has been doing
>> > on the court, so I can't
>> > comment on that without seeing it for myself.  If in
>> > fact he has been
>> > fluanting a Serb symbol of hatred, then he should be
>> > taken to task for it.
>> > Thankfully we live in a free country and he can do
>> > as he wishes (as
>> > unfortunate as his actions may be), but as Isa
>> > states, his team members and
>> > his fans should at least be made aware of what that
>> > symbol potentially
>> > represents before they join him in its expression.
>> >
>> > Nevertheless, I do have an issue with Isa Blumi's
>> > attempt to portray this as
>> > a Muslim issue.  Serb aggression knew no religious
>> > boundaries -- Albanian
>> > Christians and other non-Serb Christians were just
>> > as equally slaughtered as
>> > Muslims, so it is unfortunate that Isa make this a
>> > call to arms, so to speak,
>> > for Muslims.  I would encourage all Albanians to
>> > resist any effort to make
>> > what happened in Kosova a religious issue.  It was
>> > not Christian vs. Muslim.
>> > It was Serb vs. Albanian.  And whether one believes
>> > in God, Allah, Yahweh, or
>> > none at all, let's all pray and hope that Kosova one
>> > day truly be free, and
>> > that the nations of the Balkans can one day come to
>> > a peaceful understanding.
>> >  They don't have to love each other, but no one's
>> > going anywhere, so they
>> > might as well learn to live together.
>> >
>> > Have a good weekend everyone.
>> > -Simon Vukel
>> >
>> >
>>
>>
>>__________________________________________________
>>Do You Yahoo!?
>>Yahoo! Auctions - Buy the things you want at great prices.
>>http://auctions.yahoo.com/
>>____________________________________________________
>>NYC-L: A discussion and information list of the
>>Albanian community in the New York City Metro Area.
>>To post to the list: NYC-L at alb-net.com
>>For more information: http://www.alb-net.com/mailman/listinfo/nyc-l
>>
>
>_________________________________________________________________________
>Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com.
>
>____________________________________________________
>NYC-L: A discussion and information list of the
>Albanian community in the New York City Metro Area.
>To post to the list: NYC-L at alb-net.com
>For more information: http://www.alb-net.com/mailman/listinfo/nyc-l
>

_________________________________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com.



From imerprishtina at hotmail.com  Mon Jan 22 00:41:58 2001
From: imerprishtina at hotmail.com (Imer Berisha)
Date: Mon, 22 Jan 2001 00:41:58 
Subject: [NYC-L] Albanian L. on the web/Isa Blumi etc.
Message-ID: <F1101XyCTr9rf3yXvEb000050d3@hotmail.com>

Has anyone read my letter to Isa Blumi?
I know it was written in Albanian, but I think we should be able to 
communicate in both languages.
After all Albanian is our mother tongue.  If Albanians do not use their 
language who is going to do that.  How can we talk about other problems if 
we cannot talk in Albanian.
I am sorry if I am a bit hursh.  For me as an Kosovan Albanian it is 
abslutely important that I speak Albanian until I die. Of course not only 
Albanian, other languages too. But Albanian language lives by being used by 
Albanians.  If we do not use it we are "killing" it.  I have lived abroad 
for some years so I know a bit about being far away from home, but looking 
to other communities I have come to conclusion that it is possible to live 
in another country and be integrated into its cultural and economic life and 
still preserve your own culture and language first of all.

Sorry again. I speak few languages but my priority is and will be Albanian 
language.
This can be another important topic to talk about as I think it goes against 
our oun national interest to talk/write only in English.
We are not giving an oportunty to yonger generations to preserve and learn 
their mother tongue. On the other hand it is better to write in Albanian, 
even with some mistakes than puting Albanian language aside altogether.

I cannot think of a possibility that people cannot read and write in 
Albanian. I hope I am wrong. And I hope somebody has read and understood 
what I have written in Albanian.

Look forward for some reactions on this subject. This subject I believe is 
as important as the Serb sign that I wrote about, if not even more.

Regards to all of you
Pershendetje te gjitheve

Imer Berisha
Shqipetare/jurist nga Kosova/Prishtina
student ne shkallen e III / LLM in US Legal Studies
Case Western Reserve University
Cleveland, Ohio, U.S. e-mail:imerprishtina at hotmail.com



>From: "Imer Berisha" <imerprishtina at hotmail.com>
>Reply-To: nyc-l at alb-net.com
>To: nyc-l at alb-net.com
>Subject: Re: [NYC-L] FW: Could you distribute
>Date: Sat, 20 Jan 2001 19:13:54
>
>          === NYC-L: New York City Discussion Forum ===
>
>Zoti Isa Blumi ju keni te drejte se me teper duhet te behet ne luften 
>kunder
>simboleve serbe qe paraqesin fashizem dhe fuqin qe beri gjenocid ne Bosnje
>dhe ne Kosove dhe PO faji eshte i yni.  Mire qe e keni prek kete teme se
>keshtu formohet opinioni edhe ne SHBA per mostolerimin e nje dukurie te
>caktuar, ne kete rast "tre gishtat" serb.
>Une pajtomem me ju se eshte simbol cetnik-fashist po nuk mendoj se eshte
>vetem antimusliman.  Ai se pari eshte antiboshnjak, antikroat, 
>antishqiptare
>dhe me kete antinjerezore pra ka te beje me te gjithe njerezimin 
>gjegjesisht
>normat e sjalljes.
>
>Nese eshte eshte e vertete ajo qe zoti Simon thot se Amerika eshte vend i
>lirive, dhe une mendoj se ka te drejte, prap ka mundesi qe nje sjellje e
>caktuar, ne kete rast tre gishtat serb te paraqiten ashtu si jane pra 
>shenje
>antinjerezore, shenje e urrejtjes dhe shfarosjes, atehere kjo mund te 
>ndikoj
>qe NBA apo klube te vecanta te nderrojne politken e tyre duke e ditur se
>publiku nuk e pranon nje gje te till.
>
>Por qe te arrihet nje gje e till, qe te ngritet vetedija ne SHBA se ajo
>shenje eshte raciste/anti-boshnjake,anti-shqiptare etj. duhet pune.
>
>Pra me vjen mire qe eshte prekur kjo ceshtje.
>
>Ka shume pune per te bere per shqiptaret dhe mjafte kohe eshte humbur. 
>Duhet
>te zihet hapi me gjera madhore por edhe kjo ceshtje e ka rendesin e saj sic
>e ka rendesin e saj edhe perdorimi i emerit Kosove ne formen serbe nga te
>huajt.  Une per vehten time vazhdimisht i bej me dije personat me te cilet
>kontaktoj se ata ne anglishte duhet ta perdorin emrin Kosova dmth -in
>Kosova, from Kosova etj. e jo Kosovo. Pra te gjithe shqiptaret pa dallim
>feje duhet te bejne shume sepse jemi ne gjusme te rruges dhe si duket disa
>shtete memzi kan pritur qe t'i afrohen Serbise.
>
>Pershendes te gjithe
>
>Imer Berisha
>LLM in Laws Candidate
>Case Western Reserve University
>
>
>>From: Isa Blumi <ngapeja at rocketmail.com>
>>Reply-To: nyc-l at alb-net.com
>>To: nyc-l at alb-net.com
>>Subject: Re: [NYC-L] FW: Could you distribute
>>Date: Sat, 20 Jan 2001 00:02:54 -0800 (PST)
>>
>>           === NYC-L: New York City Discussion Forum ===
>>
>>As regards to Simon's response and disjoinder as per
>>the religious aspect of the wars in the Balkans.  With
>>all due respect, the symbol itself is a religious
>>symbol and one cannot take the Serb vandalism and
>>symbolic targeting of religious communities and
>>promoting such activities using the vehicle of the
>>illegitimate "leadership" of the church which has
>>joined hands with neo-fascists.  A second point, I am
>>aware of the thin line one treads but if one were to
>>go back to the message, one will see I have sent two
>>seperate messages, the one to the reporters is not
>>reflecting on the inherent anti-Muslim aspects to the
>>gesture; in that respect, I have used the langauge to
>>adddress the issue to the Islamic-American relations
>>council out of frustration with my own multi-faith
>>community which has demonstrated an utter lack of
>>media savy has resulted in Kostunica being the sole
>>voice of authority on things Kosova.  I am desperately
>>trying to put Kosova back on the media map and as I
>>suggested in the letter, the fact the NBA is ignorant
>>to the antics of two Serb players reflects a lack of
>>interest in things not involving people who are
>>underrepresented in Washington.  And no, Divac or
>>Stojakovic do not have a "right" to use fascist
>>symbols on the platform they operate.  Neo Nazi's
>>using a stiff arm would never play in the league and I
>>think the victims of Serb facism in the 1990s should
>>have similar respect as per Divac.
>>
>>If anyone is interested, I believe in the US in the
>>late afternoon, Divac and his teammate will appear on
>>NBC, Saturday.
>>
>>I hope some of you in the states realize that we are
>>losing Kosova, that the process is excellerating and
>>it is, as I have always said, our fault.  We were
>>better than what we are going to get.
>>
>>Tung,
>>
>>Isa
>>--- SimonVukel at aol.com wrote:
>> > Regarding Isa Blumi's email, I have to admit I
>> > haven't watched enough
>> > basketball lately to see what Divac has been doing
>> > on the court, so I can't
>> > comment on that without seeing it for myself.  If in
>> > fact he has been
>> > fluanting a Serb symbol of hatred, then he should be
>> > taken to task for it.
>> > Thankfully we live in a free country and he can do
>> > as he wishes (as
>> > unfortunate as his actions may be), but as Isa
>> > states, his team members and
>> > his fans should at least be made aware of what that
>> > symbol potentially
>> > represents before they join him in its expression.
>> >
>> > Nevertheless, I do have an issue with Isa Blumi's
>> > attempt to portray this as
>> > a Muslim issue.  Serb aggression knew no religious
>> > boundaries -- Albanian
>> > Christians and other non-Serb Christians were just
>> > as equally slaughtered as
>> > Muslims, so it is unfortunate that Isa make this a
>> > call to arms, so to speak,
>> > for Muslims.  I would encourage all Albanians to
>> > resist any effort to make
>> > what happened in Kosova a religious issue.  It was
>> > not Christian vs. Muslim.
>> > It was Serb vs. Albanian.  And whether one believes
>> > in God, Allah, Yahweh, or
>> > none at all, let's all pray and hope that Kosova one
>> > day truly be free, and
>> > that the nations of the Balkans can one day come to
>> > a peaceful understanding.
>> >  They don't have to love each other, but no one's
>> > going anywhere, so they
>> > might as well learn to live together.
>> >
>> > Have a good weekend everyone.
>> > -Simon Vukel
>> >
>> >
>>
>>
>>__________________________________________________
>>Do You Yahoo!?
>>Yahoo! Auctions - Buy the things you want at great prices.
>>http://auctions.yahoo.com/
>>____________________________________________________
>>NYC-L: A discussion and information list of the
>>Albanian community in the New York City Metro Area.
>>To post to the list: NYC-L at alb-net.com
>>For more information: http://www.alb-net.com/mailman/listinfo/nyc-l
>>
>
>_________________________________________________________________________
>Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com.
>
>____________________________________________________
>NYC-L: A discussion and information list of the
>Albanian community in the New York City Metro Area.
>To post to the list: NYC-L at alb-net.com
>For more information: http://www.alb-net.com/mailman/listinfo/nyc-l
>

