Several thousand ethnic Albanian protesters say they want education authorities to reverse an Administrative Instruction approved and signed by the Ministry of Education in Kosova which goes counter to the Constitution article on freedom of religious practice in public which resulted in suspension of a girl from school because she wore a Muslim headscarf in a secondary school in the town of Ferizaj, 40 kilometers south of the capital, Prishtina.
The protesters, chanted anti-government slogans as they walked in the capital, Pristina, Friday. Some carried placards reading "Stop Discrimination" and "Veiling of the mind is forbidden, not of the head.", "The Communist Times Have Passed" etc.
Girls being forbidden to enter schools throughout Kosova is considered "a direct attack" on Basic Human Rights to get educated, and a direct attack on Islam values and religious freedom as well.
Ombdusperson in Kosova has requested immediate halt to these unscrupulous acts of discrimination, but unfortunately the government plans to satisfy their sadistic pleasure agains Muslim community in Kosova goes beyond the call and seemingly they are determined to go ahead with oppression.
The Muslim Community in Kosova have been demanding their rights for so long claiming they enjoyed more rights during Communistic regime rather than now in so-called "democratic" Kosovo.
Arlinda Zeka, 16, has lately been suspended from high school in the town of Ferizaj. Although Kosova's constitution guarantees religious freedom, education authorities forbid wearing headscarves inside school premises. The Islamic Headscarf stands as a pillow of moral principle, and therefore must not be called a religious symbol or a uniform as it is called and abused by ex-Communist (now "democratic") Kosovan authorities.
There is an urgent need for international factor to get involved and help stop this government initiative to discriminate people, and help prevent further discrimination and injustice likely to continue in the future.
Kosovo government also requires urgent pressure to respect the law and order and help strengthen democracy in the region in order to build people's trust and confidence in authorities as people have been living under Communist Oppression for decades.
Saturday, 8 May 2010
Friday, 23 April 2010
“Guilty of Wearing a Headscarf” – A girl student gets suspended from school!!
There has been quite a bit of time since Islamic headscarf issue started to ground off and now has become a stereotype of its kind in the post war Kosovo. The Islamic Headscarf has always been treated as a strong religious obligation based on Islamic foundation of morals and ethics which has been attacked and confronted often during the last decade. Islam opponents go further along discriminating and depriving women from their right to wear the headscarf in the schools and public institutions in Kosova.
One year ago, most of the cases where girls were suspended or dropped off schools were justified under 4.7 article of the Kosovo Law for elementary and secondary education which was clearly denounced by the then Ombudsperson in Kosovo, Antoni Novicki defining that the mentioned law is referred to the teachers and not to the students, and that the directors’ decisions to suspend or expel girls from schools for wearing the headscarf was judged unlawful and discriminating by Mr Novicki, who shortly after, managed to influence a right decision for those girls to be brought back to school.
Later on, seeing that this was not convenient, the new Minister of Education, Enver Hoxhaj provides an administrative instruction 7/2009 which were two sub articles which would be added to the article 4 of the Law saying: “Ban on wearing religious uniform”.
This happened due to them not being able to realize “lawfully” their indulgence in discriminating Muslim girls at schools which now must become an issue of debate in Kosova if it is to follow steps to democratization.
There is an urgent need for media in Kosovo to initiate debate concerning the ban on Islamic Headscarf and which was previously tried to but with some flaws. The debates have been organized by media which stand strongly opposed to Islamic Headscarf and Islam Religion, and that could be seen during debates where even the TV presenter was taking parts during discussions and debates and showing unscrupulous partiality in favour of the ban and preventing the invited representatives from expressing their attitudes and call for their rights.
The freshest case where a girl got suspended few days ago on 15.04.2010 upon insisting on donning the headscarf, is the case of Arlinda Zeka, a student at secondary school ‘Pjetër Bogdani’, in Ferizaj town. It is a case shown on local TV, which again shocked the population in Kosovo and which needs an urgent call for debate and human rights movement in Kosovo to protect the rights of communities in practising their religious beliefs and freedom to education lest tensions should not escalate in the future.
