From Costa Papa Tomorri
Second part
Memorie.al / publishes the book “Greek barbarism in South Albania” – in the years 1913 – 14, written by Kosta Papa Tomorri, who was an Albanian Orthodox priest, originally from Leusa e Përmet. As a witness of the Greek massacres during the First Balkan War, he wrote a book, or rather a volume, dedicating it to Mehmet bey Konica and it was published in 1917. Priest Kosta Papa Tomorri, was a witness of the time of the Greek attacks and barbarism of 1913-1914, who experienced the tragic events on the defenseless Albanian population in the South of the country, which he then described in that book. His evidence is shocking, also due to the fact that he was an accurate observer of those events and in his chronicles, illuminates many incidents and events that shed light on the barbarism of the Greek invaders. That book is a unique specimen, perhaps the only one, devoted to those events, from an eyewitness. Kosta Papa Tomorri’s book describes horrifying events, and testifies in detail, the tragic history of the inhabitants of those parts, where the author served in those years. The book is an accusation made by a priest and browsing its pages, we see that, among other things, he says: “Albanians! You, our sons, generation after generation, when you speak the word Greek, don’t forget the slaughter, burning and dishonor”! This order is given by the priest, Kosta Papa Tomorri.
You Albanians, you and your brother killed me, and I scattered a few of them. V.P
GREEK BARBARIANS IN ALBANIA
From
COSTA P. TOMORI LEUSA
JOURNAL PRESS
FRAMINGHAM, MASS
1917
IT COSTS 35C
MEHMET BE KONITZA TO THE DELEGATES OF THE ALBANIANS OF AMERICA WHO ARE TRYING TO SAVE ALBANIA FROM TOMORROW’S TROUBLE LIKE THOSE IN THIS BOOK
I DEDICATE THIS WORK TO ONE OF HIS SOLDIER
A flash, then night,
O beautiful Butterfly.
Continues from last issue
On August 16, 1913, the Metropolis issued a proclamation inviting all boys and men to come from 18 to 45, the day of the meeting that Sunday, in the square of the Metropolis, everyone did the same and in the other years that the Greek army had occupied. After the order of the Metropolis, on Sunday everyone gathered in the square of the Metropolis. The amount exceeded 800 souls.
After a few minutes, dual from Mitropolia (iethniqi amina) Chief Police and Chief Division of the Greek army Mr. Malama.
Mr. Malama comes forward and says the following:
Boys (tis miteras elladhos), I gasped when I saw that you all ran to our call. This is the purpose of the call.
“With the bitterness of math, I can inform you that the great powers have in mind to separate you from the bosom (tis mitros elladhoj), and they will destroy their religion, they can dishonor you and you will suffer worse than at the time of Turkish tyranny, that’s why we were called today, to organize them for tomorrow’s war. So we will give everyone weapons, and you will do gymnastics three times a week.
So be ready for the next day, so that you are able to face the Albanian barbarians, when we will be forced to empty this vent. We have full faith in your patriotic feelings. So don’t despair, because we will not leave you alone, we will come out of the gate, and we will fight through something, we will always come out at your right hand”.
After the words of this one, others also spoke; after the words were over, there was a standing ovation, shouting. (“Enosis i thanatos”) “Union or death”.
Then everyone, as they were, went to the police and all of them in turn, wrote down and took a 2-pack with 50 bullets. As the weapons were taken, they were distributed among the houses. When it was time for gymnastics, the bells rang and everyone gathered in a square outside the city and, together with the Greek army, practiced 4 hours a day.
On the 1st of autumn, I officially received the news that this year, the London Conference, left Albania.
(Ethnic Amina) was in great despair. They gathered in Mitroploi day and night and discussed which route to take. They distributed each village, along with 6 large card rolls, each card roll was written in Greek and French; (Lunion ou la mort) “Union or death”. In these 6 piles of cards, they had to write the names of everyone who was there and those who were in exile, and when they finished, send them back to the Metropolis. As the Metropolis gathered these, I send them with the 6 Great Powers, as a document that the country does not accept their decision and they are ready to die.
