Albanian History: Enver Hoxha

Histori Shqiptare : Enver Hoxha (English below)


Asnjë person tjetër nuk ka luajtur një rol më të madh në fatin e Shqipërisë në shekullin e 20-të sesa Enver Hoxha. Ai është Skënderbeu i shekullit të 20-të. Megjithatë, ndërsa udhëheqja e Skënderbeut ishte për mirë; Hoxha ishte për të keqe. Ndërsa trashëgimia e të parit i ka rezistuar kohës, trashëgimia e Hoxhës është rishkruar rrënjësisht menjëherë pas vdekjes së tij, me shqiptarët që e etiketojnë atë jo si hero, por si shejtan. Hoxha kishte përkrahësit e tij në mesin e bashkëmoshatarëve të tij, të cilët tashmë janë të moshuar dhe të vdekur, por askush nga brezi i ri nuk e vlerëson atë. Hoxha, mund të argumentohet, shkatërroi Shqipërinë dhe çoi në emigracionin masiv që pasoi kur ai vdiq. Hoxha ishte një udhëheqës kulti: ai e izoloi kombin e tij të gjithë për t’i shërbyer vetes dhe rrethit të ngushtë. Ai madje vrau miqtë dhe familjen e tij. Ai ishte karizmatik; e bëri me buzëqeshje për njerëzit. Ai nuk do të ndalej para asgjëje për t’u kapur pas pushtetit, edhe nëse kjo do të nënkuptonte ndërtimin e bunkerëve të shëmtuar mbrojtës në të gjithë Shqipërinë. I talentuar nga mashtrimi dhe persekutimi i pamëshirshëm, mund të shihet se si ai ishte një forcë e tillë. Por ai nuk ishte një forcë për të mirë; ai ishte një forcë për të keqe. Le të shqyrtojmë krijimin e kësaj figure konsekuente, por djallëzore.

Enver Hoxha lindi në jug të Shqipërisë më 16 tetor 1908. Megjithatë familja e tij nuk vjen nga gjirokastra e vjetër dhe mund të jetë shpërngulur atje nga një pjesë tjetër e Shqipërisë si nga Malësia e Veriut apo edhe nga zonat shqiptare të Maqedonisë. Babai i tij ishte një klerik mysliman. Më vonë në jetë Enveri do të përplasej me të atin për besimin e tij. Thuhet se ai dogji edhe Kuranin e babait të tij. Në mesin e viteve 1960 Hoxha e shpalli Shqipërinë një shtet zyrtarisht ateist dhe mbylli të gjitha shtëpitë e fese. Ai e bëri këtë pa dyshim sepse mendonte se feja kërcënonte mbajtjen e tij në pushtet.

Hoxha mori pjesë në shkollat ​​e mira të qytetit të tij, përfshirë të parën që mësohej në gjuhën shqipe. Ai nuk ishte i talentuar si student; por ai rridhte nga një familje e pasur që donte që ai të kishte një arsim. Pas shkollës fillore u dërgua në një shkollë franceze në Korçë. Megjithëse nuk shkëlqeu, ai përfundoi kursin. Pas diplomimit ai donte të shkonte jashtë vendit. Ai dhe familja e tij i bënë presion një bamirësi që t’i ofronte një bursë për të shkuar të studionte në Francë. Ai shkoi në Universitetin e Montpellier. Megjithatë, ai ishte një student shumë i varfër dikur atje. Ai nuk ishte i interesuar për studimet e tij. Ishte e qartë se ai nuk ishte për akademikë, dhe bursa e tij u anulua për shkak të statusit të dobët. Në fakt ai u hakmor ndaj zyrtarit që i hoqi bursën, duke e dërguar në burg, në jetën e mëvonshme kur u bë diktator.

Pas Montpellier shkoi në Paris dhe u miqësua me revolucionarët e asaj kohe, klikën komuniste franceze. Duket se këtu u mboll fara për fatin e tij. Ai donte të bëhej një udhëheqës komunist. Pas kthimit në Shqipëri ai kaloi ca kohë në shkollën e tij të vjetër në Korçë si mësues zëvendësues, duke pritur Luftën e Dytë Botërore dhe duke kërkuar kohën e tij kur të mund të godiste. Ai duhet ta ketë ditur se ishte një gjeni i keq dhe për çfarë ishte i aftë. Ai u transferua në Tiranë dhe bëri më shumë miq komunistë, ndërsa punonte si shitës puro në dyqanin e xhaxhait të tij, një punë e zakonshme për dikë që ishte i destinuar të ishte heroi i popullit të tij.

