Children Martyrs of Kosovo byHanëmshahe Iliazi and Nusret Pllana was promoted on Wednesday evening at the Consulate General of Kosovo in New York.
Here are the remarks by Ambassador Teuta Sahatqija’s at the event.
Honorable Councilman Mark Gjonaj, Dear Prof. Tanya Domi,Media, Ladies and Gentlemen
November 20th is International Children’s Day celebrated everywhere in the world.Wherever they are, children bring smile, joy, play, energy, hope for the better future.Today, Kosovo General Consulate organize this day through the promotion of the book of Hanumshahe Iliazit and Nusret Pllanes, “Children Martyrs of Kosovo”.The data in the book comes from the official statistics from 1981, culminating during the war 1999. There are data in different tables of municipalities, massacres, every child has its own data, name, name of his parent, date of birth, date and place of murder, smiling photo of happy times, when it is available, otherwise a red rose.During the war many houses were burned taking to smoke photos of families, of children smiling in happy occasions, posing in the school, photos from birthday parties, hug of their moms, happiness at the lap of grandfathers. These children do not have photos to remember color of their eyes, to transmit to us their smile from the eternity, to demand justice for violently ending their lives too early.The red roses above their names have the difficult task of representing them, they bear the responsibility for seeking justice on murdered children’s behalf, some of them couldn’t celebrate even the first birthday.Among children from Gjakova I recognized names of the children playing at the neighborhood together with my daughters, I recognized between brackets, names of their parents I worked with in Ereniku, parents I met at school meetings or when we sent children to get their vaccine shots. Arlindi, Dorina, Marigona, Sihana, Rita Vejsa and their mother were within the house together with their cousins Dalina, Delvina, Diona Caka and their young mother. They were murdered and their house was set on fire.Behar Haxhiavdia and I worked together in Ereniku. Our children were similar ages. While going and returning from the work in the bus we were telling each other about children, their interests, new teeth. Doruntina, Egzoni, Rina Haxhiavdija, his children and wife were killed on the night of April 2nd 1999 and his house was set on fire. The list continues up to 1133 names of the murdered children, 109 still at the missing list.This book convey the demand for justice, it demands the answer from the grownups, institutions, states WHY?These children demands no additional children around the world to join their list, no more smiling photos, no more rose at the vast field of red roses.It is our responsibility to give safe and happy childhood to children all over the world, to enjoy their innocent smiles and hopes for the better future.
November 20, 2019