Dashnor Kaloçi
Memorie.al/ publishes the unknown history of the statements of the Archbishop of the Autocephalous Orthodox Church of Albania, Monsignor Vissarion Xhuvani, published in the newspaper “Besa” of Tirana (with publisher Fiqri Rusi), in 1935, regarding the slanders and fabrications of the press Greek, such as “Iporotikon Mellon”, “Elinikon Mellon”, “Prota”, for the sensational murder of Stefan Guvoli from Dhrovjan of Delvina.
The occasional claims of some chauvinist circles of the Hellenic state and of some high patriarchs of the Greek Church, who continue to say out loud that the rights of the Greek minority and other additions to the Orthodox faith are being persecuted and violated in Albania. which find abundant place and space in some Hellenic media, are not unknown and unheard-of things for Albania and for Albanians. If we take a look at the recent past, which has to do with the relations between the two countries on this issue, we will see that their claims are an old avaz. But the difference lies in the fact that: while today some claims of the former Omonia organization (which already seems to be “archived” and belongs to the past) make their claims “iso”, at that time, more precisely in During the years of the Zog Monarchy, Janullatos’ own predecessor, Vissarion Xhuvani, who headed the Autocephalous Orthodox Church of Albania, came out with various statements and writings in the Albanian press of that time, refuting the slanders and fabrications of Greek chauvinist circles and some of its archbishops. , who claimed that in Albania, citizens of the Orthodox faith were being persecuted. Among other things, this is clearly seen in an article in the newspaper “Besa” dated February 23, 1935, (which was published in Tirana by publisher Fiqri Rusi), where Monsignor Vissarioni. has made a long statement regarding some articles of the Greek newspaper “Iporotikon Mellon”, which slandered and fabricated a monstrous crime of Greek soldiers, (the murder of the Albanian Stefan Guvoli from Dhrovjani of Delvina), billed ‘that of Albanian soldiers. Along with the statement of Monsignor Xhuvani, in this article we are giving in full the two articles of the newspaper “Besa” by Fiqri Rusi (March 5 and 6, 1935), where the slanders and fabrications of the Greek press are unmasked.
Writing of the newspaper “Besa” by the publisher, Fiqiri Rusi
Statement by the Archbishop of Albania Emzot Vissarion, on the customs of the Greek press and those who may be impressed by that press
Everything that the Greek notebook “Iporotikon Mellon” writes no. 9. dated 2 February 1935, as well as any other notebook that may have written or that may write like that in that issue, as far as our criticisms and complaints against the Ecclesiastical policy of the Albanian Government are concerned, all do not correspond to the truth, but are all errors or allusions that do not deserve remarks.
For we have spoken freely before the whole world openly at all times and in all circumstances; if it was as the above-mentioned notebook says, then the press and Public Justice would have touched us and taken the measures of the relative case, with the rights especially now when the Royal regime in Albania is more than ever and in every corner of Mighty Almighty Albanian. The Turko-fil spirit of the system of old Turkey and the denial spirit of Christianity is no one in the world to hate it more than we hate it, as evidenced by many of our works ever, seen from there only want to see them; So it is not the quality that the notebook in question mentions, but the mercy of God and the necessary need of the works of the Orthodoxy of Albania that forced us to take over without any desire or in any way seeking the heavy and historical burden of The first National Archbishop of the Albanian Orthodoxy and full compliance with the Orthodox Canons, just as proclaimed by the first Archbishops of Greece, etc., without any change of manner, work that the Greeks know well, but have nothing to do they look and want to be found at work you slander.
Let them prove to us worldwide with facts, whatever persecution, even the slightest, is to us personally and Our Church to make the Greek element in Albania and, when like us we are not only the Archbishop of the Greek-speakers in Albania, who are known to how many are, but also of all the Orthodox people of Albania, we know happiness and arrogance that no Greek of those living in Albania has come out to date, in such a long time up to seven years, to file a complaint even fantastic for our persecution; we have loved and we have days to protect and take care of them religiously, in a united and heartfelt way that all the Albanian Orthodox of the Archdiocese of Albania with the help of King Zog; if they had suffered even the slightest persecution by the Albanian Church, the Grecophones that took place in Albania would not have bothered to complain wherever they could; but praise be to God and the Royal Politics, they have no reason to complain and therefore have not complained and therefore as soon as the Greek press writes you consider us as persecutors of the Greek-speaking element in Albania, the Greek-speakers in question themselves wonder and laugh fantastic persecution by our person who love and write Greek notebooks even these days.
