Dielli | The Sun

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

URIME PER 70 VJETORIN E LINDJES PROFESORESHE MJAFTIME DUSHALLARI

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Sikur të mos ishte kërkesa e djalit tuaj për një  fjalim të  shkurtër sot nuk do t’i kishim mësuar shprehjet pikante të Nënë Behares dhe mencurinë e saj. E pranoj se vitet japin një lloj njësije matëse të moshës, por mendoj se ju keni treguesë të tjerë kohorë. Si studente juaja në Fakultetin Filologjik, unë e konsideroj veten një lloj trashëgimtare të veprës suaj. Dhe nëse mund të numërohen studentët dhe nxënësit e disa brezave të edukuar nga ju, mosha juaj është mijëra vjecare dhe e pamatshme me kritere konvencionale. Titulli Profesor nuk e ka bërë askënd të tillë. Nuk janë titujt akademik por zotësia juaj profesionale dhe dhuntia e natyrshme ligjëruese që janë cilësitë tuaja të rralla.

Me mirënjohje të pafund, uroj të gëzoni shumë e shumë përvjetorë të tjerë!

Rafaela Prifti

Mund te lexoni: Gazeta Dielli Dalip Greca Seminari Shkencor Arsimor mbajtur ne Vater maj 2018

VATRA PRITI MESUESIT E SHKOLLAVE SHQIPE

Senate Votes that Trump’s Impeachment Case is Constitutional

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by Rafaela Prifti/

The second impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump began on Tuesday, as House Democrats prosecute their case for “incitement of insurrection.” Last month nine impeachment managers of the Democratic Party brought the article of impeachment to the Senate citing the responsibility of then President Trump in inciting his supporters who broke into the US Capitol and interrupted the certification of the Electoral College Votes on January 6.

The defense for Mr. Trump has argued that the trial is unconstitutional as he is no longer a sitting president. The lawyers claim that Mr. Trump was exercising freedom of speech when he told his supporters to “fight like hell” to overturn his defeat.

Tuesday’s proceedings began with a debate to dismiss the trial on the basis of Trump’s lawyers claim that it is moot now that Trump is out of office, and 45 Senate Republicans have already voted to dismiss the trial on those grounds. Five Republican senators voted with Democrats two weeks ago not to dismiss the trial on constitutional grounds.

The Senate debated on the issue of constitutionality followed by a vote on whether to dismiss the trial on that basis.  Many legal scholars say the trial is valid under the Constitution. The democrats point to an 1876 impeachment trial of a secretary of war who had resigned. They note that Trump was impeached while still serving in office. Trump’s lawyers dismiss that precedent claiming the Constitution is on their side.

In a 56-44 vote the Senate voted that the impeachment of trial of former President Trump is constitutional. Tomorrow the trial will proceed as planned. The House managers will present their arguments Each side will have up to 16 hours, running no more than eight hours per day for two days. Senators will be allowed to question both teams before holding a debate and a vote on calling witnesses.

Election officials across the country, and then-Attorney General William Barr, contradicted Trump’s claims of massive voter fraud, as dozens of legal challenges to the election put forth by Trump lawyers, his campaign and his allies were dismissed.

Martin Luther King Jr. Day – A Day of Reflection

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by Rafaela Prifti/

To honor the memory and reflect on the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. is to appreciate the meaning of service.

On this National Service Day, I like to shine a light on a family friend, a supporter of the Albanian people as well as a self-described student of Albanian language, Barry Farber. The popular talk radio host with nearly a six decade career in broadcasting passed away last year shortly after his 90th birthday. His youngest daughter Bibi posted a commentary today to say that the first person Barry interviewed on the radio on WINS in 1960 was Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.!

“Mr. Farber inaugurated his first solo radio program in 1960 after arriving in New York from North Carolina with journalistic ambitions and remarkable multilingual talents. He went on to interview guests for longer than any other living, continually broadcasting radio host,” the New York Times wrote. “His Southern gentlemanly demeanor on the air also stood in contrast to the bellicosity Mr. Farber, a fervent anti-Communist, later demonstrated when he twice campaigned for office”, in 1970 for a Republican Cogresssional seat and in 1977 race for New York City mayor. Since 2008, he had been broadcasting, on Talk Radio Network and then on CRN Digital Talk Radio, from his Upper West Side apartment while contributing weekly to the World Net Daily website.

