By Fritz Radovan
Second part
HOW LONG AT THE SERVICE OF AN ANMIK?! KOL MIRAKAJ ANSWERS
OPENING LETTER, Mr. ABAZ ERMEN
New York – June 1967
Memorie.al / “…I believe that he expressed the feelings of the entire Albanian people, that if our neighbors understand the need for peaceful coexistence and loyal cooperation of good neighborliness, give us back the rights that belong to us, the Albanian people, sincere friendship with the Greeks and the Slavs of the Balkans.”
Kole Mirakaj (1967)
Continues from last issue
It was proclaimed by a decree of the King’s Viceroy, by analogy with Italy, and it was suppressed by a decree of the King’s Viceroy, without finding any opposition. As for you, you cooperated with us, with the Italians and with the communists, you know, in the same way; you cooperated with the Germans and the Allies. As we assert ours, assert yours with manly courage!
Targeting the Barren
In order to divide the Albanians into fascists and anti-fascists, between traitors and super-patriots, you are caught in the rotten chain of several falsified telegrams, which were announced by the “Stefani” agency and published by Italian notebooks known, with the military occupation of Albania, that allegedly, some primaries of the Albanians had asked the Duce for help to save Albania from the regime of that time. Those telegrams were forged and where is the proof:
In March of 1940, I started a series of speeches, which I continued throughout Albania, from the Cinema Theater “Majestik” in Korça, about Italian-Albanian relations in the state created by historical forces and circumstances; and I declared:
“No Albanian had wished or invited the military invasion from Italy, neither verbally, nor with telegrams or letters”.
I brought as an example the Captain of Mirdita, with his action in those circumstances, who put at the disposal of His Majesty the King, with 5,000 men who were waiting for weapons, to run to war.
On March 15, the Captain was summoned to an audience by King Zog, to talk about the turbulent situation with Italy. In that audience, the Captain promised the King that if he wanted to occupy Albania from Italy, He would make himself available with all His powers, only that he needed weapons.
At the end of March, the King named Sul Kurti, district commander in Burrel, with orders to stay in telephone contact with the Captain, to transmit the King’s orders. On March 5, Sul Kurti, by order of His Majesty, informs the Captain to immediately gather the volunteers and gather them around Rubik, where the armament would go.
The Captain immediately raised the barrage and gathered 5,000 men from Mirdita and Thkella to Kroji i Sh’ Lleshdri, and on April 7 he telegraphed His Majesty, announcing that he was ready for war and was looking for weapons. In the same way, I also made it available to you, with the statement I made to the prefect of Shkodra, Javer Hrushid, when I heard the news on the radio about the attempted Italian landing.
I said this publicly to the elite and the people of Korça, as well as to the Albanian and Italian civil and military authorities, at that time, when Italy was known to have the power of eight million bayonets and we were under its military occupation. I repeated that; from Gjinokastre to Kukës, in the entire main centers of Albania.
I said it not ear to ear, but with the Great One. In other words, I told him; “Duce Lies”! It was not enough for me to say it in words, that the wind takes away and dissolves in the ether, I also told him in writing, which was published by the Ministry of Popular Culture “Distapur”, booklet no. 3.
That I made those statements so bold for that time, I was not interested then or today personally, why neither Ernest Koliq’s name nor mine appear in those telegrams. I was nationally interested in History.
I add that; no personality who was or was a part of the B.K.I. appears in those falsified telegrams, except for one man (who is in the next life), who, with his patriotic attitude of those days, refuted them himself.
This is the naked truth of those telegrams. There is no other act, private or official, signed by the leaders of that time, apart from the protocol ones, of agreements and relations of an international character, between the two states.
And when I was N/Secretary of the Albanian Fascist Party at the time, I had the courage to tell the world and the Duce, in words and in writing, what was said above, Mr. Yours, Mr. A. Armenians and others, sometimes you shouted reactionary words and feelings, against the situation we did not impose on Albania, as they were in the hearts of every Albanian, but on the other hand, you were running, who is taking the reins of the Albanian Fascist Party, how much seen.
You continued to wear the black shirt and applaud the Duce’s name, if not more, as much as I did, Ernest Koliqi. You have crossed over to the other side, when the cauldron began to leak to the ‘Axis’, and when it was seen that the cauldron was running out, for months, the “puritans” began to divide the nation into fascists and anti-collaborationists, patriots and traitors, you called yourselves super-patriots.