The Head of Islamic Community in Kosovo, Naim Ternava has not yet been shown on local media denouncing opposition to these unlawful and undemocratic acts. There are many cases worth mentioning where the Islamic Community of Kosovo, issues declarations and statements for the press and do not enjoy the right to see or hear their declarations shown in newspapers, TV or radio news, which is quite disappointing.
There has been support to religious freedom and free education in Kosovo by some NGO’s and civil society who do not consider the Islamic Clothing as uniform, rather they consider it as religious ethics and morals based on Islamic Faith, a right which is surely guaranteed by the Constitution of Kosovo.
According to a survey done in 2007 in Kosovo, the majority of people surveyed, claimed not to be against the Islamic Headscarf or harbor any hatred against it.
Oppositions to anti-Islamic tendencies and movements from Kosovan institutions are not to be seen in public media but they are present anywhere in the Internet and any other means possible which gives you visual pictures of the period during Communistic dictatorship when people couldn’t perform any religious duties or express their own free opinion in public media and public institutions.
It is about time when Kosovo people must stand against these unlawful and undemocratic acts of discrimination, and call for International involvement to settle these troubling issues which are door to potential crisis in Kosovo.
One year ago, most of the cases where girls were suspended or dropped off schools were justified under 4.7 article of the Kosovo Law for elementary and secondary education which was clearly denounced by the then Ombudsperson in Kosovo, Antoni Novicki defining that the mentioned law is referred to the teachers and not to the students, and that the directors’ decisions to suspend or expel girls from schools for wearing the headscarf was judged unlawful and discriminating by Mr Novicki, who shortly after, managed to influence a right decision for those girls to be brought back to school.
Later on, seeing that this was not convenient, the new Minister of Education, Enver Hoxhaj provides an administrative instruction 7/2009 which were two sub articles which would be added to the article 4 of the Law saying: “Ban on wearing religious uniform”.
This happened due to them not being able to realize “lawfully” their indulgence in discriminating Muslim girls at schools which now must become an issue of debate in Kosova if it is to follow steps to democratization.
There is an urgent need for media in Kosovo to initiate debate concerning the ban on Islamic Headscarf and which was previously tried to but with some flaws. The debates have been organized by media which stand strongly opposed to Islamic Headscarf and Islam Religion, and that could be seen during debates where even the TV presenter was taking parts during discussions and debates and showing unscrupulous partiality in favour of the ban and preventing the invited representatives from expressing their attitudes and call for their rights.
The freshest case where a girl got suspended few days ago on 15.04.2010 upon insisting on donning the headscarf, is the case of Arlinda Zeka, a student at secondary school ‘Pjetër Bogdani’, in Ferizaj town. It is a case shown on local TV, which again shocked the population in Kosovo and which needs an urgent call for debate and human rights movement in Kosovo to protect the rights of communities in practising their religious beliefs and freedom to education lest tensions should not escalate in the future.
The Head of Islamic Community in Kosovo, Naim Ternava has not yet been shown on local media denouncing opposition to these unlawful and undemocratic acts. There are many cases worth mentioning where the Islamic Community of Kosovo, issues declarations and statements for the press and do not enjoy the right to see or hear their declarations shown in newspapers, TV or radio news, which is quite disappointing.
There has been support to religious freedom and free education in Kosovo by some NGO’s and civil society who do not consider the Islamic Clothing as uniform, rather they consider it as religious ethics and morals based on Islamic Faith, a right which is surely guaranteed by the Constitution of Kosovo.
According to a survey done in 2007 in Kosovo, the majority of people surveyed, claimed not to be against the Islamic Headscarf or harbor any hatred against it.