Hoxha bëri një pakt me djallin. Dy agjentë erdhën nga Serbia për të ndihmuar në formimin e partisë komuniste shqiptare, Dushani dhe Miladin; për shkak të ndikimit të tyre negativ – në fund të fundit ata donin të instalonin një njeri që do t’i lejonte Serbisë, rivalit të Shqipërisë, të mbante provincën të Kosovës – ata mbështetën Hoxhën, si liderin e partisë, më joparimoren e grupit. Kudo që kishte një luftë për pushtet, Hoxha do të fitonte përmes persekutimit. Sapo mori pushtetin në vitin 1944, ai ekzekutoi rivalin e tij kryesor, Koci Xoxe, si dhe krerët e partive kundërshtare, Ballin Kombëtar dhe Legalitetin; partitë që komunistët i kishin ftuar më parë të bashkoheshin në luftën për çlirimin e Shqipërisë nga nazistët dhe fashistët. Në pleqëri, Hoxha e përfundoi mbretërimin e tij të terrorit duke ekzekutuar përkrahësin e tij kryesor, Mehmet Shehun. Ai vdiq në vitin 1985, pas 40 vitesh në pushtet.

Lëvizja komuniste është kritikuar gjithmonë në Perëndim. Nëse jo qëllimisht keq, sigurisht që nuk është e mençur. Edhe nëse fillon të funksionojë siç duhet në fillim, ekonomia e saj gradualisht ngec. Komunizmi duket si mashtrues. Megjithatë, në atë kohë ata ishin të rinj që aspironin për diçka më shumë, dhe në fakt shumica e komunistëve kishin qëllime të mira. Megjithatë, një problem me revolucionin komunist – ose ndoshta me të gjitha revolucionet populiste – ishte se ai ishte subjekt i uzurpimit nga një udhëheqës i keq. Hoxha ishte pikërisht tipi i liderit joparimor që uzurpoi lëvizjen, kur revolucioni ishte në fillimet e tij dhe e ktheu komunizmin në diktaturë. Hoxha me taktika te padrejta ngjiti majen. Pasi e bëri këtë, ai nuk e lëshoi ​​kurrë. Ai e bëri këtë përmes mashtrimit, persekutimit, ekzekutimit, izolimit dhe internimit. Ai është ende një emër i njohur në Shqipëri… për te keqe.

(in English)

No other person has played a greater role in the fate of Albania in the 20th century more than Enver Hoxha (Hodja). He is the Skanderbeg of the 20th century. However, While Skanderbeg’s leadership was for good; Hoxha’s was for ill. While the former’s legacy has withstood the test of time, Hoxha’s legacy has been radically rewritten immediately after his death, with Albanians labeling him not as a hero but a villain. Hoxha had his supporters among his peers who are now old and dying out, but no one of the younger generation esteems him. Hoxha, it can be argued, ruined Albania and led to the mass immigration that ensued when he died. Hoxha was a cult leader: he isolated his nation all to serve himself and close circle. He even killed his friends and family. He was charismatic; he did it with a smile for the people. He would stop at nothing to cling on to power, even if it meant building unsightly defensive bunkers all over Albania. Gifted at deception and ruthless persecution, one can see how he was such a force. But he was not a force for good; he was a force for ill. Let us examine the making of this consequential, yet villainous figure.

Enver Hoxha was born in the south of Albania on October 16th 1908. However his family does not come from old Gjirokastra stock and may have moved there from another part of Albania such as the Northern Highlands or even the Albanian areas of Macedonia. His father was a Muslim cleric. Later in life Enver would clash with his dad over his faith. It is said that he even burnt his father’s Quran. In the mid 1960s Hoxha declared Albania an officially atheist state and shuttered all houses of worship. He did this no doubt because he felt that religion threatened his hold on power. 

Hoxha got to attend the good schools of his town including the first one that taught in Albanian. He was not gifted as a student; but he came from a well-to-do family who wanted him to have an education. After grade school he was sent to a French school in Korca. Though he did not shine, he completed the course. Upon graduation he wanted to go abroad. He and his family pressured a benefactor to offer him a scholarship to go study in France.  He went to the University of Montpellier. However, he was a very poor student once there. He was not interested in his studies. It was evident that he was not for academics, and his scholarship was revoked because of poor standing. In fact he got revenge on the official who revoked his scholarship, sending him to prison, in later life when he became dictator.

