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Dielli | The Sun

Albanian American Newspaper Devoted to the Intellectual and Cultural Advancement of the Albanians in America | Since 1909

Albanians and America for Biden

September 28, 2020 by dgreca

By Mynyr Z. Nazifi-

This November we as Americans face one of the biggest decisions this country has had to make in modern history. A decision that will not only affect our lives but will also impact the lives of future generations to come. This November we are not just deciding between Joe Biden and Donald Trump. We are choosing what kind of world we want to live in and what kind of world we want to leave for our children and grandchildren. And for those reasons it is clear that Joe Biden is the best choice for America and Albanians all over the world.

Being born in the former Yugoslavia in 1950 (modern day Republic of North Macedonia), I witnessed the failings of socialism firsthand. Aside from the widespread corruption and exploitation of its citizens, voting was an absolute joke. The government did whatever it wanted and the people had no voice. This never sat well with me and as a teenager I became an activist and fought against the horrors of Yugoslavian socialism and Albanian communism, demanding basic human rights and the better treatment of my fellow citizens and Albanians. It wasn’t until years later that those demands were met with the final dismantlement of Yugoslavia, but at that point I had long since moved to America in search of a better life for my family and myself.

As a 21-year-old newlywed it was not an easy decision for me to just pick up and move to America with my young bride. Aside from the difficulty of leaving loved ones behind, not knowing if and when we would see them again, neither of us spoke a word of English or knew how to get started with our new lives. But what we did know was that the promise of American freedom was worth the risk. I know many of you reading this had to make the same difficult decision when you too decided to come to America in search of a better life. And for that opportunity we should all consider ourselves very lucky. Because had the Trump Administration’s immigration policies been the prevailing sentiment, many of us would not have made it to this wonderful country let alone call ourselves American citizens.

Coming to this country with little more than the clothes on my back and a growing family to support, hard work was not a choice but necessary for survival. At times I worked multiple jobs, going days, weeks and even months without getting to relax and spend quality time with my family. But from that sacrifice I was able to experience the American dream and now own multiple successful businesses with the help of my family. And for that reason, I always try to vote for my pocket and still consider myself a Republican to this day. As a businessman, my support for the Republican party began in 1980 when a vote for Ronald Reagan meant a vote for small government, smart fiscal policy and most importantly common sense. But over the years the party has strayed, capitalizing on an already polarized nation by feeding the flames with racist, nationalist and divisive rhetoric.

I look forward to the day that I can again vote Republican, but it will not be this November 3rd because to describe the damage that Donald Trump has done to this country one could fill the pages of this gazette ten times over without even scratching the surface. We live in a world constructed in his image. New turmoil on the news daily, mistrust in every direction and above all else hate all around us. We cannot blame all of today’s problems on Donald Trump but we can ask ourselves if we honestly believe that he made any of them better. For me the answer is clear. Joe Biden will be my vote for the next US President. In these uncertain times he is exactly what our country needs – a levelheaded and experienced professional not plagued by the selfishness and dishonesty we as a nation have grown to accept from Donald Trump. So while we might not be able to undue all of the damage that Donald Trump has done, voting for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris this November is a start. For that reason, I ask all Albanians, especially those in swing states like Wisconsin and Michigan, to consider all of the ways a Biden presidency will help you and your community. From restoring the healthcare benefits Donald Trump is trying to cut to making it easier to bring loved ones to the United States as immigrants and visitors, Joe Biden has the best interests of the Albanian people in mind. So the only question is, come election day will you?

Filed Under: Opinion Tagged With: Albanians, and America, for Biden, Mynyr Nazifi

Albanians, Arberesh guests celebrate Albanian Heritage Month in Ontario

November 5, 2016 by dgreca

By Urim Shera/

montreal11 – The Albanian-Canadian Community Association organized a festive event, which involved many high profile guests, including an Arberesh delegation from Calabria, to mark November as the Albanian heritage month in the Province of Ontario.

More than 28 000 Albanian Canadians in Ontario enjoy today the right to promote and celebrate Albanian cultural heritage after the Legislative Assembly of Ontario adopted last year the Albanian Heritage Month Act, proclaiming November as the Albanian heritage month in the province.  k1-300x191-1

The Albanian Heritage Month Act was an initiative launched by the President of Honour of the Albanian-Canadian Community Association, Dr. Ruki Kondaj, supported by the Association’s President Ramazan Këllezi as well as other members of the Toronto’s Albanian-Canadian Community Association.

Attending the event, the Ontario Minister of Citizenship and Immigration Laura Albanese, who has an Arberesh origin, said she was proud to speak and submit the Albanian heritage month bill  to the Ontario parliament.k4-300x211

“It was not a surprise I was chosen to submit the Albanian heritage bill because my family name has an Albanian meaning,” she said in her remarks.