_________________________________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com.



From imerprishtina at hotmail.com  Mon Jan 22 00:42:33 2001
From: imerprishtina at hotmail.com (Imer Berisha)
Date: Mon, 22 Jan 2001 00:42:33 
Subject: [NYC-L] Albanian L. on the web/Isa Blumi etc.
Message-ID: <F30BTQYIcVqeavxhgue0000152a@hotmail.com>

Has anyone read my letter to Isa Blumi?
I know it was written in Albanian, but I think we should be able to 
communicate in both languages.
After all Albanian is our mother tongue.  If Albanians do not use their 
language who is going to do that.  How can we talk about other problems if 
we cannot talk in Albanian.
I am sorry if I am a bit hursh.  For me as an Kosovan Albanian it is 
abslutely important that I speak Albanian until I die. Of course not only 
Albanian, other languages too. But Albanian language lives by being used by 
Albanians.  If we do not use it we are "killing" it.  I have lived abroad 
for some years so I know a bit about being far away from home, but looking 
to other communities I have come to conclusion that it is possible to live 
in another country and be integrated into its cultural and economic life and 
still preserve your own culture and language first of all.

Sorry again. I speak few languages but my priority is and will be Albanian 
language.
This can be another important topic to talk about as I think it goes against 
our oun national interest to talk/write only in English.
We are not giving an oportunty to yonger generations to preserve and learn 
their mother tongue. On the other hand it is better to write in Albanian, 
even with some mistakes than puting Albanian language aside altogether.

I cannot think of a possibility that people cannot read and write in 
Albanian. I hope I am wrong. And I hope somebody has read and understood 
what I have written in Albanian.

Look forward for some reactions on this subject. This subject I believe is 
as important as the Serb sign that I wrote about, if not even more.

Regards to all of you
Pershendetje te gjitheve

Imer Berisha
Shqipetare/jurist nga Kosova/Prishtina
student ne shkallen e III / LLM in US Legal Studies
Case Western Reserve University
Cleveland, Ohio, U.S. e-mail:imerprishtina at hotmail.com



>From: "Imer Berisha" <imerprishtina at hotmail.com>
>Reply-To: nyc-l at alb-net.com
>To: nyc-l at alb-net.com
>Subject: Re: [NYC-L] FW: Could you distribute
>Date: Sat, 20 Jan 2001 19:13:54
>
>          === NYC-L: New York City Discussion Forum ===
>
>Zoti Isa Blumi ju keni te drejte se me teper duhet te behet ne luften 
>kunder
>simboleve serbe qe paraqesin fashizem dhe fuqin qe beri gjenocid ne Bosnje
>dhe ne Kosove dhe PO faji eshte i yni.  Mire qe e keni prek kete teme se
>keshtu formohet opinioni edhe ne SHBA per mostolerimin e nje dukurie te
>caktuar, ne kete rast "tre gishtat" serb.
>Une pajtomem me ju se eshte simbol cetnik-fashist po nuk mendoj se eshte
>vetem antimusliman.  Ai se pari eshte antiboshnjak, antikroat, 
>antishqiptare
>dhe me kete antinjerezore pra ka te beje me te gjithe njerezimin 
>gjegjesisht
>normat e sjalljes.
>
>Nese eshte eshte e vertete ajo qe zoti Simon thot se Amerika eshte vend i
>lirive, dhe une mendoj se ka te drejte, prap ka mundesi qe nje sjellje e
>caktuar, ne kete rast tre gishtat serb te paraqiten ashtu si jane pra 
>shenje
>antinjerezore, shenje e urrejtjes dhe shfarosjes, atehere kjo mund te 
>ndikoj
>qe NBA apo klube te vecanta te nderrojne politken e tyre duke e ditur se
>publiku nuk e pranon nje gje te till.
>
>Por qe te arrihet nje gje e till, qe te ngritet vetedija ne SHBA se ajo
>shenje eshte raciste/anti-boshnjake,anti-shqiptare etj. duhet pune.
>
>Pra me vjen mire qe eshte prekur kjo ceshtje.
>
>Ka shume pune per te bere per shqiptaret dhe mjafte kohe eshte humbur. 
>Duhet
>te zihet hapi me gjera madhore por edhe kjo ceshtje e ka rendesin e saj sic
>e ka rendesin e saj edhe perdorimi i emerit Kosove ne formen serbe nga te
>huajt.  Une per vehten time vazhdimisht i bej me dije personat me te cilet
>kontaktoj se ata ne anglishte duhet ta perdorin emrin Kosova dmth -in
>Kosova, from Kosova etj. e jo Kosovo. Pra te gjithe shqiptaret pa dallim
>feje duhet te bejne shume sepse jemi ne gjusme te rruges dhe si duket disa
>shtete memzi kan pritur qe t'i afrohen Serbise.
>
>Pershendes te gjithe
>
>Imer Berisha
>LLM in Laws Candidate
>Case Western Reserve University
>
>
>>From: Isa Blumi <ngapeja at rocketmail.com>
>>Reply-To: nyc-l at alb-net.com
>>To: nyc-l at alb-net.com
>>Subject: Re: [NYC-L] FW: Could you distribute
>>Date: Sat, 20 Jan 2001 00:02:54 -0800 (PST)
>>
>>           === NYC-L: New York City Discussion Forum ===
>>
>>As regards to Simon's response and disjoinder as per
>>the religious aspect of the wars in the Balkans.  With
>>all due respect, the symbol itself is a religious
>>symbol and one cannot take the Serb vandalism and
>>symbolic targeting of religious communities and
>>promoting such activities using the vehicle of the
>>illegitimate "leadership" of the church which has
>>joined hands with neo-fascists.  A second point, I am
>>aware of the thin line one treads but if one were to
>>go back to the message, one will see I have sent two
>>seperate messages, the one to the reporters is not
>>reflecting on the inherent anti-Muslim aspects to the
>>gesture; in that respect, I have used the langauge to
>>adddress the issue to the Islamic-American relations
>>council out of frustration with my own multi-faith
>>community which has demonstrated an utter lack of
>>media savy has resulted in Kostunica being the sole
>>voice of authority on things Kosova.  I am desperately
>>trying to put Kosova back on the media map and as I
>>suggested in the letter, the fact the NBA is ignorant
>>to the antics of two Serb players reflects a lack of
>>interest in things not involving people who are
>>underrepresented in Washington.  And no, Divac or
>>Stojakovic do not have a "right" to use fascist
>>symbols on the platform they operate.  Neo Nazi's
>>using a stiff arm would never play in the league and I
>>think the victims of Serb facism in the 1990s should
>>have similar respect as per Divac.
>>
>>If anyone is interested, I believe in the US in the
>>late afternoon, Divac and his teammate will appear on
>>NBC, Saturday.
>>
>>I hope some of you in the states realize that we are
>>losing Kosova, that the process is excellerating and
>>it is, as I have always said, our fault.  We were
>>better than what we are going to get.
>>
>>Tung,
>>
>>Isa
>>--- SimonVukel at aol.com wrote:
>> > Regarding Isa Blumi's email, I have to admit I
>> > haven't watched enough
>> > basketball lately to see what Divac has been doing
>> > on the court, so I can't
>> > comment on that without seeing it for myself.  If in
>> > fact he has been
>> > fluanting a Serb symbol of hatred, then he should be
>> > taken to task for it.
>> > Thankfully we live in a free country and he can do
>> > as he wishes (as
>> > unfortunate as his actions may be), but as Isa
>> > states, his team members and
>> > his fans should at least be made aware of what that
>> > symbol potentially
>> > represents before they join him in its expression.
>> >
>> > Nevertheless, I do have an issue with Isa Blumi's
>> > attempt to portray this as
>> > a Muslim issue.  Serb aggression knew no religious
>> > boundaries -- Albanian
>> > Christians and other non-Serb Christians were just
>> > as equally slaughtered as
>> > Muslims, so it is unfortunate that Isa make this a
>> > call to arms, so to speak,
>> > for Muslims.  I would encourage all Albanians to
>> > resist any effort to make
>> > what happened in Kosova a religious issue.  It was
>> > not Christian vs. Muslim.
>> > It was Serb vs. Albanian.  And whether one believes
>> > in God, Allah, Yahweh, or
>> > none at all, let's all pray and hope that Kosova one
>> > day truly be free, and
>> > that the nations of the Balkans can one day come to
>> > a peaceful understanding.
>> >  They don't have to love each other, but no one's
>> > going anywhere, so they
>> > might as well learn to live together.
>> >
>> > Have a good weekend everyone.
>> > -Simon Vukel
>> >
>> >
>>
>>
>>__________________________________________________
>>Do You Yahoo!?
>>Yahoo! Auctions - Buy the things you want at great prices.
>>http://auctions.yahoo.com/
>>____________________________________________________
>>NYC-L: A discussion and information list of the
>>Albanian community in the New York City Metro Area.
>>To post to the list: NYC-L at alb-net.com
>>For more information: http://www.alb-net.com/mailman/listinfo/nyc-l
>>
>
>_________________________________________________________________________
>Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com.
>
>____________________________________________________
>NYC-L: A discussion and information list of the
>Albanian community in the New York City Metro Area.
>To post to the list: NYC-L at alb-net.com
>For more information: http://www.alb-net.com/mailman/listinfo/nyc-l
>