On the 15th of autumn, orders were given to all the villages, that on Sunday the 16th of this month, they should all come to Permet, the men with weapons, women, boys and all the priests. All this order was also given in Gjinokastra, Delvina, Tepelena and Lesković. On Sunday, earth and humanity like flies were gathering in the square of the Metropolis. The number of people exceeded two thousand; the officers put all the volunteers in order, after a few minutes a duel from the Mitropolia (Ethniqi Amina) and all the priesthood. The priesthood entered the Church and dressed in the holy garments, veiled outside and the leader (ethniqis amina) gave the order to go to the market place, which was a math square outside the city.
After the order, everyone went to the designated place in order. Fortunately, the Greek army had surrounded the entire square, in the middle of the square there was a table covered with the Greek flag. On the table was the Holy Gospel. The students lined up the school boys with a Greek flag in their hands. All the same, the teachers had brought the school maids, dressed in a blue blouse and a pair of socks written on the chest, with golden writing; “Union or death”. Next to the table stood Veqil the Metropolitan with all the priests and (I ethniqi amina). After a while, the officials of the Greek Government arrived.
Zuri Dhoxologia for the King of Greece. The regular army, together with the volunteers, paid a penny in honor of the weapon. After they finished Dhoxology, Veqil Metropolitan, began a long speech. Yes, I will tell the anglers, only the meaning of the word. Brothers said, today we show our bitterness, that the Great Powers, civilized Europe, punish us who are only Greeks… and give us into the hands of the Albanian barbarians!
If we anoint our heads among them, know that our religion will be destroyed, our wives and sisters will be dishonored, and we will be slaves for life! After all, will we accept all these evils? I never say that our Greek blood is moving through our veins and any one of us will die with a rifle in hand and we will never accept that the Albanian barbarians enter our Greek Athena…! Everyone screams; “No, never, we want union or death”!
Then today, in today’s protest, we must swear on the Holy Gospel, that we will shed the last drop of blood and in the hands of the Albanians, we will not give in, and if we do not stand up to this curse, when will we We set fire to our houses, so that the Albanians find only ruins. Everyone shouts; we will burn them. Veqil Metropolitan called; shall we swear? All answered, we swear. That they all swore.
Then the Greek governor took the floor, and confused the situation for the Greek feelings, and said; “That, no matter what (I mitera Elas) will not leave them alone, they will be all behind you. After the Governor’s speech, the people were divided. (Ethniqi amina), headed to the telegraph office where they telegraphed with the six Great Powers, the desire of the people, who want union with Greece or death, and another telegram to the King of Greece, Constantine, not to leave them in their hands of the Albanians.
It was three months that the wretches were trying with protests, with telegrams, with delegates in London, but in vain. The country is Albania. The Great Powers gave the note to Greece to empty the land of Albania and officially hand it over to the organizers of the Albanian Gendarmerie, who were ordered by the Dutch.
The Grecomans had the intention to revolt, and they were always holding meetings for the plan of the uprising, but the Greek government, when it received the note of the Great Powers, made this note known in (Ethniqi Amina) that after the order of the Great Powers, I am forced to vacate the place properly, and officially hand it over to them. In front of you, you will not be able to declare the uprising, as long as our army is inside; that if we move the army, they will announce the uprising, following the program that we will give you. For money, for army and for ammunition, don’t underestimate what we have.
The Greeks despaired a little, because they intended to declare the uprising, without the Greek army fleeing.
After three days, since the Greek government said this to the Greco-Romans, together with the Greek government, they changed this decision and decided to hold a meeting in Gjirokastër.
The day of the meeting on January 27, Sunday. Dhespot Konices, who was the chairman of the meeting; in this meeting, the following cities sent delegates: Preveza, Isnina, Konica, Paramithia, Voshtina, Leskoviku, Kolonja, Korça, Përmeti, Tepelena, Gjinokastra, Himara and Delvina, Përmeti send these delegates; Veqil Mitropolitin, Vasil Stefani and spread the decision of the meeting, that the uprising will be declared these days.
On February 4, the Greek government officially handed over Korça and Frashëri, then Kolonje, and on the 10th of this month, Permet would be handed over as well. When the Greek army arrived from Frashëri, a great mourning covered the city; the bells were ringing for death! The priesthood was giving the name, instilling fear in the people that the Albanians will destroy our religion. Then they opened a news channel, that when the Albanians entered Frashër, they went to the church and all the choirs of the church were broken.
When the people heard this news, they became even more angry and began to rebel against Constantine and Venizelos, who sold them among the Albanians! On February 6, the Metropolis sent a message to all the villages saying the following: Gather everyone in the church tonight and pray (Panihidhe), pray all night and in the morning, pray for the last time, because the end is coming. ours and religion. So everyone gathered for their churches and communed…!