Oppositions to anti-Islamic tendencies and movements from Kosovan institutions are not to be seen in public media but they are present anywhere in the Internet and any other means possible which gives you visual pictures of the period during Communistic dictatorship when people couldn’t perform any religious duties or express their own free opinion in public media and public institutions.
It is about time when Kosovo people must stand against these unlawful and undemocratic acts of discrimination, and call for International involvement to settle these troubling issues which are door to potential crisis in Kosovo.
Wednesday, 14 October 2009
School Destroyed - Cathedral Built
Kosovan government is manifesting injustice towards Muslim community in the newly born state of Kosova.
The secondary school "Xhevdet Doda" which was the only operational school during the 90s' crisis and during the genocide in Kosova in 1999, survived Serb atrocities and has been a symbol of resistence to Milosevician oppression, has lately been destroyed by the government in order to build (an imposed) cathedral in the heart of the capital city Prishtina where 90% of the popullation are Muslim, 7% Christian Orthodox and 3% Roman Catholic.
This act to forcefully impose Christianity by the Kosovan government in cooperation with the Christian Church, by destroying this very symbol of resistance, that is, the secondary school "Xhevdet Doda" in order to build a chathedral even though there was a lot of opposition by the students, teachers, NGO-s and people in general.
It will remain a symbol of Injustice, Oppression and Hipocrisy and will serve as a document to show that Christianity in Kosova is spread by force and not by rightful call.
Mosques, in other hand are so few in Kosova in comparison to the number of Muslims and do not meet the spatial needs of the worshippers. The biggest problem of all is that the government does not allow the Islamic Community in Kosova build mosques to satisfy the worshippers needs, and people have to do their regular prayers in the mosque yard, on the streets, in the rain, in the snow and in insanitary conditions.
Is "Democracy" in Balkans becoming "Tiranocracy"!
You can write the history but the truth reveils itself!
Wednesday, 29 July 2009
long time...no posts
Hello everyone,
It has been qiet a long time that I didnt post anything in this blog...and frankly speaking I thought that 'forgottendiaries' was forgotten...
Thanks to Anush and her e mail that I received, I started thinking about it again and even visiting new postings. (Thanks Anush)...
So, Not much to say from Kosova, except the fact that after independence declaration, things start to change for good for everyone in Kosova. At least now we know who is responsible for what (more or less) and where to seek responsability and accountability.
You will receive more and more postings from me in few comming days...and I hope you will not be bothered with my 'casual' writting style here...I like discussions and i love it when others debate with me and present their arguments...please comment and disagree...never stop questioning...
Best from Kosova,
A.
It has been qiet a long time that I didnt post anything in this blog...and frankly speaking I thought that 'forgottendiaries' was forgotten...
Thanks to Anush and her e mail that I received, I started thinking about it again and even visiting new postings. (Thanks Anush)...
So, Not much to say from Kosova, except the fact that after independence declaration, things start to change for good for everyone in Kosova. At least now we know who is responsible for what (more or less) and where to seek responsability and accountability.
You will receive more and more postings from me in few comming days...and I hope you will not be bothered with my 'casual' writting style here...I like discussions and i love it when others debate with me and present their arguments...please comment and disagree...never stop questioning...
Best from Kosova,
A.
Monday, 27 July 2009
Novobërdë historical castle in Artana - Kosova
By the early 20th century, Novobërdë's population had dwindled, with most inhabitants moving to the more easily accessible area of Gjilan town. In 1999, with the entry of KFOR and UNMIK into Kosova, the area had a small military outpost occupied by US soldiers, as well as a station of International Police and Kosovian Police. The military has since removed its presence, but the police presence can still be seen today. It's a place with inter-ethnic harmony and co-living now, unlike during the rule of Serbs when atrocities, genocide agains Albanians and burning of houses were committed there.
Friday, 17 July 2009
Kosovo keeps receiving recognition boost
 Ethnic Albanians celebrated Kosovo independence in February |
The governments of Montenegro, Macedonia Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Maldives, Columbia and Portugal have formally recognised Kosovo as independent following its secession from Serbia recently.