Accuse us also of the facios that were put on the Flag. Our soul knows, the proofs we gave testify, then what a severe wound they had for us, that day! Well, we couldn’t stop him, and it was us, led by Mustafa Kruja, Terenc Točin, Shefqet Verlacin, Ernest Koliqin, Ekrem Libohova, etc., who, with tact and courage, made the Duce draw his swords, to hand over the Skanderbeg Flag to us. So tell me, you “superpatriots”, where were you and what did you do that day, that they put their swords to the Flag?
Why didn’t one of you come out, throw some eggs at the Viceroy of Nobara?! You call us fascists; we managed to convince the Duce to accept the suppression of the Albanian Fascist Party and its replacement with a purely Albanian Movement.
There is, and there is no other explanation, Mr. A. Armenian, but the fear that in a general union, some of your circle would be left in the shade and, so men, we, and only us, would try to take all the power (in vain to imagine), since you also shared the positions, from the President of the Republic to
The Vice-Prefect, then (in your mind), exercised Absolute Power, to exterminate the adversaries. Didn’t communism implement the same system?
Know that your way of acting today only serves communism: “Ride and Reign” and that in the future, it will have the opposite effect of what you think. History qualifies actions and facts and not words or desires. Actions and facts weigh on you, both in the Motherland and in exile. I am also reminding you of one important thing:
A nation and a state cannot be founded on hatred and fraternal lines, as you and communism think! Only with the joint efforts of all our compatriots and brothers, the Nation State is built!
Cards in the Square
Call us collaborators, with the outsiders, with the occupier. We have not even denied it, we do not intend to hide, after the blessing of Argjipeshkvit, the Chief Mufti of Shkodra, as some of you are doing, that they allegedly had the “blessing” of Mit’hat Frashëri, who collaborated with the fascists, with “sabotue”(!), don’t you think this kind of justification is funny?
We do not deny our collaboration, with fascist Italy and therefore, with the Axis; Rome-Berlin. This cooperation was brought about by the international circumstances of the time and the national needs, to save what was possible.
Collaborationists in the new terminology are those who collaborate with others, in their own country. So neither you, don’t deny your part, in this sense! You also cooperated with foreigners, and you even boast about that cooperation, so the collaborationists have both sides, us without will, due to the circumstances and interest of the Motherland, while you, with all your free will. Us with the Axis, while you with the Allies, therefore with Soviet Russia!
The facts speak, the Deeds testify!
- On April 7, 1939, Italy began the landing of the army in four ports of Albania. The Albanians, left to their own destiny by the whole world, did the duty that belonged to a small nation. They fought as much as they could and blood was spilled, to prove to the world that freedom is defended with blood.
Another country of 15 million had capitulated without rifles and more, it also had one of the most modern industries in Europe. The Albanians, who found themselves at the front of the war, met the aggressor’s ultimatum with the bullets they had. The men, like the Captain of Mirdita, made themselves available to His Majesty, the King, ready to go and fight, with their brave volunteers.
Time did not wait for the Albanian forces to gather. The King, with His foresight, judged that it was not the time to destroy the Country, with guerrillas amid the circumstances of the time, and left the Motherland. Within three days, the Italian army traversed Albania all the way to the borders of Greece and Yugoslavia. The Italian army, between the borders of these neighbors, is waiting here with shivers and with other flowers as gestures of friendship.
- After the departure of the King and the government from Tirana, on April 8, the Executive Committee was formed, headed by the Chief Inspector of the Royal Court, Shkëlqesia, Xhafer Ypi, and the General Secretaries of the Ministries. This ordered the cessation of resistance and the friendly reception of the Italian army.
- The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Italy, Count Galeazzo Ciano, who came to Tirana on April 8, and in agreement with the Executive Committee, decided to convene an Assembly in Tirana on the 12th of that month. The leadership of the provinces of Albania, together with most of the deputies of the then section, had arrived in Tirana on the 10th and 11th.
Only the Shkodra delegation was reluctant to respond to that invitation, and after two days of talks, at the house of the Captain of Mirdita, after setting a program of action, he arrived in Tirana, on the morning of April 12, 1939, and was received by Father Gjergj Fishta, Father Anton Harapi and John Marka John.