A program of Albanian folk dances, a parade of traditional costumes from various Albanian regions, a theatrical performance of the Doruntine, a play inspired by the Albanian legend of Doruntine as written by renowned writer Ismail Kadare, and Albanian traditional food and delicacies brought an Albanian atmosphere among the Albanians in Canada.

Filed Under: Komunitet Tagged With: Albanian Heritage Month, Albanians, Arberesh guests celebrate, in Ontario

“Albanians are the living museum of the world’s culture”.”

October 17, 2013 by dgreca

Interview with albanian –american writer  James Wm. Pandeli/

Interviewd by Raimonda Moisiu/

The Pandeli family come from Korça & Devolli (his grandparents) to USA in 1904, 1911,1917 and 1920 respectively. His father was born in Treni Devolli region,  and came at 5 years on the day his mother was born in Philadelphia on 21 dec. 1920.

James Wm. Pandeli  is a product of the Noli-Konitza generation in America. He graduated Univ. of Connecticut in 1966 in economics and California college of Law in 1975 with Jurist Doctor degree.
He published the book “Oh Albania, my poor Albania” in 1980, deciphering a part of Hesiod’s “genesis of the gods” c.700 b.c. (in Albanian language printing will take place 2 marche 2010 in Ferizaj, Kosova).

In this book you will enjoy learning about Cham, Geg, Lab & Tosk and the evolution of the Albanian people thanks in part to Hesiod -though he probably did not understand his own “genesis of the gods”. J. Pandeli was fortunate to analyze a new interpretation in Hesiod’s work as it applies to the pelasg-illyr-albanian people)- Oh Albania, my poor Albania:
The history of ” Mother Albania ” from the beginning of time, the beginning of the world .

It says: James Pandeli is a product of Noli -Konitza? What do we know about the linkage between you and them?

My four grandparents were of the Fan Noli generation, arriving in the usa in 1904, 1911, 1917, 1920. My parents were married in the era of Faik Konitza in America, 1940.One grandfather left Albania at 12 years old in 1904 only to return to marry in 1911 and begin his family in Philadelphia, USA. The other grand father  left Albania in 1884, at 9 years old and worked in mines in Egypt, Boulgaria, Turkey, and finally Russia. I have the Czar Nicholas gold coin dated 1898, the date of his probable return to Albania. Sometime after 1915, having built a home in Korca and already having  two children, he left albania again-this time to go to America.

What was your first book?

My first and only book was “Oh Albania, my poor Albania’.  In older age it was  more productive to do essays.

What year was that?

1980

I didn’t realize you’d been publishing for that long.

Yes

How old were you when “Oh, Albania, my poor Albania”, was published?

36 years old

Writing what was inside of you rather than what you felt you should be writing?

A great desire to find the lost pelasg-illyr-albanian story.  When very important analysis was made while reading “genisis of the gods” by Hesiod, 700 b.c., I realized what I had to do. Then I began exploring ideas about cham , geg, lab, tosk and ideas about the albanian identity from the time of pelasgians – and using dionysus (di-oun-sis) as a vehicle for the ideas.  The unfolding analysis directed my writing.  Rushit  Ali Plaku of Konispol in 1972  encouraged the need to concentrate on the pelasg-illyrian past.

You have published your book,”Oh, Albania, my poor Albania”, in 1980, how did you managed to get it published?

I  neither looked for nor trusted publishers or editors.  For that matter university scholarship and doctorate research, in my thinking, could not be trusted to be presented on matters concerning the albanian story. This had to remain an albanian only, stricyly albanian project.  I published the book  myself and filed copyright paperwork, complying with copyright laws. I brought four copies to the albanian mission to the U.N. On april 1, 1980 where I met one named  Todi Rizo who probably was the security.

It has been said, that if the book “Oh, Albania, my poor Albania”, by James Wm. Pandeli proves to be true one day, it will be the greatest albanian history book ever written? Is this book based on true historical facts?

