The State of the Albanian Nation

by Joseph J. DioGuardi

On January 20, 2004, I was in the U.S. Capitol with the Board of the Albanian American Civic League. As we watched President Bush give his annual “State of the Union” speech, in which he concluded that the state of our nation is strong, I thought about the weak economic, political, and social conditions that affect the seven million Albanians living side by side in six political jurisdictions in the Balkans. I thought to myself if Gjergj Kastrioti or Fan Noli were here today looking through my eyes, how would they assess the state of the Albanian nation in the political and economic context of the world today?

I think that Kastrioti and Noli would conclude that the state of the Albanian nation today is poor. This is not to say that Albanians as individuals and families are not strong. They are, and this has enabled the Albanian people to resist and endure 2,300 years of foreign aggression and occupation, as follows:

A History of Occupation and Albanian Resistance

From the Roman Empire to the 21^st Century

Time Place Aggressor Symbol of Resistance

300-100 BC Ulqin Roman Empire Queen Teuta

1443- Kruja Ottoman Turks Gjergj Kastrioti

1878-1912 Plave-Guci Montenegrin Slavs Ali Pasha Gucia

November 28, 1912- Vlore The Great Powers Ismail Qemali

1913- Qafa/Gostivar Local Slavs & Serbs Sultana Saliu

1920s Drenice Serbs Shota and Azem

Galica

1920s-1930s Albanians in Expulsion by Serbs Fan Noli

Balkans to Turkey

1944- Chameria Greece Chams

1945- Tivar Serbs & Montengrins Azem Hajdini

1947- Tirana Stalinism/Hoxha Pjeter Arbnori

1956- Presheve Valley Serbia Kosovars

1974-1980 Belgrade Communism/Tito Adem Demaci

1981-1989 Prishtina Communism/Milosevic Students

1990-1997 Kosova Milosevic/Serbian army LDK/AACL

1998- Prekaz, Drenice Serbia Adem Jashari

1998 - Washington Greek, Serb, Russian AACL and

lobbies Jewish lobby

1998-1999 Kosova Milosevic/Serbian army KLA/NATO

2000-2004 Kosova Belgrade and its AACL/H.Res. 28

allies Lantos/Hyde

Very few non-Albanians know the history of brutal foreign aggression and occupation, and brave Albanian resistance over the last two millennia. But, history alone is not enough in making a case under international law for the independence of Kosova and justice for all Albanians in the Balkans. It is up to the Albanian people to make their case in Washington and in parliaments around the world, appealing to the United States and international interests in a peaceful and stable Europe. And this is what the Albanian American Civic League has been doing since its formation fifteen years ago to continue the work that I started as a Congressman in 1986 and have continued with Shirley Cloyes DioGuardi, as Balkan Affairs Adviser, since 1994 for all Albanians.

And what about the day-to-day economic and political conditions that affect the Albanian people where they live in the Balkans and worldwide? From my nearly twenty years of activism and advocacy in Washington and around the world for the Albanian people, I have attempted to analyze the size and status of the Albanian nation worldwide, as follows:

A National Profile of Albanians Worldwide

Estimated No. Roadblocks to Freedom

Location of Albanians Political Status Economic Status and Human Rights

Albania 3,000,000- Controlled by 30-50% Lack of effective, real

3,500,000 Socialist Party & unemployment opposition

organized crime Western support for

status quo

Kosova 1,800,000- United Nations 60-70% Lack of independence

2,000,000 Protectorate unemployment Pan-Orthodox support

Lack of final status for Serbia European support for

status quo

Macedonia 800,000- Ohrid Agreement High Slavic racism

1,000,000 for equal rights is unemployment Ohrid agreement is

signed not implemented

Montenegro 50,000 Apartheid 50% unemployment Slavic racism

Lack of investment and assimilation

in Albanian areas

Presheve 100,000 UCPMB signed 50% unemployment Serbian racism

(Presheve, peace agreement No infrastructure in & intransigence

Medvegje, Albanian areas

Bujanoc)

Greece 750,000- No recognition High unemployment Greek chauvinism

(Chams/ 1,000,000 Human rights Exploitation of cheap No separation of

Arvanites/ violations Albanian labor Orthodox Church Immigrants) and the State

Economic slavery

Turkey 3,000,000- In process of Mixed Turk chauvinism

(Istanbul & 5,000,000 assimilation No recognition of

suburbs/ ethnic and

Arnaut) cultural origins

Italy 500,000- Full equality Mixed Lack of political

(Arberesh/ 1,000,000 representation

Immigrants) in Rome

Switzerland 500,000 Many deprived of Fair Some

full citizenship discrimination

Germany & 500,000 Many deprived of Fair Some

Austria full citizenship discrimination

Belgium 50,000 Integration Good Minimal

Scandinavia 50,000 Integration Good Minimal

France & UK 25,000- Many deprived of Fair Some

50,000 full citizenship discrimination

Middle East 250,000 Mostly assimilated Mixed Assimilation

& Africa

Australia & 50,000 Full equality Very good None

New Zealand

Canada 50,000- Full equality Good None

100,000

United States 550,000- Full equality Very good None

750,000

TOTAL 12,000,000-

16,000,000

Finally, back to the dysfunctional political and economic hodgepodge called the Balkans. The Albanian American Civic League, which I founded after I left Congress in 1989 continues to focus on the political health and economic welfare of all Albanians in the Balkans. While it is easy for Albanians to talk about the “national cause,” it is difficult to explain to Americans that seven million Albanians live side by side in six political jurisdictions because they were unfairly divided, or “gerrymandered,” without their consent just before, during, and right after World War I. So there is no way to address the future of the Albanian nation without saying something about how Albanians see their immediate political future in each of the six countries in which they live today.

The Future of the Albanian Nation in the Balkans

Albanian Self-Determination Consequence if Not Achieved

Albania Full democracy based on political Dictatorship, organized crime,

pluralism, free enterprise, rule of political and economic control by

of law, and free flow of people Greece and Serbia, leading to

and good with neighbors instability and civil war

Kosova Independent state Partition of Mitrovice, leading to

conflict

Macedonia Full equality of Albanians and Disintegration of the State, leading to

Slavs, the two major ethnic groups, conflict

through full implementation of the

Ohrid Agreement and political

decentralization

Montenegro Full equality and control of Continued assimilation, leading to

Albanian municipalities by instability and conflict

Albanians

Presheva Full equality and decentralization Continued suppression of rights

through police action, leading to

conflict

Chameria Full human and civil rights and Continued exploitation of Albanians

reparations for Chams and no restitution to Chams, leading

to instability and conflict

Conclusion

The Albanian American Civic League is concerned about the potential for another conflict in the Balkans. We have advised our friends in the U.S. Congress that they must stay engaged with us in the Balkans, especially now when the United States can ill afford another hot spot. And we have insisted that a just and lasting peace in the Balkans can be achieved only by bringing independence to Kosova, genuine democracy to Albania, and full equality, human rights and justice to Albanians in Macedonia, Montenegro, the Presheva Valley, and Northern Greece. Without the latter, I am sad to say that the state of the Albanian nation of seven million in the Balkans, as well as international respect for the Albanian diaspora of approximately another seven million, will continue to be poor.