Barry Farber was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 2014. “He had arrived in New York in 1957 looking for work in journalism when by chance he struck up a conversation with William Safire”. At the time, Mr. Safire was working for a radio show in town hosted by the husband-wife team of Tex McCrary and Jinx Falkenburg. He was impressed by “a former campus newspaper editor, college wrestling champ and Army translator who had done some world traveling and, perhaps most impressively, could speak nearly two dozen languages.” His first on-air interview was with the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in 1959.

To paraphrase the title of Barry Farber’s first memoir, he could turn every conversation Into a magic moment. As Bibi writes, Barry Farber’s interview with Dr. King did not end there: “Barry had been active and outspoken in the civil rights movement since his youth.” For his support of Congress of Racial Equality, Barry was awarded a patron of membership in 1989.
Honoring the memory of Dr. King and his legacy is tied to appreciating the meaning of serving the community and the country.

COVID AND ITS IMPACT ON MENTAL HEALTH

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DIELLI EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH DR. BASHKIM KADRIU

COVID AND ITS IMPACT ON MENTAL HEALTH

Interviewed by Rafaela Prifti

“The impact of COVID-19 pandemic has affected all facets of society. Yet the toll is uneven for vulnerable individuals, those who struggle with chronic conditions, disabilities, and those with severe mental illnesses. My concern is that this impact will continue to be present in our lives in years to come.” 

Bashkim Kadriu MD, FACP, currently holds the position of Director, Clinical Leader, Neuroscience Experimental Medicine (Neuroscience Therapeutic Area) at Janssen Research & Development, La Jolla, California. Previously he has served as Acting Deputy Director at the Office of Clinical Research, and Clinical Fellow and Neuroscientist at the Experimental Therapeutics and Pathophysiology Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, NIH, Bethesda, being the first Albanian Physician-Scientist at the prestigious research institute.

After completing your medical school training at the University of Prishtina, Kosova, you relocated to Chicago. For nine years, you worked as research postdoc and scientist at Chicago’s University of Illinois and later at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York City where you completed your Psychiatry Residency training. You received a Fellowship at the National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda. What were some of your previous interests? 

My work at the University of Illinois in Chicago focused on studying the epigenetic regulation of risk genes in diseases such as schizophrenia and mood disorders, while my later work at the National Institute of Health consisted on the neurological correlations on treatment-resistant mood disorders with an emphasis on discovering biosignatures that guide novel fast-acting therapies that help individuals suffering from depression and mood disorders. I was fortunate to work with some of the best leaders who mentored me through the years and guided me into publishing my work at high-impact reputable journals. I have published over 55 peer-reviewed journal articles, several book chapters and presented work at prestigious scientific journals and conferences in the field. 

You are certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology and have received numerous awards for exceptional clinical care and professional accolades including a recent NIMH Dr. Richard J. Wyatt Award for Translational Research and NARSAD Investigator Award from Brain and Behavioral Research Foundation. You were granted US citizenship through the path of exceptional accomplishments in science. Recently you relocated to the West Coast where you have accepted a new position. What was the adjustment like for you under the circumstances? What has been the focus of your work recently?

Yes, indeed I moved to Southern California in the last 2 months and I have been adjusting slowly but no without challenges. I recently moved to industry where I landed a job and my work currently focuses on early drug discovery in relation to mood disorders. This has been a tough time for everyone, especially at the height of an ongoing world pandemic. Personally, the biggest challenge of my moving to the West Coast was leaving my patients, although I still continue to provide care for some of them through the telemedicine platforms, which took off during this pandemic. Coming from academia to the industry takes some adjustment but the overall transition here has been smooth. It is my hope to continue the research of developing new and better treatments for patients who suffer from severe mental illnesses. 

Due to social restrictions and isolation regime imposed by the CDC guidelines, groups of individuals such as seniors and special needs are especially vulnerable. Particularly individuals with a compromised mental health are in a precarious situation. One tragic element is the number of suicides. According to studies done in the past on suicide prevention, you have stated that in the last 20 years there has been a 30% increase in the number of suicides in the US. What are some other findings of the study?

Unfortunately despite the research and advances in suicide prevention, the rates of suicide have seen an increase in the US over the years. Based on previous assessments, a large portion (~90%) of individuals who commit suicide have an ongoing mental illness. Aside from the devastating loss of life, the impact of mental health illnesses in America comes with a high economic cost of around 1 trillion dollars as a consequence of missing workdays, lower productivity and the expenses incurred by hospitalization and the treatment of such conditions. 