I understand what constitutes historical facts!  If you are referring to published sources you have to wonder what is presented as ‘fact’.   From the analysis of others about the albanian story I have little confidence nor do I accept as a basis the findings of most scholars concerning pelasg-illyr-albanian history.  From one point of view they could never have imagined the depth of our existence having themselves relatively recent  “jumped down from the trees”.  When dealing with pre- history much is based on the fragments of history.  Along with pottery found, there is a reasoning process and explanations that are difficult to prove inaccurate. Actually, we have to thank enemies because their thinking, their reasonings, have become so outrageous in their confiscation attempts of albanians and albanian lands that they exposed themselves and the weakness in their arguments. And with regard to the pre- history, they remain in a vacuum – empty space.  Believe it or not  the greeks suffer from this.  Understand this, if all facts fail, the albanian DNA has been present, generation after generation.  No one can come up with the facts of pre- history but by the clever and honest use of fragments, ancient names, words, early man’ s perceptions to  imagine a more likely version of the pre – history, a clearer picture of the evolving past. No other group has been able to match what appeared to be an  impossibile task – recover the pelasg-illyr-albanian past.  Yes, it was suggested to me that if this book proves true it will be the greatest albanian history book ever written. What emerges is a new source heretofore not imagined because one false source built on another false source had served  to establish truth that was in effect truth manufactured – that is truth without any considerations for the perceptions of pre- historic man or his language or the various fragments in history.  This process of truth manufctured evolved over centuries while illyr-albanians were caught in the whirlwind of conquest and turmoil,  first by rome, then byzantium, then by the ottomans and then by the instabilies of developing nation- states and the influx of foreign ethnic groups over these hundreds of years. Commercial movies provide ‘interesting facts’.  imagine Alexander the Great, calling out to his illyrian troops “ti kanas, kala”.  A very interesting fact in history is the recording by Hesiod of the birth of Aphrodite.  The more probable story of the birth of Aphrodite is the version that I expressed in my book. Albanians of today realize that balances have to be made in their thinking, but that does not mean they have to capitulate.

Where did this book begin? Did you set out a mission on researching on albanian history or were you inspired by something else?

I always enjoyed reading about the history of the albanian people.  What was written by others as well as what was written by albanians.  My inspiration came from an inquisitive intellect. I balanced what I knew about the albanian people and  myself as an albanian-american . It was in 1979, in the library in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida where I was reading Hesiod and making notes , when I asked myself “could it be that the ancients thought the beginning of the world took place by the Shkumbini river?”-  when I asked myself “could it be that the ancients thought the beginning of the world took place by the Shkumbini river?”-

But how come you’re are able to produce a new interpretation in Hesiod’s work as it applies to the pelasg-illyr-albanian people?

Hesiod gave me this opportunity to be able to produce a new interpretation with his use of concepts chaos; ge (gaea); er; and tartar in his “beginning of the world” story. I played with ideas. Example, we see kaos and ge…  So why not cham and geg?  At first it may not seem plausible, but as other ideas were considered,  what at first  appeared as a catalyst, it  became more substantive when different thoughts  were analyzed.   What was very important was to keep faith in our ancestors’ creativity and just continue going through this maze, this unraveling process.  It was some years  later that I started with essays to clarify in my own thinking what needed to be reviewed and then the implications and i realized just how right my ideas were.  This then (the study of the albanian race) opened some interesting thoughts about some aspects of this thing we call DNA.  My intellect could not rest.

We know now, if proof is required in one phrase “almost impossible”, How would you interpret Geg, Lab & Tosk and the evolution of the Albanian People, to the skeptic academicians/historians?

The ‘almost impossible’  phrase came from me.  The least important thing now as the result of my work and years gone by, are the skeptics, those that feed only on confiscation of people’s, lands and identity.  Those days are gone in truth – but still attempts may continue.  They are feeding!  Don’t dignify the term anti-albanian academicians/historians.  Anyone is welcome with ideas, even if anti-albanian. But the time to just be dishonest is over. Historians with good ideas should be welcome. For example, imagine how much greeks can learn about their past if they took my work seriously.  Even the western scholars in europe and america could benifit. That would prove that so much in history that they created was wrong. So where is the scholarship?  The same is true with slavs. Imagine all they could learn about their heritage in the russian ‘alps’ or ‘plains’ before they became puppets for those interested in Balkan conquests – even puppets to themselves and their people and then live with that as a cultural heritage?  What skeptics?  Those that are very jealous of albanian people and have become obviously so.  They only look to Russia, not for cultural heritage but to be able to continue their feeding frenzy and actions in the Balkans.  If you think I’m joking just review the greek economic turmoil. They are now feeding on themselves. sad for the supposed birthplace of western civilization.  This will be true soon about America.  The concepts cham, geg, tosk and lab have evolved from the earliest time in the Balkans, most probably in stories that evolved  around the Shkumbini river as just beginning stories of primitive people.  We cannot  imagine this primitive time but we can reflect using the various ideas mentioned, fragments, perceptions, language – words and names that survived, always evolving.

That wisdom must come from somewhere though…

The wisdom comes from my life experiences from very early age. I realized that I had to achieve the highest education possible no matter what the cost.

In your writings, is that what you’re relating it to?.

My intellect created the  final product/productions.  My perceptions have always been keen.

Where do you live?

Florida, USA

How would you interpret the current global economic crisis? Is another fiction or a painful reality?