On Saturday night, a telegram arrives from Zografua, ordering Permet to declare the uprising on Sunday morning and advising them not to despair that they will win. When they learned this news, a mass of gas covered the people and the Greek army, the officers were drinking in cafes and thrissing (Zito i epanastasis). On Sunday after church, they decide to declare the uprising. They agreed with the Greek governor and told all the villagers to come to Permet with weapons on Sunday morning.
DECLARATION OF REBELLION
The meeting of the Ipirotes that was held in Gjinokastra, under the chairmanship of Dhespot Konica, which ended the Uprising, elected a provisional governor; Chairman, Kristaq Zografon and the Ministry of War, Mr. Dhuli. Mr. Dhuli was a Greek officer, who allegedly disobeyed the advice of his governor, turned rogue, and joined Zografo. The capital was Gjinokastra, the treasury was Athens, and the ammunition came from Fjorgoçati, which was the center of the Greek army.
Zografua is an Albanian born in Qesarat of Gjinokastra, he is very rich and on the day he elected the President of the Autonomous Government, Zografua donates (goat ton agona), thirty-two thousand liras. Farewell, traitor! The Greek who loves this animal very much, the reason is this: the Greek, as a sly, combed his tail, gave him a job in the government of Athens, and with these tricks, they made Zografo a Greek. Zografua, when the time came for Albania, his mother, to break the chains of tyranny of five hundred years of captivity, she opened her free arms to conquer her child, what a lie, poor Albania!
How these boys who grew up from your bosom, became the apple of your eye. These boys gave me the strongest chains of the first, to bind you for life. But why did you take Zografo, become a traitor to your
mother and blacken your name in the history of Albania?! That the boys of Albania, when they hear your name in their mouths, will tremble and curse you with the vilest words in the world.
On Saturday night, a Greek officer named Joanidhi arrived from Gjinokastra in Permet, dressed in political clothes. When I arrived, he gathered (the Amina ethnic group) and laid out the program of the uprising. At 8 p.m., he left Përmet with some Greek soldiers and gathered the sons of these villagers: Malëshovë, Brezhan, Argova and Buhal. All these boys with guns, on Sunday morning, surrounded Përmet with the flag of Autonomy, which was blue in color, with a double-headed eagle, and raised it in Bolënga. Bolenga is like a fortress above Permet.
That morning, people were gathering in the church of the Metropolis called Saint-Kolli. All those who were armed surrounded the church; those who had no weapons entered the church, priests, women, elders, boys and girls. The priests put on the holy clothes and took the praise for the King of Greece. As the eulogy ended, Veqil Mitroploiti came out to the beautiful door with a cross in his hand and said: “Brothers, today’s meeting here in the church is a mourning meeting. This cross that we have been cultivating for so many centuries, today with the will of the Great Powers, we are being thrown down, they are disrespecting us, giving honor to the hands of the barbaric Albanians!
In this morning meeting, I want to ask you for the last time, which of the two will you live, death or guard? Everyone call the guard! So we want to guard it with honor, we want our child not to be dishonored, we want this cross that we have carried with honor until today and which has saved us from many dangers at the hands of the Turks and which we will always have a defender, we must take up arms and not give ourselves into the hands of the barbarians…!
Do not despair, because Christ is with us. Everyone calls out, we will die with guns in our hands and we will not give up the honor of the Albanians”! So today is the day of the Uprising, today we declare the Autonomy of the villages that were judged by merciless power and given to Albania…!
Long live the flag of Autonomy!
And he took the flag of Autonomy, which had been raised in the sacred tribune.
Everyone shouted, “Long live”!
Veqil Metropolitan, from the villages of Albania from the village of Hlomo Kaza Gjinokastrë.
What is the Veqil of faith, how much is the Veqil of Christ, so says Christ or Jews? Take the Cross and declare rebellion within the Church! Murder, slaughter, disrespecting women, and thousands of other evils. Woe to the ignorant people who run away from them like a bear with water in the river and that they have understood that they will snatch that cross that you hold in your hand and break it behind their head, because that cross that you carry is not Christ’s but of Satan. When the tall people, will you mention from this deep limb? And get rid of these ravens, who have hypnotized you and know what you do and made you tools, to end their diabolical desires.