Self-isolation and the limiting of social interactions continue to have major impact on the mental health of the population. Have there been studies that focus on the topic? 

As a rule, major crisis have an enormous impact on the public health. Some of the examples is the financial collapse of 2008 or other critical disruptions of daily lives cause or are associated with a significant increase in mental disorders. Among the most exposed groups are the front line health workers, who deal with the pressures of increased workload in the number of patients that need medical care and attention but also the daunting levels of stress and exhaustion, physical, emotional and mental. Studies conducted in Asia, Europe and most recently in the US have shown that front line workers, the medical staff in charge of COVID patients have experienced and exhibited symptoms of serious depression, anxiety and sleep disorders. Some studies published in Lancet found that 50% of the patients that underwent ICU treatment due to Coronavirus experienced PTSD, amplified by the social isolation or quarantining before and after hospitalization. When it comes to general population, the health pandemic has impacted all facets of society. Yet the toll is uneven for the vulnerable population such as individual who suffer with struggle with chronic conditions, disabilities and those with severe mental illnesses.

What is your concern with respect to that particular segment of the population?

My concern is that the impact will continue to be present for years to come. We are already seeing the impact of loneliness, social isolation, disruption of daily routines and the lives caused by the pandemic. The latest numbers issued by CDC and NIMH show a staggering increase in rates of depression, anxiety, and suicide cases here in the US and elsewhere. I fear that these trends will continue to rise in months ahead as the pandemic effects continue to be present in our lives. 

You have stated that the symptoms experienced at this extraordinary time are not unlike the signs manifested by post-war societies in the post-conflict period. Drawing a parallel with the home countries like Kosova and Albania, you have shared your personal experience during the Kosova conflict and the isolation from the outside world. 

Even though there has been two decades since the days of the NATO bombings, the enormous impact of that experience is long lasting in the psychological and mental context. I made the analogy with the current situation in the sense of the repercussions and influence on the population. One positive outcome out of this situation is the lowering of the stigma associated with mental health as more and more people find themselves in similar circumstances and in need of dealing with post-traumatic stress disorders caused by a global pandemic. For medical personnel this could mean finding better ways to help those who are in need of treatment, without fear of being stigmatized. 

Can you elaborate on your analogy with the Kosova war in relation to mental health and well-being?

Well, although the two experiences are completely different, as someone who endured a long pre-war conflict and experienced 78 days of NATO air strikes in Kosovo, I drew a parallel with the pandemic-related isolation as well as the associated element of fear of uncertainty and ‘the fatigue’ people experience over time. As tough as it is, we are gradually adapting to the new normal, learning to deal with the unpredictability of our daily routine and inability to plan our future. The new vaccine in the horizon offers hope that we are seeing the beginning of the end of this pandemic that devastated many lives and ravaged many families. 

You have underscored the importance of being aware of one’s state of mind and emotions. What’s your advice to minimize the effects on mental health in terms of recognizing depression symptoms and take mitigating steps?

Some signs or indications of depression include increased anxiety, sleep disorders, fatigue and loss of interest or motivation. It is very important to set a goal and follow through with it. Under the current circumstances, when daily routines are disrupted, it is very helpful to have an activity that helps you stay energized which gives a sense of purpose and motivation for your general well-being. 

A study conducted by the University of Oxford found that 1 in 5 diagnosed with COVID have a subsequent psychiatric diagnosis in the following 14 to 90 days. The research compared patients recovering from COVID with those recovering from other medical events such as the flu. Can you explain the study for our readers?

I read that study, and the findings there seems staggering from many angles. This study measures the incidence and hazard ratios for psychiatric disorders, dementia, and insomnia, during the first 14 to 90 days after a diagnosis of COVID-19. Individuals affected and recovering from COVID compared to those of influenza (common flu) report significant increased rates of physical and mental fatigue, memory/concentration issues, headache, pain, insomnia, as well as higher rates of anxiety and depression. While these findings are worrisome in many aspects, controlled longitudinal designs studies are needed in the future to see if these findings hold for longer period of time and how they may affect our mental and physical health. 

The same study found that the relationship between mental illness and COVID-19 is actually bidirectional, people with psychiatric diagnosis were about 65% more likely to be diagnosed with COVID-19 than people without. What have you seen in your line of work?

In my line of research and expertise as specialized clinician, we do notice that individuals with severe mental illnesses have weakened immune system and increased rates of medical comorbidities such is obesity, hypertension, diabetes etc. There is also finding indicating that in a subset of patients who suffer from depression or bipolar disorder, there is an immune based  etiology triggering their individual symptoms. Thus, it is not surprising that individuals struggling from psychiatric illnesses have higher rates of COVID-19 incidence.