But even the smallness of the character of the denial of political friendship on our part, which the notebook in question wants and assumes, as far as the historical King of Albania is concerned, could not make us criticize King ZOG I, since it is known that we have neither criticized nor forgotten even in 1924 when the King with all his friends, in order not to cause fraternal bloodshed, and left the power of rule, and was outside Albania far into exile; how faithful we are to King ZOG I, is proved not only by our unchanging attitude but also by our deeds from 1919 until today without prey, but also in a more solemn way, when the King deserves to honor us by keeping us close to him in uninterrupted conversations for a full three hours, at the Royal Palace to talk to us, in the friendliest and most sincere way that can be done, and simple, although the above-mentioned notebook wrote as he wished for us and for him, for me enmity between him and us.
As for the sufferings of all Christianity in Albania that the Greek notebook will prove to me in the way it pleases her, we add that she denies herself; that it is not possible for a disbeliever of Christianity to warn the world about the sufferings of Christianity, as she would call us, even though it is the work of all we know and we prove that we are defenders to the most serious theory, even t ‘our life for Orthodox Christianity in Albania; We have been sacrificing for him for 16 years, as God Himself and all the people of Albania know; but also those Greeks who judge and speak of evil even without reckoning; that for the Greek press and politics we do not care that we are not in the folds of distant Asia, as it is known, but we are at the gate of Greece on its border, and here are all the representations of the civilized States, but not even in the service of Greece we are.
As for the ordinary pearls of the Greek Press for the character of the world, we have no remark that it is known that, when they publish in Greek notebooks not articles but our pages, unjustly, full of indescribable humiliations for the current Archbishop of all Elladha as even for their former, it is easier and more natural perhaps the good and the character of the morality of others, the Greeks with their notebooks slander them according to the beautiful and inimitable fantasy that characterizes the Greek mythological skill. If the press jokes about the character of the two Greek Archbishops who are today, known as the Throne of Alexandria, and who really have respect and honor, were republished in the Albanian Press, then the mentalities of some Greek notebooks could be better understood.
In short, let it be known once and for all that we here in our country can criticize and oppose each other, but we find the accounts ourselves and fix them ourselves, even though patriotism in Albania has developed a lot as well as the national consciousness and the details of judgment, so much so that it will not be possible to take advantage of a case the intrigues of foreigners. mentality; work that cannot change over several centuries; so neither are we surprised by what they write in the Greek Press even in those articles by which they call the Greeks of the Albanian Nationality by the Albanian Orthodox, and may appear as ostensibly defenders of the Orthodox in question; and Greek politics recalls that for itself the Albanian Orthodox; but things now and within 20 years keep proving the opposite; these do not care, but ban the caravan itself, walks, and those who should shout, let them continue the work.
Two articles published in the newspaper of Fiqri Rusi on March 5-6, 1935
The Tirana newspaper “Besa” denounced the defamation of the Greek press
-The contest of lies started in the Greek press-
New campaign
We are not supposed to calm our ears from the slanders of the Greek press, which after being silent for a short time to breathe, unanimously continues the old habit by reporting a land of tales and dreams against our country. This time, from the lost newspaper of the Pogon region “I foni tu Pogoniu”, to the biggest newspapers like “Elinikon Mellon” and “Prota”, all Greek newspapers have started their traditional habit, to fill the pillars of full of slander and lies, which only a press like that of Greece can create and prepare. This time the record in creating lies has been won by the newspaper “Elinikon Mellon”, therefore we, leaving aside all other lies, limit ourselves only to the issue that this newspaper reports on February 22, 1935.
A prepared topic
According to this Greek notebook: “A man named Stefan Guvoli from the region of Durrës, when his age was called to arms, fled to Corfu where he did military service and went to the reserve for an accident he suffered in his hand. The Albanian rebels, angry with him, slaughtered his mother and father; his brother was forced to flee and take the mountains. In the last month of last year, when Stefan Guvoli had not yet been released from the reserve, he received permission and could enter Albania and meet with his brother, without being understood by the Albanian authorities; in the first days of February, Stefan Guvoli wanted to visit his homeland again, but the governor of Thessaloniki did not give him permission, he was forced to cross the border near the village of Grevecia; was dictated by the patrol, which pushed on him knocking him wounded in the arm. “When the Albanian patrol found out from the documents he found on him that this was Stefan Guvoli, he hung him in an oak, killed him, and, torn to pieces, put him in a sack and threw him on Greek soil.” About the same person, about Stefan Guvoli, a few days ago, the Athens newspapers wrote that he drowned in Lake Ioannina while trying to save two women.