You are mourning, for whom did you take those weapons in your hands? Against whom? Against your mother, against the beloved homeland, against Albania…! Wake up as soon as possible, repent because your mother’s curse will take hold. Your lips will never smile, your conscience will never be left alone, the shadow of your mother, will face you whenever, wherever you go, wherever you come from and whatever you wear, with tears in your eyes and will tell them; why you my boys, with destruction on this scale? Am I not your mother? Come back to my bosom, because I am your mother, come back my sons, I still love you; I ache for you, because I have raised you.
What kind of heart will it be when it learns the events of Albania and the causes of the miseries are the Albanians themselves, and not be torn apart? I believe that even our enemies will shed a tear of mercy.
Oh, our luck! Oh God! When did you feel that we Albanians would learn history, why should we be excluded from the world at all? Where are we at the plutonian time….?!
After Veqil Dhespoti finished speaking, these gentlemen took the floor: Llambro Dhonato, Pappa Vasil, Vasil Dhaskali, Mihallaq Kriqe. Their subject that all ay Veqil Metropolitan. At the end of the words, everyone goes outside, with the flag of Autonomy.
The Greek government, which knew what was going to happen, had sent the police, with regular sponge soldiers, and they had occupied the gates of the church, so as not to let the insurgents out.
After the insurgents were placed four by four, at the head of the centurion Veqil the Metropolitan, they started to go out of the gate. The Greek police, they tell you, fuck off. They counted, the police ask Veqil; where do you come the little one answers you; our job is where we go. The police tell them; we have an order from the government of Athens, not to make any such move, if it separates you. Veqili turns to the people and says; brothers, the police order us to split up, what do you say?
All with one voice called; we die here and we don’t part, but forward! Forward! The Zuns were pushing each other, the police with soldiers and government officials, the poor were trying to stop them, but they didn’t succeed! That the insurgents were given a push and thrown to the line where the water went. I, who was there, felt sorry that the poor people were killed…!
Yes, you sly ones with these mischiefs, do you want to cover up your slyness? Were the skies ever covered with pilaf? Never! If you really wanted to stop the uprising, you would not come with a sponge, but with a rod in hand. Poor people, they didn’t move from their place, but they raised you barbarians, you without grace.
Thus, the insurgents, double-faced, humiliated the Greek government. The officials of the Greek government, as they saw pique from the insurgents, split. The insurgents went out, gathered and others who had surrounded the city, all joined together, and took to pave the streets of the city, singing Greek songs (mavr’i nikta sta vuna!) and calling; down Albania……!
The Greeks watched these things from a distance and their souls rejoiced, because they restrained the animals and were playing them as they wanted. After they had finished walking, they gathered again in the Metropolis and raised the flag of Autonomy, because in the courtroom it was officially the flag of Greece, and the Greeks were not allowed to take him to the courts, because then the union of Greece with the insurgents seemed cheeky.
When this comedy was over, Veqil Mitropoliti told the insurgents to disperse and the next day, to gather again in Mitropoli. As the insurgents were divided, they gathered in Mitropoli (Amina ethnicity), the Greek governor, Mr. Dasho, also participated in this meeting. The purpose of this meeting was to elect an Autonomous Governor and the following were elected: Governor Veqil Dhespoti! Secretary, Dhame Prtheni, treasurer, Qako Gerxhe, policeman, Mihallaq Kriqe, secretary of the police, Illi Apostoli, were also elected and custodians of food, these; Chairman Manthno Nana, secretary, Lipe Hristidhi; assistants, Dhjonis Jani and Ngjeli Sofroni.
However, it was also chosen from the other villages, Gjinokastër, Delvinë, Tepelën and Leskovik that Korça was officially given to the Albanians that day and they did not succeed in the Uprising. The chiefs of the armies, most of the time, were these:
Gjinokastra……… Greek colonel, Dhuli.
Delvinë……… Greek officer, Joanidhi.
Përmet………. The Greek colonel, Mavroidhi
Tepelene……… Greek colonel, Zirra.
Leskovik……… Greek Colonel, Leondokanaki.
On Sunday night, February 15, 1914, I received a telegram from Ioannina to the Autonomous Governor, telling you that on Monday, you should expect 500 Greek soldiers (lipotacts) with 10 officers. Memorie.al
The next issue follows