It means that, apart from Serbia, only Bosnia-Hercegovina among ex-Yugoslav republics has yet to recognise Kosovo.
Serbia reacted angrily, expelling the Montenegrin and Macedonian ambassadors and saying their countries had "jeopardised" regional stability.
About 63 countries have recognised Kosovo's independence so far.
But more than 120 have not yet.
Macedonia's Foreign Minister Antonio Milososki said his government approved the move after parliament adopted a resolution by an overwhelming majority to make the recommendation.
Montenegro and Serbia made up a single state until a referendum in 2006.
Montenegro hopes to become a future member of the EU and Nato; its foreign minister said the decision was guided by his county's national interests and that an independent Kosovo was a reality.
The BBC's Nick Thorpe in Pristina says that recognition by its neighbours brings both psychological and practical trading benefits for Kosovo.
The small country of only two million inhabitants, of which 92% are Albanian, has constantly appeared isolated in the western Balkans. This is where injustice takes place. The United Nations is treating Kosovo as an under-privileged orphan.
Peace and stability
Serbian's Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic described the decision to eject Montenegro's ambassador from the country as "proportionate".
He told the state news agency, Tanjug, that "regional countries have special responsibility in preserving peace and stability in the Balkans".
Earlier, Serbia said it was reinstating its ambassadors to the US and other Western nations that had angered it by recognizing Kosovo's independence.
The declarations from Serbian's Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic that Kosovo's recognitions from 63 countries would undermine the stability in the region eventually proved to be "a desparate monologue".
Serbia recalled many of its ambassadors in February from countries that backed Kosovo's unilateral declaration - a move that Serbia has condemned as illegal.
In a statement, the Serb government said the decision was made because of "continued diplomatic activity to preserve Serbia's territorial integrity and sovereignty".
It comes amid a week of both defeats and victories for Kosovan diplomacy.
On Wednesday, a substantial majority at the UN General Assembly agreed to allow Serbia to challenge the legality of Kosovan independence at the International Court of Justice.
Ertan Bikliqi - Kosova, Prishtina
Tuesday, 14 July 2009
Kosova
(Koh-SOH-vah), also known as Kosovo, is the disputed region between Kosova's Albanian majority and Serbia. Once an autonomous federal unit of Yugoslavia, in 1989 it was stripped away of its autonomy by the government of Slobodan Milosevic, whose later actions would result in the break-up of Yugoslavia, which Serbia is a part of, and the ensuing wars in Croatia, Bosnia-Hercegovina, and Kosova.
After the revocation of Kosova's autonomy, the Serbian authorities closed schools in the Albanian language, massively dismissed Albanians from state-owned enterprises, and suspended Kosova's legal parliament and government. Serbia instituted a regime of systematic oppression of the Albanian population in Kosova, and flagrant violations of basic rights of Albanians occured frequently.
Initially the Albanians responded to the repression with peaceful and passive resistance. In 1992 the people of Kosova held free elections in which they chose their leadership, expressed their determination for the independence of Kosova in the 1991 referendum, and in the same year the Kosovar parliament declared the independence of Kosova. They formed a parallel government, found means of continuing Albanian-language education outside of occupied premises and providing health care (most Albanian doctors were dismissed from state-owned hospitals by Serb installed authorities).
In early 1998 the Serbian government began a crackdown against the Kosova Liberation Army (UÇK), a guerilla movement which emerged after it became apparent that the peaceful approach was ineffective in face of the brutal regime of Milosevic. After 1998 Serbian security forces conducted a scorched earth policy in Kosova, raising villages to the ground, creating an exodus of over one million refugees and internally displaced persons, and committed horrific atrocities against unarmed civilians, including women and children.