Oh, it is a reality, but created by very old, clever people that only other, very old, clever people can understand and best analyze – old in the sense ancient people.

What are your sentiments on Kosovo & Albania??

My sentiments are the same  as the strategy of Mother Albania, – Nena Shqiperia! As always in history, she displays her strength through the intellect and patriotism of the albanians of the Balkan’s, and maybe a few outside the Balkan’s as well.

Do you consider yourself albanian-albanian?

I am an albanian-american of the pelasg-illyr-albanian faith, spiritually speaking.  Think about this comment seriously when reviewing current events, and mans’ capacity and spiritual interpretations on this one common home, planet mother earth.  Don’t think first to be offended, but rather to edify – think spiritually in this truth what man/woman has not yet imagined. This is the importance of the  discovery of the pelasg-illyr- albanian past in a wider sense because they have existed tens of thousands of years before man reached beyond his capacity to undertake spiritual thought beyond an appreciation of mother earth.

You said the inspiration comes by your albanian origin. Are your writings, esseys heavily plotted or do they come from above, as it were? I get a sense that they do..

No.  The inspiration does not come from “above”.  that “above” comes from interpretations from other cultures, other people, other lesser capacities and abilities;  people very much younger than pelasg-illyr-albanians.  My work comes from the appreciation and respect of the ancestors – from their memory, their creativity and through their strength our survival.

Why do you write?

I  think you can begin to sense why I write  and now you might understand why I am able to sense so much of albanianism.  I was very much in tune to albanian history and identity.  If you cannot sense this,  it is very much worth thinking about it when reading my work, my thoughts and discoveries now that they will be forever established in an albanian context as a source.

What are you writing now?

Now i am interested in writing about the american condition. A condition that I understand very well.

A massage for your albanian community?

Please remember the words of Muharrem Cerabregu: “Albanians are the living museum of the world’s culture”.

All I did was open the door to this understanding – in depth.  The eagle has landed!  Please also remember that I am always mindful of the sufferings of albanians in albania the last 50 years and also of the sufferings in Kosova and the rest of the Balkan’s.  the younger generation has great potential and it is for us living in the free, industrial, productive west who have had opportunities to learn in depth, to share ourselves whenever possibile to help albanians reach that higher plateau.  That too is our kismet, and our DNA!

The  DNA  is an important concept  when understanding the  ethnic propensity to achieve the impossible.

Thanks a lot! Be honored and proud being albanian, Mr.James Wm.Pandeli

Interviewed by Raimonda Moisiu

Hartford CT USA.

 

Filed Under: Interviste Tagged With: Albanians, are the living, James Pandeli, museum, of the world's culture

Albania’s Sworn Virgins

August 29, 2013 by dgreca

In Albania, a “sworn virgin” is a biological female who has chosen to take on the social identity of a man for life. It’s a tradition dating back hundreds of years that still exists in the Albanian Alps, as well as to a lesser extent in other parts of the Western Balkans. The practice developed from the Kanun, an archaic patriarchal set of laws that began to be used mostly in northern Kosovo and Albania in the 15th century. This ancient codex states that women are the property of their husbands, which strips them of some basic rights and freedoms, such as being able to vote in local elections, conduct business, earn money, smoke, wear a watch, or even swear out loud.
By taking an irrevocable oath to live as a sworn virgin (“burnesha” in Albanian) in front of village or tribal elders, a woman can be elevated to the status of a man, thereby becoming entitled to all the rights and privileges of the male population. Besides taking a vow of lifelong celibacy, Burnesha women usually don the trappings of masculinity to underline their transition from male to female — cutting their hair, wearing male clothing, and sometimes even changing their names. They often adopt male mannerisms and gestures so thoroughly that they became second nature.
There are various reasons why these women would turn their backs on their birth gender. Some young women took the decision to avoid being forced into an arranged marriage, often with a much older man. In other instances, it was the only way in which a woman could inherit her family’s wealth. This was particularly important in a society where blood feuds have frequently resulted in the deaths of many men, which can leave families at risk of losing all their assets with no male heir to inherit them. Some have said they became sworn virgins simply because they felt more male than female.
American photographer Jill Peters has traveled to northern Albania to meet and photograph some of these women who have spent most of their lives living as men. As modernity slowly creeps into Albania’s remote rural regions, the tradition of sworn virgins appears to be in terminal decline. It is estimated that there are only a few dozen aging burnesha left in the country. Consequently, Peters’ photos may well provide a valuable record of a cultural phenomenon that could soon become a thing of the past. Her “Sworn Virgins Of Albania” is an ongoing project and she is also working on a documentary film about this topic.

Filed Under: Histori Tagged With: Albanians, Sworn virgins

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