While most of us may experience fatigue or some sense of anxiety during the time of the pandemic, the study is talking about a diagnosis. Can you explain the difference?

Feeling some sense of anxiety, stress and being preoccupied with the future is often just a normal response, in fact it is the reason why we wake-up every day and get going to carry out our routines. This pandemic has taken a heavy toll on all our lives. So, experiencing heightened-level of stress and anxiety is normal. However, anxiety becomes pathological when it is excessive and disproportional to the situation, when it occurs most of the days and lasts over weeks to months. Generalized anxiety impacts personal health, daily routine, social interactions and other domains of daily life circumstances such as sleep, ability to focus and concentrate, feeling nervous or restless and even panic symptoms at times. If anyone experiences these symptoms, please pay attention to it and seek medical help to a local provider, therapist or psychiatrist.

And what is your message to the community?

To the Albanian community here in US and beyond, I say to focus on helping each-other and, being there for our loved ones, family, friends, and fellow countrymen. More than ever, we really need to raise awareness in our community about the detrimental impact that untreated mental illnesses may cause to our families and daily lives.

Thank you for the work that you do and for the interview!

EULOGY FOR MY FATHER SULEJMAN GASHI

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 by Drilon Gashi/

Translated by Rafaela Prifti/

“Reporting for Radio Television of Kosova, Sulejman Gashi, New York” – this was how my father signed off his live reporting for RTK news broadcast. In the 1990s a particular kind of audience sitting in coffee shops and living rooms around the country followed his reporting with intense anticipation. The mounting escalation of Serbia’s repressive regime gave cause to people’s fears for their future. An information vacuum prevailed in the country following the extreme measures of the Serbian regime to shut down the Prishtina Radio Television and the only daily newspaper in the Albanian language Rilindja. The shutdowns meant thousands of layoffs for the employees including my father, who were left without any employment options. Shortly after my dad migrated to the United States, in New York. Here he pursued his vocation by providing news coverage for Albanians for more than two decades.

As a TV correspondent of New York and Washington, my father’s voice carried the promise of hope for Kosova and the Albanian diaspora in America. It was the hope for better days for Kosova, the promise that America will stand by the struggles of our homeland and the dream of a better future for Albanians.

My father reported for Kosova’s National Broadcaster  RTK for 25 years. He was a guest reporter on the Kosova program of Radio Zagreb, Radio Tirana and the satellite channel of RTK, and a contributor for the newspaper Rilindja (Bujku). He co-founded the daily Albanian-American newspaper Illyria with Isuf Hajrizi and Harry Bajraktari to draw the attention of American politicians and powerful institutions to the plight of Albanians particularly in Kosova. The mission of the news outlet was to support the independence of Kosova and democratization of Albania. He was an accredited journalist with the United Nations.

Starting in 1993, Sulejman provided translation services, guidance and accompaniment to a multitude of delegations and visitors including state dignitaries, government officials and professionals from Kosova, Albania and other parts of the Balkans at the behest of the State Department. He was assigned to translate for President Bill Clinton, Secretary Madeleine Albright, Secretary Hillary Clinton and many state officials from the US and around the globe. He was team leader with the Public Information Office of the United Nations Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) while serving as advisor to the Special Representative of the UN Secretary General, Bernard Kushner.

He did all this so that Kosova would be free and Serbia would put an end to the persecutions, killings and systemic expulsions of Albanians living in an independent country.

Dad used to say: “Filing a story, a report or segment that carried some hope for Kosova’s future, would brighten up my day.” And so the condolences that we have received for his passing have weighed heavy on our hearts but they also have reinforced our sense of pride on account of the life and legacy of Sulejman Gashi. We are proud of his character, professionalism, dedication, and patriotism. Most of all, we, as a family are proud of him as a husband, a son, father, brother.

His love for our mother was deep, sincere and unwavering. He respected and adored her. At times he showed his fondness with humor. Above all, he was aware that being in love with Tone, the catholic girl from Cabiq, whom he met in high school, was the most precious gift in life. He was fortunate that he was loved back by our mother intensely and boundlessly thus setting up an extraordinary example for us, their children and all who have seen their dedication to one another.