They were stopped at the “International” hotel and asked by the other delegations to leave the Parliament, to sit together, as the Shkodra delegation had decided; “Don’t accept the union of Kunora, but a Prince, of the Savoy House, King”.
They did not respond to our call, with which those dispatches had accepted Minister Ciano’s request. The Shkodra delegation refused to enter the meeting without discussing the fate of Albania with the representative of Italy. We charge Father Anton Harapi and Gjon Markagjon, for this clarification and insistence, in our thesis.
Our two representatives were found before the facts: a. All other delegations had accepted the form of the Union, without any opposition; before the Italian determination that, either the union of the Kunors would be accepted, or it would be something more difficult. In front of these insurmountable factors, our charges still did not give their word of acceptance and, together with Count Ciano and Jacomoni, they came to the hall where the rest of us were waiting.
Father Antoni explained to us the whole conversation and the issue, letting us know that Shkodra was left alone, because all the other delegations had accepted Italy’s request, without hesitation. We came to a compromise: Count Ciano, representative of Italy, on behalf of the King Emperor and the Duce, made a public statement for the preservation of the sovereignty and integrity of the Albanian State, inviolable in this Kunorash union.
Ciano accepted and made the requested statement, in front of the people and his representatives of the case. We returned to the hotel and styled the statement as follows, which was read in Parliament by the former member of the Supreme Council, the brilliant Ndoc Pistulli.
Declaration: “It is based on the relations that the representatives of the province of Shkodra, before the disappearance of the Zogist regime, had with the representatives of Fascist Italy, as well as on the pledge given to them by His Excellency, Count Galeazzo Ciano, who once privately gave the word to Prince Mirdita, Mr. To John of Mark, he said publicly even in front of the Shkodra messenger that:
The independence of Albania is guaranteed in the most absolute way, with its own flag, with its own language, schools and development, with its own state administration, military and civil, with representations before other countries and with everything that is in the same nature. The state is a Nation, with its own race, language, history, traditions, and customs.
We, the representatives of the province of Shkodra, accept that the Imperial King of Fascist Italy should also be known as the King of the Albanians. This document was signed by the entire Shkodra delegation, as follows: Kapidan Gjon Marka Gjoni, Ndoc Pistulli, Don Mikel Koliqi, Patër Gjergj Fishta, Mark Kakarriqi, Kolec Deda, Daut Gjylbegaj, Zejnel Broja, Asllan Bekteshi, Kolë B. Mirakaj, Zef Boriçi, Shaqir Omari, Taip Hilmija, Gjyl Gjylbegu.
On the right of the document, the name of Father Anton Harapi, who wrote the historical document, with his own hand, appears. If the representatives of the other provinces of Albania had joined this moral stance, Italy would have thought a lot before violating some of these conditions, as it did, and that the recent action of those you called traitors, make Italy return these rights to Albania.
In a book published in Washington, in 1951, by Costa A. Chekrezi, he says: “Those who opposed the Duce’s decision the most, were the Catholic leaders of Shkodra”! Kostë Chekrezi, he did not have our supporters, but he approached a historical truth.
- We considered the issue like this: The house has received noise; inside we have the family, the wealth and everything that is worthy of human life. Whoever is a man, must enter the fire, save as much as possible, or burn him. We didn’t sit idly by, tue ba sehir like some “superpatriots” (!). Everything was done there, and later, with protocols of the character of International Law – State by State.
In these nationally oppressive circumstances, our collaboration with Fascist Italy began, and therefore, with the Rome-Berlin Axis, to which we were convinced that the interest of the Motherland at that time required us to be loyal, and we stayed that way until the end. ; Even when we arrested a German soldier, he was targeting Albania.
We listened to them because, according to my opinion, in order to have a useful policy for the Nation, they must have a disk, and in order to have a disk, they must have a force. This strength consists of the power of arms, or of moral power, which comes from loyalty, from loyalty. As a small and resourceless nation, we cannot support politics by force of arms, let alone demagoguery and demagoguery, but only by Moral Force.
Now, ‘agrarian’ friends, we need your collaborationism, and then the fruits of these two collaborationisms, with which you also have collaborationists with them, and the fruits of these two collaborationisms are:
- You, accepted the ‘de facto’ situation, imposed by the circumstances you were told; it is accepted that without any hesitation he cooperated with us and became a member of the Albanian Fascist Party.