_________________________________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com.



From besnik at alb-net.com  Mon Jan 22 12:39:45 2001
From: besnik at alb-net.com (Besnik Pula)
Date: Mon, 22 Jan 2001 13:39:45 -0400
Subject: [NYC-L] Re: Anti-Muslim/Anti-Albanian Symbols in MBA!
In-Reply-To: <F212bqfAj81EYtN3Isa00006b4c@hotmail.com>
Message-ID: <B691E8A1.187B%besnik@alb-net.com>

Dear friends,

I think our focus on Isa's call to Muslims is misdirected and is overlooking
the more important issue in this case. If you read the letter Isa sent to
the NBA, it does not address the issue of Divac's behavior as a Muslim or
Albanian one, but a moral one.

What is more important in this case is our community's utter lack of any
organized and institutional means to counter disparaging media
representations of ourselves, and the manifestation of offensive behavior
against us. The matter did not begin nor does it end with the NBA tolerating
Divac's behavior. It is the constant characterization in the mainstream
Western media of Albanians as drug runners, pimps, prone to violence,
operating in "mafia-like clan organizations", and sometimes even as "Muslim
fundamentalists". It is Yugoslav ministers' and international officials
shamelessly justifying the recent attempt at genocide against Kosovar
Albanians in Washington Post and New York Times' articles. It is things like
this that, beyond occassional letters of protest sent on an individual
basis, we are incapable of countering with any serious and sustained protest
campaign.

Hence, I do not find it at all surprising that Isa resorted to trying to
mobilize support from American Muslim communities, some of which are much
better organized and capable of countering and modifying the media's
behavior.

But then, perhaps opposing media representations of certain groups and
communities and standing up for ourselves is not something we are apt to do.
As someone else noted, if Isa's call was directed to the pope or to American
Catholics, many of us would have probably not reacted so vehemently against
Isa's letter...

Besnik



From vbelegu at hotmail.com  Tue Jan 23 21:01:04 2001
From: vbelegu at hotmail.com (Visar Belegu)
Date: Tue, 23 Jan 2001 20:01:04 -0600
Subject: [NYC-L] (no subject)
Message-ID: <LAW2-OE64lyuwZlXJcb00000484@hotmail.com>

Hi everyone

I must say I am enjoying the little debate that you all have going!  I saw the Kings game last Saturday on NBC when they beat the Blazers, and quite frankly I was upset that Portland lost but I also noticed one of the Kings players raise the infamous three fingers after he made a three point shot at the latter part of the fourth quarter.  Some of you may not know this but recently Alan Iverson, of the Philadelphia 76ers for the people that do not follow the NBA, released a rap album in which he had to rewrite some of the songs because the lyrics where offensive toward homosexual people as well as women; this goes to show the type of control the NBA commisiner, David Stern, has on the out-of-court behavior of the NBA players.  Toward this Snopp Doggy Dogg and Master P, rappers and entreupeneurs, said that Iverson changed his lyrics because he is a ball player first, and a rapper second.  Therefore, there is no doubt that if the commissioner became aware of the fact that the three fingers are a symbol of a regime that promotes hate crimes, and violence toward any ethnicity or religion he would "convince" any and all players not to use that gesture in public, at least not during the time they are associated with a broadcast that is NBA and basketball related.  

This gesture, the three fingers raised during an NBA game however offensive we might find it, is the least of our problems.  Perhaps we are losing Kosova as Mr. Blumi says however it is not because we cannot get Divac and Peja to stop raisng three fingers during a basketball game.  Mr. Blumi I believe is a PhD candidate in a political science related field of study, and as an educated Albanian he should know that any comment that he makes in which he expresses concern about how the Muslim Albanians are being offended and so on is offensive to all Albanians.  If he is not aware of this then I would refer him to the poem of Vaso Pasha which I believe is titled "Shqiperi e mjera Shqiperi."  I do not what to prolong a pointless argument here but I just want to reiterate the mindless divisions that we are introducing amongst our selves at a time when UNITY should be goal of all Albanians.  In front of me I have a magazine from Prishtina titeled Kosovarja, and in the fourth page a 17 year old girl writes "I have never been so lucky to fall in love with a boy of my class instead I have always gotten in relationships with boys of lower classes such as peasents (fshatare), junkies, and members of catholic faith etc;" on the same page there are letters from five other readers that praise this magazine from its "great" articles.  Personally, I was not aware that in the population of Kosova we had different social classes, and I am certain that we cannot afford to invent them.  In conclussion of this thought, since our goal is the same - independence, and subsequent prosperity for Kosova as well as Albania,- and since Kosovars - muslims as well as catholics, peasents as well as city dwellers - have equally suffered, when we complain about anything that is detramental to our cause we should be more inclusive.   

With all this said it is even more sad to say that this is not our biggest problem.  So what is our biggest problem? Today, the citizens of Kosova are reluctant to pay taxes because they see how waistful the UN administration is with their tax money; Our future presidential candidates are, the most promominent at least, two men, one of which blatently disregards the law, is involved in racketeering, stealing of public property, and who knows what else, while the second one has shown that he has more regard for his own life than any of his constituents and has never made an attempt to apologize for his courdly behaviour.  Our economy. . . well it is is shoumbless, and no one is making an effort to come up with a scheme to recover it; and why should we try to do that when we can just wait for the UN to do it for us!?  Our legal system is the same miserable situtation, and minimal efforts are being taken to repair it.  Perhaps most importantly our education system is in the worst position with high school graduates being more interested in becoming Miss this and that or working for 1000 DM/month versus continuing their education; welcome to Kosova the land of bluming iliteracy.  Not to mention the fact that corruption has creept into every aspect of life, all the way up to university professors.

See, now I am angry.  All you people, myself included, can come up with reasons to complain, something to bitch about.  However, I would advise you to be cations about expressing your concerns, and if you must express them in a public forum make sure your suggesting a solution, at least a half logical one, otherwise your wasting our time.  You can understand the latter from reading this letter.

Visar Belegu
PhD Candidate
University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation
Department of Free Radical Biology and Aging<br clear=all><hr>Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at <a href="http://explorer.msn.com">http://explorer.msn.com</a><br></p>
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From etrit at alb-net.com  Wed Jan 24 00:27:15 2001
From: etrit at alb-net.com (Etrit Bardhi)
Date: Wed, 24 Jan 2001 00:27:15 -0500 (EST)
Subject: [NYC-L] Balkan War Photoes
Message-ID: <Pine.GSO.4.32.0101240026360.19243-100000@alb-net.com>

Hi,

there's a gallery with balkan war pictures through Feb. 8 at the Saba
Gallery (116 East 16th Street, Manhattan).

Etrit.



From XHUNGA at unhcr.ch  Wed Jan 24 02:58:31 2001
From: XHUNGA at unhcr.ch (Mariola Xhunga)
Date: Wed, 24 Jan 2001 08:58:31 +0100
Subject: [NYC-L] NYC-L digest, Vol 1 #73 - 1 msg -Reply
Message-ID: <sa6e9b03.045@unhcr.ch>

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From ngapeja at rocketmail.com  Wed Jan 24 08:19:54 2001
From: ngapeja at rocketmail.com (Isa Blumi)
Date: Wed, 24 Jan 2001 05:19:54 -0800 (PST)
Subject: [NYC-L] Balkan War Photoes
Message-ID: <20010124131954.14521.qmail@web1601.mail.yahoo.com>

Could someone be so kind and visit this show and take
the printed material provided to guests?  I am writing
a book on this subject and while I cannot visit since
I am researching in Istanbul, I would very much like
to know of new sources of photos on the war that led
to Kosova's occupation and annexation by Serbia. 
Could someone be so kind and confirm that they will
visit the exhibition and save me this material?