He loved his four children Saranda, Drilon, Janina and Egzon infinitely. In return, he expected our love and respect. He was loving and caring as well as strict with us. He encouraged us to be achievers in America. Our father gave us guidance in areas of academic knowledge and counsel in terms of being successful and compassionate. He was a constant mentor who taught us by example how to love Kosova and Albanians.

To me, he was more than a father. He was my idol, my best friend and no one will take his place ever.

He was very close to his parents, Elfije and Sherif. He looked after them with deep devotion, love and respect. He honored his parents as well as his birthplace Kijeva, where he invested to have the family home rebuilt after it was damaged from the war. Grandma Elfije was frequently heard singing a folk tune: “Mother has no other son like the one named Sulejman.” The Serbian paramilitary troops and regime had plundered the homes of Albanians in Kosova. As my father put it: “above the charred rooftops of Kosova, I could see the red-and-black flag flying free at last.”

My father is one of five sons of Sherif and Elfije: Sulejman, Selajdin, Abraham, Arben and Ardian. He used to say to his siblings: “There were five Frasheri brothers. Each a patriot and activist in their own right.” Indeed each of the Gashis strived to be upstanding men and walk in the footsteps of their beloved “Sule”.

His homeland of Kijeva and family name of Tahirhasan were a source of enormous pride for him exemplified in highly regarded men like Ramadan Shabani and Kajtaz Ramadani. The household of Ramadan Shabani were renowned for the elders who settled many blood feuds among the families for over a century.

Today we say farewell to Sulejman Gashi aka Sulejman Sherifi who will be also remembered as one of the great men of Kosova and the Albanian nation. My father was affectionate with all family members, relatives, friends, colleagues and his admirers. He kept in touch and wrote back to everyone in a personal way giving support and advice if asked. He enjoyed their successes and even poked fun at the right time. He showed empathy and was there for them in hard times.

I would like to address one special connection that he had. He loved America as one loves their best friend. To my father, America is the best friend of Kosova and Albanians. He made it his life’s work to solidify the special bond of America, Kosova and Albania.

My dad was passionate about life, culture, history, multiculturalism and realism of the United States. Through the State Department work and through family and personal trips, he had traveled to all the states save five, where he had seen the big cities as well as the countryside, the national parks and museums all across the nation. Some of his favorite places were New York, Washington, San Diego and Seattle. He had a soft spot for the country music and was delighted to walk in a pair of cowboys boots. He was by all possible accounts an Albanian-American. He was equally proud of his birthplace and his adopted country of the United States. He was immensely appreciative of Fan Noli and Faik Konica. His own lifework places him at the highest level of Albanian-American achievements.

This ceremony has brought together government officials, religious representatives of different faiths, and the media to honor the life and work of Sulejman Gashi which carry special significance. Let my father’s example inspire people who hold similar political views to challenge each other in search of progressive solutions, and move groups of opposite convictions to join forces in service of a common cause for the good of the people. Let his example allow believers of different faiths to engage in mutual understanding as neighbors, friends or family and put the nation above religion. Let us be uplifted by the promise of hope that my father conveyed and that will stay with his memory. Hope that Kosova and Albanians will move forward toward real progress, that Kosova and Albanians, united in their pledge to their country, will triumph over many challenges and rivals. And hope that America will back Kosova and Albanians as a manifestation of a lasting and enduring friendship.

I speak for the whole family when I say without exaggeration and full awareness that to us, the son, brother, husband and father, Sulejman Gashi was a masterpiece. An avant garde and tireless promoter of the ideals of our people, a valiant patriot, a professional and a wiseman, respected and respectful, a contemporary example for all, a beloved and devoted family man.

He truly was the embodiment of the motto that his family’s elderly Man Hasani of Caralluka lived by.

When asked why the seniority of the elderly post was bestowed upon the TahirHassan family, the old man answered: “Because there never was a dark stain in that household, because they never got mixed up with other’s men’s affairs, because not only did they memorize the rules of conduct (Kanun) but they also lived by them, they were fair in their judgment and never played favorites with the powerful or the wealthy or even their friends, they never engaged in bribery, their youth respected the elderly, they never said “ME” but “WE” – they always appreciated the councill of the fellow men (oda) and they never meddled with disputes that had been settled by the predecessors. “

Dearest dad, we are heartbroken that we have to bid farewell here in the free land of Kosova that you loved without measure and whose freedom brought you immense joy.

Here I am signing off one last time as my dad used to do at the end of his reporting, for Radio Television of Kosova, our family’s hero and the nation’s voice of hope, Sulejman Gashi! Farewell our most beloved!