You kept the office and gained other new ones, up to the level of ministers, even the Minister-Secretary of the Albanian Fascist Party, just like me. Even Mit’hat Frashëri himself accepted it, as long as he allowed his nephew, Hysref Frashëri, to become the Federal of the Albanian Fascist Party, and he himself (Mit-hati) received the monopoly concession of supplying all the Ministries with papers.
- You started by joining the opposition, when the ‘Axis’ started to lose its way, between the fronts of the war, then when you started by pushing some young people, ignited in the flame of patriotism (yes naive), to escape among the mountains, where you still didn’t have a leadership of your own, you lined them up in the national war, and so you ended up being consumed by communist gangs, the fifth column of Slavism.
- Even after you started forming your squads, you continued to cooperate with us, and with the communists you know, and with the latter, you continued to work, until the meeting of the Mukajs, and after that meeting, you were forced to separate from them. , with the right attacks against you.
- Enver Hoxha, Mehmet Shehu and, how many others, were saved several times, without remaining in the hands of the government authorities, or being killed by nationalists, as was the case when he surrounded Reis Agaj, in Sevaster, and saved Skënder Muço and his friends, and not only these, but also Miladin Popovic and Dushan Mugoshen were saved several times, and you had cooperation and, raki with meze with them, and not just once…!
- You have a kind of crooked cooperation, with the Allied Military Missions (creepy, why did you know you cooperated with the Italians before, and with the Germans…), without any protocol agreement of the states, for the future of Albania. Your pride, protected by the government, remained calm in the capital and other centers of Albania, you charged the actions of the communists, when you continued to hold “fascist and Nazi” positions, you also received special help from the governments of the time, with promises to fight communism.
This type of cooperation, without protocol conditions with foreigners, in the terminology of International Law, is called mercenarism. For the sake of the truth, I affirm that among you, there is Prof. Isuf Luzaj, who has led the opposition since the beginning, openly and here interned in Ventotene. The others, rather exiles, have had a vacation, rather than an exile, in the meaning of the word, with which they were free, among different cities of Italy. The salary of the civil service was paid regularly; the families received foreign aid, even the aid of being interned!
We have a personality who stayed at the “De Gasperi” hotel, on via “Colina”, in Rome, when we interned him, and in addition to the help he received from the Italian government, for that quality, he also received two thousand Albanian francs a month from the King’s Viceroy, so, double the salary of a Minister in power!
- You were not good at holding a fixed position, following a single path, but you remembered that politics could be done with acrobatics and demagoguery, and you did not want to predict the dangers that were threatening the Nation, as we predicted them we told your leaders.
- Time proved that you had no plan to save Albania, no matter how the match of the giants ended, but you also sabotaged the plan we had in that direction with your actions.
- We were defeated by a common friend, you and us, and we went out into the streets of the world, they left the People to their tragic fate, but with one difference: We, although we could save them in time, left the families and children with the People our hearts and many other fighters, to keep alive the spirit of the centenary, with the hope that one day would come, so that we would have a strong base for undertaking an uprising to save the country from Bolshevik tyranny.
This base remained until July 1951, waiting for us exiles. You, with the exception of Mr. A. Armenia, and the Kazazi brothers, you gave them to the kambas, you left your comrades-in-arms to their fate, and I, the “fascist” (!), accompanied them through the Calvary of the journey to Yugoslavia, brought them out of the Tragedy of Vienna, and I opened the way of salvation for Italy.
- Now 22 years of exile, you are sabotaging the cooperation of the National forces, you tried to denigrate anyone who does not follow you on the path of destruction. Is there a more valuable service that could be given to the communist regime?! The billions poured by Enver Hoxha and Mehmet Shehu (as it seems, they poured some money), was not intended to reach, with the overthrow of the anti-communist exile, at this level that is found today! You did it! You gave them the tail of the sword, at home and in exile!
And now, allow me a question: Where were you on the day of Black April 7? Where were you on April 12, 1939? Why didn’t one of you, who monopolize (words) patriotism, throw a stone at that “Balilos” with the aim of firing a blind bullet that day in the Assembly hall to protest in front of Count Ciano’s tribune? Memorie.al
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