Falemendarit shume!

Tung,

Isa
--- Etrit Bardhi <etrit at alb-net.com> wrote:
>           === NYC-L: New York City Discussion Forum
> ===
> 
> Hi,
> 
> there's a gallery with balkan war pictures through
> Feb. 8 at the Saba
> Gallery (116 East 16th Street, Manhattan).
> 
> Etrit.
> 
> ____________________________________________________
> NYC-L: A discussion and information list of the
> Albanian community in the New York City Metro Area.
> To post to the list: NYC-L at alb-net.com
> For more information:
> http://www.alb-net.com/mailman/listinfo/nyc-l
> 


__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Yahoo! Auctions - Buy the things you want at great prices. 
http://auctions.yahoo.com/


From SuzyQute68 at aol.com  Wed Jan 24 09:27:21 2001
From: SuzyQute68 at aol.com (SuzyQute68 at aol.com)
Date: Wed, 24 Jan 2001 09:27:21 EST
Subject: [NYC-L] Fwd: NYC-L digest, Vol 1 #72 - 1 msg
Message-ID: <a2.f2ebf95.27a04049@aol.com>

To Whom It May Concern,

I'm writing to ask why is it that my response to Mr. Isa Blumi' s letter has 
not been added to the Vol. of messeges,it was meant for my fellow Albanians 
to read as well as yourselves. I am not a professor of a university but I am 
an albanian with an opinion, are you being selective as to who's opinions are 
more important than others? 
Thank You
msh
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From imerprishtina at hotmail.com  Tue Jan 23 02:50:46 2001
From: imerprishtina at hotmail.com (Imer Berisha)
Date: Tue, 23 Jan 2001 02:50:46 
Subject: Fwd: [NYC-L] Albanian L. on the web/Isa Blumi etc.
Message-ID: <F129iz2Mb1s7nlT2NqF000003eb@hotmail.com>

I don't know has anyone received this message. If yes please reply for the 
sake of the subject mentioned: Albanian Language and its use among Albanians 
in the U.S.A. and other English speaking countries.
Of course this is not to underestimate the issue of the Serb symbol for 
which I stated that is a symbol of Serbian hegemony on the region and 
anti-Albanian, ant-Boshnjak, anti-Croat. It is anti-human, and therefore a 
pressure should be applied to media and in any other lawful way to make it 
deasepear from TV screens and other media, and raise awarnees into every 
society (U.S., U.K. Australia etc.) about the racist message that it 
contains.

Regards/Pershendetje

Imer Berisha
Cleveland, Ohio


>From: "Imer Berisha" <imerprishtina at hotmail.com>
>Reply-To: nyc-l at alb-net.com
>To: nyc-l at alb-net.com
>Subject: [NYC-L] Albanian L. on the web/Isa Blumi etc.
>Date: Mon, 22 Jan 2001 00:41:58
>
>          === NYC-L: New York City Discussion Forum ===
>
>Has anyone read my letter to Isa Blumi?
>I know it was written in Albanian, but I think we should be able to
>communicate in both languages.
>After all Albanian is our mother tongue.  If Albanians do not use their
>language who is going to do that.  How can we talk about other problems if
>we cannot talk in Albanian.
>I am sorry if I am a bit hursh.  For me as an Kosovan Albanian it is
>abslutely important that I speak Albanian until I die. Of course not only
>Albanian, other languages too. But Albanian language lives by being used by
>Albanians.  If we do not use it we are "killing" it.  I have lived abroad
>for some years so I know a bit about being far away from home, but looking
>to other communities I have come to conclusion that it is possible to live
>in another country and be integrated into its cultural and economic life 
>and
>still preserve your own culture and language first of all.
>
>Sorry again. I speak few languages but my priority is and will be Albanian
>language.
>This can be another important topic to talk about as I think it goes 
>against
>our oun national interest to talk/write only in English.
>We are not giving an oportunty to yonger generations to preserve and learn
>their mother tongue. On the other hand it is better to write in Albanian,
>even with some mistakes than puting Albanian language aside altogether.
>
>I cannot think of a possibility that people cannot read and write in
>Albanian. I hope I am wrong. And I hope somebody has read and understood
>what I have written in Albanian.
>
>Look forward for some reactions on this subject. This subject I believe is
>as important as the Serb sign that I wrote about, if not even more.
>
>Regards to all of you
>Pershendetje te gjitheve
>
>Imer Berisha
>Shqipetare/jurist nga Kosova/Prishtina
>student ne shkallen e III / LLM in US Legal Studies
>Case Western Reserve University
>Cleveland, Ohio, U.S. e-mail:imerprishtina at hotmail.com
>
>
>
>>From: "Imer Berisha" <imerprishtina at hotmail.com>
>>Reply-To: nyc-l at alb-net.com
>>To: nyc-l at alb-net.com
>>Subject: Re: [NYC-L] FW: Could you distribute
>>Date: Sat, 20 Jan 2001 19:13:54
>>
>>          === NYC-L: New York City Discussion Forum ===
>>
>>Zoti Isa Blumi ju keni te drejte se me teper duhet te behet ne luften
>>kunder
>>simboleve serbe qe paraqesin fashizem dhe fuqin qe beri gjenocid ne Bosnje
>>dhe ne Kosove dhe PO faji eshte i yni.  Mire qe e keni prek kete teme se
>>keshtu formohet opinioni edhe ne SHBA per mostolerimin e nje dukurie te
>>caktuar, ne kete rast "tre gishtat" serb.
>>Une pajtomem me ju se eshte simbol cetnik-fashist po nuk mendoj se eshte
>>vetem antimusliman.  Ai se pari eshte antiboshnjak, antikroat,
>>antishqiptare
>>dhe me kete antinjerezore pra ka te beje me te gjithe njerezimin
>>gjegjesisht
>>normat e sjalljes.
>>
>>Nese eshte eshte e vertete ajo qe zoti Simon thot se Amerika eshte vend i
>>lirive, dhe une mendoj se ka te drejte, prap ka mundesi qe nje sjellje e
>>caktuar, ne kete rast tre gishtat serb te paraqiten ashtu si jane pra
>>shenje
>>antinjerezore, shenje e urrejtjes dhe shfarosjes, atehere kjo mund te
>>ndikoj
>>qe NBA apo klube te vecanta te nderrojne politken e tyre duke e ditur se
>>publiku nuk e pranon nje gje te till.
>>
>>Por qe te arrihet nje gje e till, qe te ngritet vetedija ne SHBA se ajo
>>shenje eshte raciste/anti-boshnjake,anti-shqiptare etj. duhet pune.
>>
>>Pra me vjen mire qe eshte prekur kjo ceshtje.
>>
>>Ka shume pune per te bere per shqiptaret dhe mjafte kohe eshte humbur.
>>Duhet
>>te zihet hapi me gjera madhore por edhe kjo ceshtje e ka rendesin e saj 
>>sic
>>e ka rendesin e saj edhe perdorimi i emerit Kosove ne formen serbe nga te
>>huajt.  Une per vehten time vazhdimisht i bej me dije personat me te cilet
>>kontaktoj se ata ne anglishte duhet ta perdorin emrin Kosova dmth -in
>>Kosova, from Kosova etj. e jo Kosovo. Pra te gjithe shqiptaret pa dallim
>>feje duhet te bejne shume sepse jemi ne gjusme te rruges dhe si duket disa
>>shtete memzi kan pritur qe t'i afrohen Serbise.
>>
>>Pershendes te gjithe
>>
>>Imer Berisha
>>LLM in Laws Candidate
>>Case Western Reserve University
>>
>>
>>>From: Isa Blumi <ngapeja at rocketmail.com>
>>>Reply-To: nyc-l at alb-net.com
>>>To: nyc-l at alb-net.com
>>>Subject: Re: [NYC-L] FW: Could you distribute
>>>Date: Sat, 20 Jan 2001 00:02:54 -0800 (PST)
>>>
>>>           === NYC-L: New York City Discussion Forum ===
>>>
>>>As regards to Simon's response and disjoinder as per
>>>the religious aspect of the wars in the Balkans.  With
>>>all due respect, the symbol itself is a religious
>>>symbol and one cannot take the Serb vandalism and
>>>symbolic targeting of religious communities and
>>>promoting such activities using the vehicle of the
>>>illegitimate "leadership" of the church which has
>>>joined hands with neo-fascists.  A second point, I am
>>>aware of the thin line one treads but if one were to
>>>go back to the message, one will see I have sent two
>>>seperate messages, the one to the reporters is not
>>>reflecting on the inherent anti-Muslim aspects to the
>>>gesture; in that respect, I have used the langauge to
>>>adddress the issue to the Islamic-American relations
>>>council out of frustration with my own multi-faith
>>>community which has demonstrated an utter lack of
>>>media savy has resulted in Kostunica being the sole
>>>voice of authority on things Kosova.  I am desperately
>>>trying to put Kosova back on the media map and as I
>>>suggested in the letter, the fact the NBA is ignorant
>>>to the antics of two Serb players reflects a lack of
>>>interest in things not involving people who are
>>>underrepresented in Washington.  And no, Divac or
>>>Stojakovic do not have a "right" to use fascist
>>>symbols on the platform they operate.  Neo Nazi's
>>>using a stiff arm would never play in the league and I
>>>think the victims of Serb facism in the 1990s should
>>>have similar respect as per Divac.
>>>
>>>If anyone is interested, I believe in the US in the
>>>late afternoon, Divac and his teammate will appear on
>>>NBC, Saturday.
>>>
>>>I hope some of you in the states realize that we are
>>>losing Kosova, that the process is excellerating and
>>>it is, as I have always said, our fault.  We were
>>>better than what we are going to get.
>>>
>>>Tung,
>>>
>>>Isa
>>>--- SimonVukel at aol.com wrote:
>>> > Regarding Isa Blumi's email, I have to admit I
>>> > haven't watched enough
>>> > basketball lately to see what Divac has been doing
>>> > on the court, so I can't
>>> > comment on that without seeing it for myself.  If in
>>> > fact he has been
>>> > fluanting a Serb symbol of hatred, then he should be
>>> > taken to task for it.
>>> > Thankfully we live in a free country and he can do
>>> > as he wishes (as
>>> > unfortunate as his actions may be), but as Isa
>>> > states, his team members and
>>> > his fans should at least be made aware of what that
>>> > symbol potentially
>>> > represents before they join him in its expression.
>>> >
>>> > Nevertheless, I do have an issue with Isa Blumi's
>>> > attempt to portray this as
>>> > a Muslim issue.  Serb aggression knew no religious
>>> > boundaries -- Albanian
>>> > Christians and other non-Serb Christians were just
>>> > as equally slaughtered as
>>> > Muslims, so it is unfortunate that Isa make this a
>>> > call to arms, so to speak,
>>> > for Muslims.  I would encourage all Albanians to
>>> > resist any effort to make
>>> > what happened in Kosova a religious issue.  It was
>>> > not Christian vs. Muslim.
>>> > It was Serb vs. Albanian.  And whether one believes
>>> > in God, Allah, Yahweh, or
>>> > none at all, let's all pray and hope that Kosova one
>>> > day truly be free, and
>>> > that the nations of the Balkans can one day come to
>>> > a peaceful understanding.
>>> >  They don't have to love each other, but no one's
>>> > going anywhere, so they
>>> > might as well learn to live together.
>>> >
>>> > Have a good weekend everyone.
>>> > -Simon Vukel
>>> >
>>> >
>>>
>>>
>>>__________________________________________________
>>>Do You Yahoo!?
>>>Yahoo! Auctions - Buy the things you want at great prices.
>>>http://auctions.yahoo.com/
>>>____________________________________________________
>>>NYC-L: A discussion and information list of the
>>>Albanian community in the New York City Metro Area.
>>>To post to the list: NYC-L at alb-net.com
>>>For more information: http://www.alb-net.com/mailman/listinfo/nyc-l
>>>
>>
>>_________________________________________________________________________
>>Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com.
>>
>>____________________________________________________
>>NYC-L: A discussion and information list of the
>>Albanian community in the New York City Metro Area.
>>To post to the list: NYC-L at alb-net.com
>>For more information: http://www.alb-net.com/mailman/listinfo/nyc-l
>>
>
>_________________________________________________________________________
>Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com.
>
>____________________________________________________
>NYC-L: A discussion and information list of the
>Albanian community in the New York City Metro Area.
>To post to the list: NYC-L at alb-net.com
>For more information: http://www.alb-net.com/mailman/listinfo/nyc-l
>