Some questions
We ask the newspaper “Elinikon Mellon” that this hero that she created with her sharp fantasy, why did she come and why did she want to come to a place where her mother and father had been slaughtered and what love could she feel for Albania? How could he meet his brother, and as she says herself, this is a fugitive from the mountains? Why did the Albanian soldiers tie him to an oak, and they could kill him much more easily, being lying on the ground and wounded, and who was the one who saw them and reported these barbarities to the Greek newspaper? Finally, who is lying: those newspapers that write that Stefan Guvoli drowned in Lake Ioannina, or “Elinikon Mellon” who claims that he was torn apart by the Albanian patrol?
Some more tips
Whenever we have responded to the slander of Greek newspapers, we have said that the Greek press does not serve the interest of Greece at all, trying to alarm public opinion and create a current against Albania. The Greeks know and know their newspapers much better than we do. There will be very few Greeks who will be mistaken with the rumors spread by their press, but even if we accept the opposite, if we accept that the public opinion of Greece declares unanimously against Albania, what could they do? make our country. We wanted to live with the Greeks as two people’s good friends and neighbors. If the Greek newspapers do not like this, let them continue the campaign as they are accustomed to, that we too will not burst with grief. We want the Greek public to believe that we are saddened by the unfortunate events that are taking place in Greece and we pray with all our hearts to end as soon as possible the fratricide that shook Greece so much. While we want to see a united and strong Greece, the newspapers want the opposite for our country. Here, then, are two opposing mentalities that unfortunately cannot be reconciled. As for the assassination of Stefan Guvoli, we will talk in tomorrow’s issue.
“Greek soldiers killed him to rob him and threw him into the river”
“Besa” newspaper: Here is the truth of the murder of Stefan Guvoli
Yesterday in these columns we talked about the murder of Stefan Guvoli as some Greek newspapers show and report and especially the newspaper “Elinikon Mellon”. Also, in yesterday’s article we explained the bad intentions of the Greek press which a crime that happened on Greek soil, an ugly murder committed by Greek soldiers, tries to confess as if it happened on Albanian soil and as guilty our soldiers show. The Greek press is divided on this issue: one-part writes that Stefan Guvoli drowned in the lake when you try to save two women who were drowning, and another part, and especially the newspaper “Elinikon Mellon” accuses the Albanian border patrol. Both sides do nothing but try to hide the traces of real criminals; while one to create the tale of drowning in the lake, the other wanted to take advantage of this opportunity to attack Albania as they have always been accustomed to. We would not like to open a controversy with the Greek press these days that the neighboring country is in a very difficult situation, but since our answers are addressed only to a part of the Greek press and not at all to the official circles and the Greek people, we cannot remain silent and not to clarify how this murder happened, which the Greek press is trying to speculate against our country.
How did the murder happen?
The late Stefan Guvoli is not from the region of Durrës, as the newspaper “Elinikon Mellon” writes, but from the village of Dhrovjan in the sub-prefecture of Delvina. His parents are alive and have not been slaughtered by the rebels as the Greek newspaper liked to embellish this drama. today too. Stefan Guvoli on November 23, 1934 presented himself at our Consulate in Thessaloniki and received a passage permit because, as he himself had said, he would return to Albania to do military service. The passage permit holds No. 34/1385. Our consulate also informed the Greek press of this fact; therefore, the claims of the newspaper “Elinikon Mellon”, where it is said that Stefan Guvoli, since he did not have a passage permit, was forced to secretly enter the Albanian land, are automatically refuted. Stefan Guvoli was killed near the village of Camanda in the Filati sub-prefecture, four kilometers inside the Greek border. The killers were the border guards of Greece, who after killing him to get the money, his body, to lose track, threw him into the abyss of the river Pavla.
The purpose of the Greek press
The Greek press to cover this horrible crime committed by their soldiers, at first gave the news that he drowned rescuing two women who were drowning in the lake, and later saw him blaming the crime on our army. We are not at all surprised by this behavior of the Greek newspapers. A press that has made it a habit to create murders, crimes and beatings that have not happened at all, finds it much easier to develop it in an alarming way and accuse us of being criminals when a murdered man is found, even if it is many kilometers away. within their boundary. We made our observations regarding the ugly tactics of the Greek press in yesterday’s article and we are not repeating them. In today’s notes, as we had promised in yesterday’s notes, we limited ourselves only to reporting the fact how the murder of Stefan Guvoli happened and who are the criminals of this murder./Memorie.al
