Letter with the names of 41 clerics from Dibra in ’67: “You, Comrade Enver, are transforming our socialist homeland, we will no longer live in the sweat of…”

Dashnor Kaloçi

Memorie.al publishes an archival document extracted from a voluminous file of the fund of the former Central Committee of the ALP that belongs to 1967 when the fierce campaign of the fight against religion and religious beliefs had just started and the demolition of cult objects, such as churches, mosques, monasteries, tekkes, tombs, etc.

Which met with great resistance not only from the three religious’ faiths, where various clerics, Muslims, Bektashis, Catholics and Orthodox, as well as various believers, sent many letters to the Central Committee of the ALP and personally to Enver Hoxha, where they reacted to what was happening and called on them to stop as soon as possible the campaign that had just started.

In order to precede a popular reaction, some district party committees, in order to appear to be implementing them and to be in line with the directives of the Central Committee of the ALP and the “programmatic speech of Comrade Enver”, held on February 27, 1967 “on the fight against backward habits”, made numerous manipulations, staging various letters, which were allegedly sent to the Central Committee of the ALP and personally, the beloved leader of the Party and the people, Comrade Enver Hoxha ”, by various clerics and believers.

As is a letter dated February 25, 1967, sent personally to the first secretary of the Central Committee of the ALP, Enver Hoxha, by 41 clergy in the district of Dibra, where at that time he was the first secretary of the Party Committee , Sul Baholli, which is being published in part in this article and where it is clear from the relevant facsimile that there is no signature of the 41 clerics who have names there.

Letter of 41 Muslim clerics of Dibra district to Enver Hoxha

Dear friend Enver

We, a group of clerics and believers of the Dibra district, inspired by the hostile decisions of the 5th Party Congress as well as by your speech published in the newspaper “Zeri i Popullit” on February 7, 1967 and by the letter addressed to 75 elders of Kukës district, we analyzed our activity and position in the socialist society.

Big changes are happening before our eyes. Our people under the leadership of the Party led by You, Comrade Enver, are transforming our homeland into a thriving socialist country. A new man is being created endowed by the Party with high virtues who consciously dedicates everything to the interests of the people and the Homeland.

By carefully studying the letter addressed to the assembly of the elders of Kukës, we clearly see that you, comrade Enver, with an open heart, express your and the Party’s preoccupation with the bright future of this people, therefore we are talking to you. with an open heart and with great faith in the Party, the people and in You, that they will understand us and understand you correctly.

We as members of this society, which is moving towards a bright future, are realizing that we have not taken an active part in the socialist construction. Before our newcomers from a religious point of view instilled in us the feeling of living with the sweat of others. We are realizing that in this way we were serving not the lofty goal of the people and the Homeland, but the waste of the former exploiting classes, we were not serving the new, but the old.

In the letter addressed to the assembly of elders in Kukës, you, comrade Enver, emphasize: “We must eradicate bad habits, the Party teaches us: and continue:” Excuse me for speaking openly to you, as you spoke to me. With that being said, I have no intention of affecting your beliefs. ” Also, to us, Comrade Enver, we are telling you openly once again, regardless of our faith, we with our actions….

Health and long life to you, Comrade Enver, to live as long as the heroic mountains for the good of the Homeland and our people.

With respect

Of the 41 clergy and believers of

Dibra District

Sali Hoxha, Besim Shehu, Baba Myslymi, Nimet Shehu, Ymet Hoxha, Shefki Rama, Sinan Lleshi, Qazim Selimi, Hoxha Gjymyshka, Ibrahim Hoshafi, Xhevat Shehi, Elmaz Karabrahimi, Rruzhdi Shehu, Shaban Shehi, Rruzhdi Shehi, Vehbi Hoxha, Shehat Shehi , Mensur Shehu, Hashim Shehi, Xhdevdet Shehi, Lam Lami, Sefer Dalipi, Hasan Shehi, Shaqir Shehi, Haxhi Shehi, Murat Shehi, Jonuz Shehi, Surja Shehi, Zabit Paci, Imer Rustani, Hilmi Hoxha, Besnik Shehi, Tofik Piku, Behxhet Hoxha, Veli Shehi, Osman Hoxha, Hasan Shehi, Sali Shehi, Sadik Shehi, Hafuz Qamili./Memorie.al