_________________________________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com.



From SimonVukel at aol.com  Wed Jan 24 10:51:27 2001
From: SimonVukel at aol.com (SimonVukel at aol.com)
Date: Wed, 24 Jan 2001 10:51:27 EST
Subject: [NYC-L] Balkan War Photoes
Message-ID: <fd.1690111.27a053ff@aol.com>

Isa,
I'll definitely be visiting that exhibit -- I'll be happy to collect that 
information for you.  I'll let you know when I do and will determine then if 
it makes sense to email it or "snail mail" it.   Glad to hear that you are 
writing that book --- if you need any primary source references for the war 
in Bosnia, I have several reporter friends that were there during the Bosnian 
war that might be of help to you.  I imagine you have plenty of primary 
sources for the Kosova war.

Also to everyone on the list, it was great reading all the emails back and 
forth about Isa's NBA letter.  I hope no one misunderstood -- I actually 
agreed with Isa on the subject, just had a difference of opinion in its 
approach.  But Isa and everyone is right, even though the war in Kosova is 
technically over in the world's eyes, it must not be for us. It still has to 
be fought in the battlefield of public opinion so as to achieve Kosova's 
independence.

As for the emails going back and forth about whether to write in English or 
Albanian on this list. I think that discussion has been repeated on these 
lists multiple times over the years and really just needs to be put to rest.  
Use of the English language on these lists is thoroughly appropriate. There 
are friends of Albanians who participate on these lists and we do them a 
service when we allow them to understand us.  

-Simon

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From dardan at alb-net.com  Thu Jan 25 10:21:49 2001
From: dardan at alb-net.com (Dardan Blaku)
Date: Thu, 25 Jan 2001 10:21:49 -0500
Subject: [NYC-L] Balkan War Photoes - Language Use - Etc...
In-Reply-To: <F127BnxEf1vnkJfuS2p00003011@hotmail.com>
Message-ID: <MFECKOBNCBDFAJMAAKBCKEPJCDAA.dardan@alb-net.com>

Since this is the NYC-L (NYC = New York City) list, use of english language
is obviously appropriate. It would be sort of pathetic to restrict this list
to one language or the other. We had a similar problem with Prishtina-L and
the admin team had to create two separate lists, Prishtina-L for Albanian
Language and Prishtina-E for english language. I don't believe the same step
has to be taken for this list as well.

Again, just a reminder on what this list is about:

NYC-L: New York City Discussion Forum

Discussions on this forum pertain to the local activities of the Albanian
community in New York City and the surrounding areas. Discussions and
announcements pertaining to local events (art, culture, politics, education,
history, daily events, environment, economy, media, religion, etc.) are
encouraged and welcomed.

This forum should help local subscribers and those from outside to share
information as well as learn from each other.

Material which is considered inappropriate for this list include personal
insults to one, several or to all members of the list (also known as
flaming), any type of propaganda, commercial advertising, chain letters,
sexually explicit material, illegally copied software, as well as the use of
derogatory names and vulgar language.
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________

P.S. Please try not to post the same message more than once.

Dardan

-----Original Message-----
From: nyc-l-admin at alb-net.com [mailto:nyc-l-admin at alb-net.com]On Behalf Of
Imer Berisha
Sent: Thursday, January 25, 2001 3:04 PM
To: nyc-l at alb-net.com
Subject: Re: [NYC-L] Balkan War Photoes


=== NYC-L: New York City Discussion Forum ===



Dear Simon/I nderuari Simon,
I read your posting/this one/ and I agree with the content and the way you
relate to Isa's first letter.
But as as the Albanian language on this list, please allow me to say two or
three sentences.
I did not live before in states therefore I am not aware of the discussion
on the language that has taken place and I have not lived or studied before
in the U.S. as I lived most of my life in Kosova, and for obvious reasons
could not follow the discussion.  And at the end even if the discussion has
taken place this does not mean that new generations do not or should not
have a say on what has been agreed upon.
And most importantly my stance was not whether to write in Albanian OR
English but whether
to write in Albanian AND English, meaning at list allow people that do not
speak English but are Albanians to say a word or two, and our respectful
friends could still understand most of the issues that would still be in
English and can write in English to the list, otherwise I believe we are
being selfish by denying the right to express their views to Albanians who
have no possibility to write in English.
This does not mean to say that I do not understand the reasoning behind the
current policy of the list. I just believe it could be relaxed a bit.
Thanks and regards from
Imer Berisha, Ohio



From vbelegu at hotmail.com  Mon Jan 29 19:58:37 2001
From: vbelegu at hotmail.com (Visar Belegu)
Date: Mon, 29 Jan 2001 18:58:37 -0600
Subject: [NYC-L] NYC-L digest, Vol 1 #73 - 1 msg -Reply
Message-ID: <LAW2-OE71c4Iu1B6gVs00000dc1@hotmail.com>

Mariola,

Davis Stern eshte NBA Commissioner dhe besoj jeton dikund ne California, USA.  Nese mendon te e kontaktosh sigurisht adresen mundesh te e gjesh ne NBA.com sepse beso edhe pse une jam ne Oklahoma City, OK, USA nuk jam fare me after tij se ti qe je atje ne Shqiperi.

Une nuk desha te behem "aktor pasiv" ne ate debat une vetem desha te ju them lejeni pallavrat e Sacramento Kings dhe Divac se ne kemi probleme me te medhaja se tre gishtat e Divac apo kujdo tjeter; pastaj mos harroni Divac jeton ne SHBA ku urrejtja ndaj kujdo, e edhe ndaj shqiptareve, mundet te shprehet lirisht.  Demokracia jaranat e mij vjen me pasoja prandaj ne SHBA nese dikush don edhe te tallet me tragjedine tone ne nuk mundem te bejme shume kunder asaj.   

