BY ALFONS GRISHAJ/

For us Albanians, we have admired American and Western journalists to a level of adoration because we have always thought that they are writing the truth. However, after recognizing and studying numerous cases of distortions and fake news, the adoration of some of them has been badly torn.

The sense of disappointment that I felt while reading J. Michael Waller’s anti-Albanian and anti-scientific article against my people, the Dardanians (who are as old as humanity itself) later turned into disgust. How is it possible for such an analyst to fall into the trap of a dilettante and talk about the history of a people without knowing it? The accusations against my Albanian people of Dardania (Kosova) for jihadism and other tales, are not in the spirit of the analysis of Western politics. Rather they have been fueled by the thesis cooked in the kitchen of anti-Albanian propaganda of Serbo-Russia.

            To counter Waller’s position, there have been more jihadists recruited from the west (there have even been cases in the U.S.) than from Dardania.  Due to historical reasons, it is true that the majority of the population belongs to the Islamic faith. However, Waller’s accusation is ridiculous for all those who are knowledgeable about Albanian Islam.

Whether Waller  has anything personal against Bill Clinton or with the bust of Bill Clinton. That’s on him. But to tarnish an entire nation with such lies is shameful. The facts are quite different from what he presents. It was not only Congressman Eliot Engel who supported Dardania. Rather there was Senator Bob Dole, Senator Mitch Conell, Congressman Gilmon, Congresswoman Sue Kelly, Secretary of State James Baker, Senator Domato, President Bush, who sharply warned Slobodan Milosevic, “Get your hands off Kosovo!”, George W. Bush, Senator Peters, and others.

The movement for the disintegration of the former-Yugoslavia began long ago, precisely because of the violation of human rights against the peoples of the Yugoslav Federation, especially against the Albanians living in their ethnic lands. Serbia was the promoter of hatred toward multiple ethnicities, and the war against the republics and peoples who wanted to live independently was not unforeseen. Josip Broz Tito, at one of the Congresses of the Yugoslav Communist Party, seeing Serbian extremism, forewarned: “If you want a great Yugoslavia, you need a small Serbia. If you want a great Serbia, you will have a small Yugoslavia,” implying that Yugoslavia would be destroyed and only Serbia would be left.

I would think that Waller, a political analyst, would know of Tito’s forewarning.

The genesis of the movement for the disintegration of Yugoslavia started before Engle and Clinton became energetically involved in a process that would establish final peace in the region. Inspired by Ekrem Bardha (following the arrest of Pjeter Ivezaj), the initiative against Serbia was launched by Congressman William Broomfield (not Clinton) who made possible the first blow to the destruction of the Yugoslav anti-human machine. 

In this context, Clinton only had to sign the punishment against a collective madness, led by a criminal-like Slobodan Milosevic, for continuing the crimes that had violated every humane international law.

Regardless of their individual religious affiliation, the entire Albanian people have preserved and continue to cultivate the principles and values of a Christian civilization. Most sacred among the Albanians are hospitality, faith, chivalry, a sense of mercy, honesty, etc.

Again, as a reminder to analyst Waller:

The Albanian people have brought forth rare world figures who have served humanity at various times. I am only mentioning two figures for Mr. Waller. Gjergj Kastrioti Skenderbeg, “Athleta Christi”, the defender of the West and Saint Mother Teresa, mother of the modern world.

Dardania was not only assisted by America, but by almost all Western countries; England, Germany, France (centuries-old alliance with Serbia), Italy, and others. Without the leaders of that time, Blair, Schroeder, Jacques Chirac, Dalema and others, intervention in Kosova would have been impossible.

The truth, as bright as sunshine, is that the Albanian people are the most pro-American people in the world … sarcastically Waller mentions this but without delving into the essence of the love that Albanians have for America. Waller forgets that before Clinton, it was President Wilson who stopped the Turkoshaks and Milosevic-Type “Christians” from the further disintegration of Albania. And one of the most noble distinguishing characteristics of the Albanian people is gratitude. 

I say to J. Michael Waller:

The struggle for the liberation of Dardania (Kosova) was not a war against Christianity because those who liberated Dardania were Christians. They were fighting the anti-Christ, who aimed at realizing a diabolical historical plan: ethnic cleansing of the province through a massive genocide. Christ preached peace, not genocide!

            In the Albanian national thought, but also in the spiritual constitution of the Albanians, the principle and sense of nationality lay above religious sentiments. Albanians have long realized, earlier than many others,  that foreign anti-Albanian entities have attempted, and will continue in the future, to present Albanian’s religious composition as an obstacle to national unity. Also, they view the Albanian’s Euro-Atlantic orientation as unnatural and even unprecedented. One hundred and fifty years ago, the Albanian National Renaissance has reaffirmed their true Albanian identity. Therefore, the Albanians know their own way and have no need for others to teach them. Whereas, those who desire to write against the Albanians must first know Albanian culture. They need to know what the Albanians have thought and what they think about themselves and their history. Today, I will share with you only two verses that the Renaissance poet Vaso Pasha Shkodrani wrote in his programmatic poem, O Albania, Poor Albania: “And look not to church or mosque, The faith of the Albanians is Albanianism!”