The NATO bombing campaign, which began in March 1999 after Serbia's refusal to sign a peace accord for the settlement of the conflict in Kosova, lasted until June 1999 when the Yugoslav president Slobodan Milosevic capitulated and agreed to withdraw all Serbian security forces from Kosova. United Nations Security Council resolution 1244 established a United Nations civilian administration in Kosova (known as the United Nations Mission in Kosova; UNMIK) and allowed a NATO-led peacekeeping force to enter Kosova to ensure security.
The war in Kosova had created over one million refugees and internally displaced persons, left over 300,000 people without shelter, an estimated 10,000 dead, and mass graves containing bodies of up to one hundred civilians, including women and children, who have been summarily executed.
The Kosovars, UNMIK, NATO and the international community are now making efforts to rebuild Kosova, revitalize its economy, establish democratic institutions of self-government, and heal the scars of war. (For more up-to-date information on the deveopments in Kosova please check out the Kosova Crisis Center.)
Geographic Features
Kosova borders Serbia in the north and northeast, Montenegro in the northwest, Albania in the west and the FYR of Macedonia in the south. It covers a total of 10,887 squared kilometers and its population is around two million, 93 percent of which are ethnic Albanian.
By: Ertan Bikliqi
(Koh-SOH-vah), also known as Kosovo, is the disputed region between Kosova's Albanian majority and Serbia. Once an autonomous federal unit of Yugoslavia, in 1989 it was stripped away of its autonomy by the government of Slobodan Milosevic, whose later actions would result in the break-up of Yugoslavia, which Serbia is a part of, and the ensuing wars in Croatia, Bosnia-Hercegovina, and Kosova.
After the revocation of Kosova's autonomy, the Serbian authorities closed schools in the Albanian language, massively dismissed Albanians from state-owned enterprises, and suspended Kosova's legal parliament and government. Serbia instituted a regime of systematic oppression of the Albanian population in Kosova, and flagrant violations of basic rights of Albanians occured frequently.
Initially the Albanians responded to the repression with peaceful and passive resistance. In 1992 the people of Kosova held free elections in which they chose their leadership, expressed their determination for the independence of Kosova in the 1991 referendum, and in the same year the Kosovar parliament declared the independence of Kosova. They formed a parallel government, found means of continuing Albanian-language education outside of occupied premises and providing health care (most Albanian doctors were dismissed from state-owned hospitals by Serb installed authorities).
In early 1998 the Serbian government began a crackdown against the Kosova Liberation Army (UÇK), a guerilla movement which emerged after it became apparent that the peaceful approach was ineffective in face of the brutal regime of Milosevic. After 1998 Serbian security forces conducted a scorched earth policy in Kosova, raising villages to the ground, creating an exodus of over one million refugees and internally displaced persons, and committed horrific atrocities against unarmed civilians, including women and children.
The NATO bombing campaign, which began in March 1999 after Serbia's refusal to sign a peace accord for the settlement of the conflict in Kosova, lasted until June 1999 when the Yugoslav president Slobodan Milosevic capitulated and agreed to withdraw all Serbian security forces from Kosova. United Nations Security Council resolution 1244 established a United Nations civilian administration in Kosova (known as the United Nations Mission in Kosova; UNMIK) and allowed a NATO-led peacekeeping force to enter Kosova to ensure security.
The war in Kosova had created over one million refugees and internally displaced persons, left over 300,000 people without shelter, an estimated 10,000 dead, and mass graves containing bodies of up to one hundred civilians, including women and children, who have been summarily executed.
The Kosovars, UNMIK, NATO and the international community are now making efforts to rebuild Kosova, revitalize its economy, establish democratic institutions of self-government, and heal the scars of war. (For more up-to-date information on the deveopments in Kosova please check out the Kosova Crisis Center.)
Geographic Features
Kosova borders Serbia in the north and northeast, Montenegro in the northwest, Albania in the west and the FYR of Macedonia in the south. It covers a total of 10,887 squared kilometers and its population is around two million, 93 percent of which are ethnic Albanian.
By: Ertan Bikliqi
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