Ne duhet te kemi kujdes per cka ankohemi, e nese dojme te e bindim boten per cilsit tona kete duhem te e bejme me pune ne lemin tona perkatese e jo t'i dergojme letra palidhje zoteri Stern-it per t'i thene se na  ofendon sjellja e dy lojtareve te cilet ati i sjellin miliona dollare.  Skenderbeu nuk i ka protestuar Papes se Vatikanit per sjelljen e turqeve ndaj shqiptareve mirpo me lufte kunder turqeve e ka fituar perkrahjen e tij.  Kete anolgji po e perdori sepse nese ne shqiptaret dojme te arrijme dicka duhet te e bindim njeri-tjetrin te perkrahim te rinjet e talentuar, si ne basketball ashtu edhe ne shkence apo cka do tjeter, e jo t'i lejome te sjellen rrugeve te botes.  Kur te arrijme dicka atehere do te fitojme te drejten te ankohemi per ckado.

Nese dikush ofendohet nga fjalet e mij ajo do te thote se ai/ajo person nuk punon drejt promovimit te vetevetes dhe ceshtjes shqiptare sepse ata mija njerz qe kane vdekur qe ne te kemi lirin e sotit nuk kane vdekur qe ne te kemi te drejt te ankohemi por kane vdekur qe ne te kemi mundesine te deshmohemi prane botes prandaj nese doni te ankoheni ne vend se te punoni ne dreq te mallkuar.


Visar Belegu<br clear=all><hr>Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at <a href="http://explorer.msn.com">http://explorer.msn.com</a><br></p>
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From XHUNGA at unhcr.ch  Tue Jan 30 04:09:32 2001
From: XHUNGA at unhcr.ch (Mariola Xhunga)
Date: Tue, 30 Jan 2001 10:09:32 +0100
Subject: [NYC-L] Reply to Visar Belegu
Message-ID: <sa769ee3.068@unhcr.ch>

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From besnik at alb-net.com  Tue Jan 30 04:27:51 2001
From: besnik at alb-net.com (Besnik Pula)
Date: Tue, 30 Jan 2001 11:27:51 +0200
Subject: [NYC-L] NYC-L digest, Vol 1 #73 - 1 msg -Reply
In-Reply-To: <LAW2-OE71c4Iu1B6gVs00000dc1@hotmail.com>
Message-ID: <B69C55B6.1E7D%besnik@alb-net.com>

Visar dhe te tjere,

nuk po du me tjerre kete ceshtje hala, vec mendoj se eshte shume me rendesi
per neve si komunitet dhe si individe me i menjanue ato qendrime qe na bejne
te heqim dore nga cfaredo perpjekje per te ndryshuar ato qe mendojme se jane
gabim, qe na crespektojne, fyejne apo na demtojne.

Sic e ceki edhe Isa edhe une ne mesazhin tim te meparshem, problemi nuk
eshte vetem te sjellja e Divacit apo e ndonje serbi tjeter ne NBA, por se ne
nuk kemi asnje mekanizem institucional (ne Amerike dhe gjetiu) per t'iu
kundervene gjerave te tilla, per te protestuar. Mediat perendimore neve
gjithnje e me shume na cilesojne kolektivisht si terroriste, kriminele,
mafioze, tregtare drogash e prostitucioni, e ne nuk kemi asnje mekanizem per
t'iu kundervene ketyre perfytyrimeve. E kjo miq te dashur, ne fund ka edhe
pasoja politike. Prandaj ky eshte nje "problem i madh" dhe jo dicka karshi
se ciles mund te qendrojme indiferent.

Eshte e vertete se Amerika eshte demokraci dhe te gjithe kane te drejte me e
shprehe mendimin e vet, por njekeshtu edhe ata qe nuk e pelqejne mendimin e
shprehur kane te drejte proteste. Megjithate, ne kete rast duhet me pase
parasysh se NBA eshte ndermarrje private dhe aty nuk vlen amandamenti i pare
i kushtetutes amerikane ku lojtaret mund te deklarohen ashtu sic u teket per
ceshtje te ndryshme. Gjithcka qe ndodh ne fushen e lojes eshte pergjegjesi e
institucionit privat te NBA-se, prandaj edhe sjellja e Divacit, nese nuk
ndalohet nga NBA-ja, mund te kuptohet si dicka qe mbeshtetet nga ajo. Jo qe
NBA-ja ka mbeshtetur politiken e Milosheviqit, por nese asaj nuk i behet me
dije se cfare domethenie politike kane tre gishterinjet e Divacit, nese nuk
i behet nje presion i fuqishem (jo vetem ndonje reagim individual) per ta
ndaluar dhe denuar kete sjellje, ajo do te vazhdoje te jete indiferente ndaj
kesaj, ndersa shikuesit shqiptare, boshnjake, kroate e tjere qe ishin
viktime e politikes vrastare, do te vazhdojne te jene te fyer.

Besniku



From earolda at hotmail.com  Tue Jan 30 13:38:44 2001
From: earolda at hotmail.com (Arolda Elbasani)
Date: Tue, 30 Jan 2001 13:38:44 
Subject: [NYC-L] NYC-L digest, Vol 1 #73 - 1 msg -Reply
Message-ID: <F56fAD2sUkAiKbuagPw000046b0@hotmail.com>

Te dashur te gjithe
Edhe une mendoj se nuk eshte mire te tjerret akoma ceshtja e "Tre gishtave" 
te lojtareve te MBA per disa arsye.
Se pari, kemi filluar ta trajtojme qeshtjen si nje kontadikte "mes nesh" dhe 
toni i pergjigjeve tashme e ka tejkaluar etiken e diskutimit dhe 
argumentimit konstruktiv.
Se dyti, bashkohem teresisht me argumentin qe eshte me efektive te punojme 
per te krijuar apo shprehur virtytet tona kombetare "per se" sesa te 
lartesojme veten Vis a vis gabimeve te te tjereve.
Se fundi, mendoj se simboli i tre gishtave eshte shume i diskutueshem.  Ai 
nuk eshte institucion dhe ka shembuj qe mund te argumentojne se nuk eshte as 
simbol me nje kuptim te caktuar dhe fiks.Dhe sigurisht, qe ta interpretosh 
si nje shenje antimyslimane do te thote te keqinterpretosh shume fakte dhe 
per me teper do te thote te pranosh implicitly tezen e "clash of 
civilizations".
te gjitha te mirat,
Arolda



>From: Besnik Pula <besnik at alb-net.com>
>Reply-To: nyc-l at alb-net.com
>To: <nyc-l at alb-net.com>, <prishtina-l at alb-net.com>
>Subject: Re: [NYC-L] NYC-L digest, Vol 1 #73 - 1 msg -Reply
>Date: Tue, 30 Jan 2001 11:27:51 +0200
>
>           === NYC-L: New York City Discussion Forum ===
>
>Visar dhe te tjere,
>
>nuk po du me tjerre kete ceshtje hala, vec mendoj se eshte shume me rendesi
>per neve si komunitet dhe si individe me i menjanue ato qendrime qe na 
>bejne
>te heqim dore nga cfaredo perpjekje per te ndryshuar ato qe mendojme se 
>jane
>gabim, qe na crespektojne, fyejne apo na demtojne.
>
>Sic e ceki edhe Isa edhe une ne mesazhin tim te meparshem, problemi nuk
>eshte vetem te sjellja e Divacit apo e ndonje serbi tjeter ne NBA, por se 
>ne
>nuk kemi asnje mekanizem institucional (ne Amerike dhe gjetiu) per t'iu
>kundervene gjerave te tilla, per te protestuar. Mediat perendimore neve
>gjithnje e me shume na cilesojne kolektivisht si terroriste, kriminele,
>mafioze, tregtare drogash e prostitucioni, e ne nuk kemi asnje mekanizem 
>per
>t'iu kundervene ketyre perfytyrimeve. E kjo miq te dashur, ne fund ka edhe
>pasoja politike. Prandaj ky eshte nje "problem i madh" dhe jo dicka karshi
>se ciles mund te qendrojme indiferent.
>
>Eshte e vertete se Amerika eshte demokraci dhe te gjithe kane te drejte me 
>e
>shprehe mendimin e vet, por njekeshtu edhe ata qe nuk e pelqejne mendimin e
>shprehur kane te drejte proteste. Megjithate, ne kete rast duhet me pase
>parasysh se NBA eshte ndermarrje private dhe aty nuk vlen amandamenti i 
>pare
>i kushtetutes amerikane ku lojtaret mund te deklarohen ashtu sic u teket 
>per
>ceshtje te ndryshme. Gjithcka qe ndodh ne fushen e lojes eshte pergjegjesi 
>e
>institucionit privat te NBA-se, prandaj edhe sjellja e Divacit, nese nuk
>ndalohet nga NBA-ja, mund te kuptohet si dicka qe mbeshtetet nga ajo. Jo qe
>NBA-ja ka mbeshtetur politiken e Milosheviqit, por nese asaj nuk i behet me
>dije se cfare domethenie politike kane tre gishterinjet e Divacit, nese nuk
>i behet nje presion i fuqishem (jo vetem ndonje reagim individual) per ta
>ndaluar dhe denuar kete sjellje, ajo do te vazhdoje te jete indiferente 
>ndaj
>kesaj, ndersa shikuesit shqiptare, boshnjake, kroate e tjere qe ishin
>viktime e politikes vrastare, do te vazhdojne te jene te fyer.
>
>Besniku
>
>____________________________________________________
>NYC-L: A discussion and information list of the
>Albanian community in the New York City Metro Area.
>To post to the list: NYC-L at alb-net.com
>For more information: http://www.alb-net.com/mailman/listinfo/nyc-l
>

_________________________________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com.



From besnik at alb-net.com  Tue Jan 30 09:23:27 2001
From: besnik at alb-net.com (Besnik Pula)
Date: Tue, 30 Jan 2001 16:23:27 +0200
Subject: [NYC-L] ALPSA web site
Message-ID: <B69C9AFE.1EBB%besnik@alb-net.com>

Dear friends and colleagues,

I am very happy to announce the launch of the Albanian Political Science
Association's web site. It includes detailed information about ALPSA, a list
of its officers, and its ongoing programs. The site can be found at
http://www.alpsa.org.

Last year, ALPSA successfully organized a three-week Summer School in
Political Science and International Relations in Tirana, with courses taught
by renown professors from North American and European universities.

ALPSA's current programs are the following:

- Two-week Graduate Courses in Public Administration and Local Governance in
Prishtina (March 2001), taught by renown professors of public administration
and political science;
- Best Graduate and Undergraduate Paper Awards, with prizes of up to US$350;
- Travel and Supplementary Research Grants of up to US$500;
- The publication of the Journal of Southeast European Politics
(www.seep.ceu.hu), together with Central European University and the
Independent Macedonian Political Science Association;
- Four-week Summer School in Political Science and International Relations
(Tirana and Prishtina, Summer 2001).

Individual announcements for these programs will follow. For more details on
these programs, the association and its objectives, and how to become a
member, please visit ALPSA's web site.

Sincerely,
Besnik Pula



From XHUNGA at unhcr.ch  Wed Jan 31 03:50:13 2001
From: XHUNGA at unhcr.ch (Mariola Xhunga)
Date: Wed, 31 Jan 2001 09:50:13 +0100
Subject: [NYC-L] Poem found in the back cover of UNDP Report on Albania's
 development
Message-ID: <sa77e52f.023@unhcr.ch>

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From shqiptare at hotmail.com  Wed Jan 31 11:31:34 2001
From: shqiptare at hotmail.com (ShQiPtArJa .)
Date: Wed, 31 Jan 2001 16:31:34 -0000
Subject: [NYC-L] Poem found in the back cover of UNDP Report on Albania's development
Message-ID: <F178XS0FhKktkpgnkTl0000103f@hotmail.com>

could whoever is in charge of this please take my email address of this 
list. thank you
    antoneta
_________________________________________________________________
Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com
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Subject: Re: [NYC-L] Poem found in the back cover of UNDP Report on Albania's development
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From ngapeja at rocketmail.com  Wed Jan 31 17:22:28 2001
From: ngapeja at rocketmail.com (Isa Blumi)
Date: Wed, 31 Jan 2001 14:22:28 -0800 (PST)
Subject: [NYC-L] Poem found in the back cover of UNDP Report on Albania's development
In-Reply-To: <F178XS0FhKktkpgnkTl0000103f@hotmail.com>
Message-ID: <20010131222228.9292.qmail@web1601.mail.yahoo.com>

undefined


---------------------------------
Do You Yahoo!?
- Get personalized email addresses from Yahoo! Mail Personal Address  - only $35 a year!
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From ngapeja at rocketmail.com  Wed Jan 31 17:40:28 2001
From: ngapeja at rocketmail.com (Isa Blumi)
Date: Wed, 31 Jan 2001 14:40:28 -0800 (PST)
Subject: [NYC-L] Excuse me, Kosova is at the brink...can we focus please
Message-ID: <20010131224028.24137.qmail@web1609.mail.yahoo.com>


 I request that everyone reading this, take the time to actually understand what I am writing and read the entire message.  Following my brief tirade, I will provide you with two articles, the first from AP reporting on the NPR (National Public Radio) story aired last week and the second, reporting the OSCE?s response. (Organization on Security and Cooperation in Europe one of the two pillars of the administrative body governing Kosova today).  I wish to give you some background so when you do decide to take action, which any human being (Muslim, Catholic, Leftist, Serb, Albanian or Palestinian) will feel compelled to take, you can adequately address the pertinent issues at play.  
When I was working for Kosovapress during the war, we were trying to push the story of Serb attempts to destroy evidence of massive human rights abuses by shipping the bodies of its victims in Kosova to Serbia-proper for disposal.  We had a witness report to us, from his hideout in Italy, how he drove a refrigerated truck on several occasions from a Serb military base outside Prishtina to a smelter inside Serbia.  Despite the top-secret atmosphere he was compelled to investigate just what he was transporting and arranged for his friends to help him open the back of his truck and then flee Serbia (knowing full well his life was in danger).  Inside he found the refrigerated truck packed with bodies, he surmised that he was taking these bodies to a smelter where the to bodies would be burned.  That is before NATO bombing!  Throughout the war I was pestering NATO, US military officials and journalists to watch for such activities, clearly the Serbs learned from Bosnia and recognized they needed to destroy evidence that could lead to their indictment.  Sure enough, throughout the war, we were receiving reports of the burning of whole families inside homes, the detailed effort to avoid mass graves whenever possible, burying people (using Roma gravediggers) in individual graves (the international war crimes tribunal in the Hague does not count individual graves, that is why apologists for Serbia constantly site the Hague statistics which only counts bodies identified in mass graves.)  There were also frequent ?leaks? to the media thanks to the brave work of Kosovars and sympathetic elements inside NATO of mass graves discovered by satellite.  That these graves were eventually emptied suggests the bodies were disposed of in some way.  That was during the war.  Again, during the Kumonova meetings to end hostilities I was screaming mad as I was receiving reports from inside Kosova that while Serb negotiators stalled at Kumanova (remember the talks would be delayed for many days) Serb teams worked night and day to empty as many mass graves as possible.  We supposedly have video tape of one dump truck carrying bodies away from a site, I know people watched from neighboring hills and forests, witnesses are around who could testify, clearly there are some Serbs who want to talk. When we returned to Kosova, I immediately pressed journalists coming in to go to Trepca because we knew they were burning bodies there.  The few journalists who attempted were turned back by first Serb paramilitaries who guarded the roads well after they were supposed to have left, and then by French troops.  Eventually, with enough pressure, but about two to three weeks after the French (and Serbs) secured the area, a few journalists were allowed to visit some parts of the site.  Of course they reported nothing conclusive.  I asked the former head prosecutor of the tribunal, when she came to Pristhina after the war ended about what I had been trying to get journalists to report, she could not reveal what evidence the court was going to use against those indicated but added (and this was a clear sign to all of us that the court knew about these activities) that ?destroying evidence is an admission of guilt.?  

            This leads us to today and what I think is a very brave gesture by a man with no real interest in helping Kosovars.  A journalist for NPR, Montgomery is his name, has risked his life to travel in Serbia and interview those who actually participated in burning human bodies in Trepca.  I know a bit about Montgomery and I know he does not love Kosovar Albanians, he did this because there is a story, a disgusting travesty which could potentially shake the foundations of the last two years.  Of course, the OSCE and the UN are actively engaged in shutting this news out.  Why?  They have spent the last year and a half demonizing Kosovar Albanians, accusing them of conducting ?ethnic cleansing in reverse? when they fully know that the overwhelming majority of the Serbs who were administrating Kosova for Belgrade, left with the Serb military.  The international community, (remember China, France and Russia are actively against Kosova?s independence for their own reasons) has worked towards delegitimizing Kosova?s claims to independence, and the news of Serbs committing mass murder and then burning the bodies would be such a compelling argument for Kosovars to live independently from the Serb state that such information had to be repressed.

            I am bringing this issue to you today for one simple reason.  This is a second chance for Kosova. Montgomery has risked his life to get the story out and now the OSCE is pulling out the stops to suppress it by saying French teams ?looked at the mines.?  French forensic teams have an interest in not finding evidence people, it is scandalous that this international body would resort to such a level of cover up to deflect a potential earth-shaker.  It is like the allies suppressing news of concentration camps during World War II.  If the world got wind and were properly stimulated, this could get Kosova back on the agenda.  Montgomery has given Kosova that second chance, a chance that neither Rugova, Thaci nor any other Kosovar has been able to give.  We Kosovars lost the game because, as I warned almost two years ago, we are not fighting the PR war.  Very few influential people wanted to listen to me back then, they were too important and had their own ambitions.  Now most of them are finished, but Kosova is also a dead issue. Kosova?s independence is not going to happen unless we take to the streets.  This is our last chance.  

Those reading on the various lists did not get my point in the last message about the need to protest Serb nationalist gestures by two players in the NBA.  Instead of getting together and writing letters of protest, contacting the media, etc., most elected to fight petty little battles about whether or not it was acceptable to be associated with Muslims or if we should be communicating in one language or another.  That last task was easy compared to this one.  You clearly did not catch on.  Let me make this as clear as possible.  IT IS UP TO ALL OF YOU IN THE WEST, IN YOUR COMFORTABLE DIGITALIZED WORLDS TO GET OFF YOUR ASSES AND MOBILIZE!  DON?T LET A CNN-ARTICULATE MORALITY/WORLD VIEW KEEP YOU FROM FIGHTING FOR YOUR COUNTRY?S FREEDOM!!   If you do not take advantage of this opportunity, this will be the last chance to lose.  I purpose that all of us  abandon the petty ego-trips, rally around the idea of Kosova being free, and get to the streets, set up daily protests in front of the UN and Serb consulates in the US, Australia and Europe.  How can there be people marching against the Turkish state after 85 years (The Armenian issue), kids throwing stones and dying in Palestine, people still fighting in Chechneya and tens of thousands protesting against Abortion rights and Kosovars cannot organize to demand their independence!  There should be a person standing in protest for every hostage still in Serb prisons, that makes more than a thousand, every day until they are free.  How can Kostunica be allowed to travel with these people still in prisons, being auctioned off to the family with 50,000 DM!!???.  Do not feel powerless.  Look what several hundred anti-globalization protesters can do, look at the press they get when they get within fifty miles of Davos.  And here are the Kosovars, content with being vilified as drug dealers and terrorists.  This is your chance to do justice to the sacrifice of hundreds of thousands of our ancestors who died for their dignity over the centuries.  If not for them, then for your own self interests.  It is in your own self interest because what we have now is the utter lack of dignity, the world does not recognize our right to self-determination, to justice, to freedom and security.  All that silly debate about one?s faith and Albanian/Kosovar identity means nothing if you cannot stand up and defend honor and demand to have your fellow Kosovars? life treated equally as a Europeans.  Are you content with the idea that Serbs or Russians can burn our bodies to hide the fact that they tortured and murdered us?  Are you happy with being polluted to death, to be ignored and not permitted to travel?  If we cannot mobilize public opinion about the fact that the great powers are trying to cover up the incineration of human bodies, after ?WORLD GENOCIDE DAY? was just observed in Europe, then I swear, I will never take up the cause of Kosova again.  I have spent too many days of my life fighting this battle, often alone.  I no longer want to go to conferences throughout Europe and be the only one fighting, arguing and ultimately screaming for Kosova.  I have tarnished too much of my academic career with associations of being a ?terrorist? and ?radical? to continue this alone.  People are already tired of me because to them, Kosova is finished, a done deal.  I want to see this issue brought to the surface so I can go to Berlin, Florence and London and point to the newspapers, to the streets outside.  ACT RESPONSIBLY FOR ONCE DAMNIT!!.  DO THIS RIGHT!!!  There are Jewish organizations that will have to support our fight just because of the nature of the crimes and the people who are covering it up, there are members in the US Senate and Congress who have supported our cause and will publicize this if you articulate the arguments for them, most of all, you have to get the press involved who will always want a good story.  You get their attention by taking to the streets, and I do not mean some pathetic dozen kids carrying misspelled banners that lasts two hours, but thousands, every day.

            And for those of you in Kosova right now, there should be a day-long strike organized immediately.  All those disgusted by what has happened, no matter if you are American, German, Kosovar Albanian or Serb, you should participate in protesting the burning of human bodies and then its cover up by the international community.  The Kosovar newspapers and radio programs should universally call on a one-day strike, screw the OSCE sanctions, if you are intimidated by threats of your radio show being closed down, if you do not want to lose your job, then you just answered the question for the world, there is a price for your freedom, and a pretty low one at that.  I am especially addressing all employees of NGOs, the OSCE and UNMIK.  You should organize to not show up for work, close Kosova down!!!!?

This is the opportunity, it has come from an unlikely source, the Serbs themselves.  The men who burned human bodies for Serbia?s political leaders felt disgusted by what they did and risked their lives talking to Montgomery, the least you could do is do this last, desperate act to save Kosova from itself.  Do not wait for Thaci, Rugova or Haradinaj,  they will not be there, Kouchner, Albright and Clinton are gone, it is up to everyone single one of you.  Please, look at what the world should know about what happened and look at what the OSCE and UNMIK are trying to do to silence it.

 

TAKE RESPONSIBILITY, MOBILIZE!

 

 

Friday, January 26 6:03 AM SGT 
Report: Serbs Burned Victims' Bodies
VIENNA, Austria (AP) - Special forces loyal to former Yugoslav leader Slobodan Milosevic burned the bodies of hundreds of ethnic Albanians in a blast furnace before pulling out of Kosovo ahead of NATO troops, says a National Public Radio report airing Thursday. 

Men involved in the clandestine operation, which was intended to cover up atrocities that could lead to war crimes charges, said up to 1,500 bodies were burned at the Trepca lead refinery, the report says. 

That accounts for about half the Kosovo Albanians still missing more than a year and a half after Milosevic's forces pulled out of the province. 

The men, identified only by their first names, described how bodies were unearthed from freshly dug graves later identified by NATO satellites gathering evidence of possible Serb atrocities in Kosovo. 

Because they were too big to fit in the furnace, the bodies were first put in a grinder used for ore processing before being placed on the furnace conveyor belt, said one man involved in the operation. 

Milosevic is under indictment by the U.N. tribunal at The Hague, Netherlands, for alleged involvement in the Kosovo atrocities. Carla Del Ponte, the tribunal's senior prosecutor, failed in three days of talks that ended Thursday to convince the new Yugoslav leadership to agree to his extradition and trial. 

Milosevic pulled his forces out of Kosovo in mid-1999 in exchange for an end to months of NATO bombing, as part of a Kosovo peace treaty. Although the ethnic Albanian majority province formally remains part of Serbia, Yugoslavia's larger republic, it is run by the United Nations and a NATO-led peacekeeping force. 

A man identified only as Dusko, a member of Serbia's special forces, told NPR the campaign was an attempt to hide evidence of atrocities - whole villages destroyed and their inhabitants killed. 

``I think our people understood that, sooner or later ... The Hague Tribunal might come into Kosovo,'' he was quoted as saying in the script, made available to The Associated Press. 

Others said the bodies - mostly men, but also including women and children - were transported at night in refrigerated vehicles to Trepca's Zvecan lead refinery just outside Kosovska Mitrovica, about 20 miles north of Pristina, Kosovo's capital. 

The blast furnaces ``burned at extremely high heat,'' said one of the drivers, identified as Branko. ``And that's where the bodies got destroyed.'' 

About 120 of the bodies disposed of this way came from Izbica, near Mitrovica, said the documentary. After the bodies were dug up, NATO spy satellites captured the rows of freshly opened graves and they became part of the tribunal's evidence against Milosevic. 

``This was a horrible scene because there were so many - like a factory assembly line - but with bodies,'' Branko was quoted as saying of the mass burnings. 

##########################

Saturday, January 27 5:23 AM SGT 
Kosovo Mass Burnings Alleged
By BARRY SCHWEID, AP Diplomatic Writer 

WASHINGTON (AP) - Former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic's forces burned bodies of victims of Serbian atrocities in Kosovo in a campaign to destroy the evidence of crimes, the State Department said Friday. 

Information obtained by the U.S. government beginning in 1999 confirms there were massive killings ``and there were attempts to burn bodies and otherwise cover up evidence at places throughout Kosovo,'' spokesman Richard Boucher said. 

In a documentary aired Thursday that used interviews from men who said they were involved, Minnesota Public Radio and National Public Radio news reported up to 1,500 bodies were burned at a lead refinery in Trepca. That would account for about half of the ethnic Albanians in Kosovo still missing more than a year and a half after Milosevic pulled out of the province under U.S. and NATO pressure. 

``The information that we had and continue to have corroborates the broad outline of the campaign by Milosevic's forces to destroy evidence of their crimes,'' Boucher said. 

Asked specifically about Trepca, Boucher said, ``We knew that this was one of the places that we were concentrating on, where there was activity going on. But if we were actually able to say in our report, `They burned bodies at this site,' I don't know.'' 

Earlier, a spokeswoman for the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe said investigators had found no evidence that would substantiate the report that elite forces loyal to Milosevic burned the bodies in a blast furnace at Trepca. 

``Our people have had a report of this, but they found no evidence to substantiate it,'' OSCE spokeswoman Claire Trevena said. 

Along with the United Nations and NATO, the 55-nation Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe plays a key role in running the Serbian province of Kosovo. 

Trevena said a French forensic team with sophisticated equipment that was called to search for remains of any bodies at Trepca found nothing there. 

Boucher said the United States, in May and June 1999, briefed the international war crimes tribunal for Yugoslavia in The Hague, The Netherlands, ``on the Serb campaign to destroy the evidence.'' 

Boucher added: ``It's a fact that we know of and that we've reported on in the past.'' 

On Thursday, the Bush administration said through Boucher that it was disappointed Yugoslavia did not work out an agreement with the chief U.N. war crimes prosecutor to put Milosevic on trial for war crimes. 

``These things need to be worked out, and the obligation flows from the government to the tribunal,'' he said. 

Chief prosecutor Carla Del Ponte rejected Yugoslavia's position. Still, she said in Belgrade she remains ``cautiously optimistic'' that Milosevic would be extradited to the Netherlands for trial on charges of involvement in atrocities by Serbian troops against ethnic Albanians in Kosovo. 

He was indicted nearly two years ago, but like several other Serb leaders accused of war crimes in the Balkans, he has not faced trial. 

In 1999, senior French police officials in Kosovo said the furnace at Trepca stopped operating shortly after the start of the crackdown on Kosovo's ethnic Albanians in late March 1999 and remained unused after Milosevic's forces pulled out. 

Ashes at the site examined by the team also showed no traces that would back up the report, they said. 

In Thursday's radio report, the men, identified only by their first names, said bodies were unearthed from freshly dug graves that were identified by NATO satellites after the French study was done. 

At The Hague, Graham Blewitt, the U.N. tribunal's deputy prosecutor, said tribunal investigations at the Trepca mine ``couldn't confirm'' bodies had been disposed of by burning but suggested it was extremely difficult to arrive at a definite conclusion. 

 




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