After Montpellier he went to Paris and made friends with the revolutionaries of the day, the French communist clique.  It seems that here the seed for his destiny was planted. He wanted to be a Communist leader. Upon his return to Albania he spent some time at his old school Korca as a substitute teacher, waiting out World War II and biding his time when he could strike.  He must have known he was an evil genius, and what he was capable of.  He moved to Tirana and made more communist friends, while working as a cigar salesman at his uncle’s shop, an ordinary job for one destined to be his people’s hero. 

Hoxha made a pact with the devil. Two agents came from Serbia to assist in the formation of the Albanian communist party, Dushan and Miladin; owing to their negative influence-after all they wanted to install a man who would allow Serbia, Albania’s rival, to keep the Albanian majority province of Kosovo-they supported Hoxha, as party leader, the most unprincipled of the bunch. Wherever there was a power struggle, Hoxha would win through persecution. As soon as he got power in 1944, he executed his top rival, Koci Xoxe, as well as the leaders of the opposing parties, the National Front and Legality; parties which the communists had previously invited to join in the fight for the liberation of Albania from the Nazis and Fascists. In old age, Hoxha concluded his reign of terror by executing his top supporter, Mehmet Shehu. Hoxha died in 1985, after 40 years in power.

The communist movement has always been criticized in the West. If not deliberately bad, it’s certainly unwise. Even if it begins to work out properly in the beginning, its economy gradually flounders.  Communism seems like a con. However, at the time they were young people aspiring for something more, and in fact most communists were well-intentioned.  However one problem with the communist revolution-or perhaps with all populist revolutions-was that it was subject to usurpation by a bad leader. Hoxha was the exact type of unprincipled leader to usurp the movement, when the revolution was in its infancy, and turned communism into a dictatorship. Enver Hoxha. strong armed his way to the top. Once he did so he never let go.  He did this through deception, persecution, execution, isolation and exile. He is still a household name in Albania… for ill.

Sources:

Panorama. Hoxha 2012

Enver Hoxha. The Iron Fist of Albania. 2016

History of Albania. Tajar Zavalani 1963

A strange day in our history

What happened to our country? I am not a political pundit. But I will say a few words about what happened on Wed. Jan. 6, 2021. I turn on the TV and see a mad mob storming the capital ready to do “God knows what”. And I learn the mob was doing the president’s bidding; Our president’s bidding! Not the bidding of a president of an enemy country… As I was watching in real time, I felt stressed out and even traumatized. Whether you are Republican or Democrat, it is undeniable that this was a malicious act.

What deeper lessons are we to learn here, besides politics? The most important one is words have power; they are converted into deeds. Good words inspire good deeds. Bad words inspire bad deeds. Mr. Trump, through bad words, brought out the worst in his followers; anger, hostility, and hate. They took these negative emotions and ran with them straight to Congress, and in their gestures: punching, kicking, screaming, his followers revealed what they felt deep down inside: anger, hate and hostility. At the whole world! They were suffering and they sought relief in violence against their enemies, the public officials who prevented their leader from his perceived rightful position in society: president.

Trump made his followers suffer his pain. His rioters were under his spell of hate. The truth is hate only hurts him who feels it. What his followers really needed was a message of kindness. They also needed to be taught about tolerance; tolerance of defeat, tolerance of one’s political opponents and of opposite points of view, tolerance of those who are of a different race, color, or creed. Trump’s people had been consuming the wrong message far too long far too fervently.

Where does the country go from here? Well, now we have a “normal president.” Mr. Biden is well past his prime, perhaps too old for the job, not charismatic like Trump, nor an idiot savant, but he appears to espouse the right values: Kindness, tolerance, gentleness. Perhaps that is what the country needs at this point in time. Maybe it’s good to have a boring president because politics should be boring, if it is done right. Trump was an entertainer… while he did some good things, his style was too exciting to be good. He espoused the wrong values. Now it’s somebody else’s turn…

My Gun Control Plan

Requirements

  1. Applicants must pass a mental health screening administered by a psychologist. If applicant is found to be unstable he or she must be put into treatment, and not awarded a license; mental health screening is to be facilitated at gun shopper’s personal expense. Screening consists of three one hour counseling/therapy sessions, a review of past mental health history records; psychologist shall provide formal evaluation.
  1. The minimum age for gun ownership is to be 23.
  2. Parental Permission for Gun Shoppers beneath Age 30.
  3. Married persons are to provide spousal permission.
  4. Persons with children below age 23 in household must purchase a safe for the storage of firearms.
  5. Three personal letters of reference for all gun shoppers.
  6. Proof of current employment and for continuous employment for the previous 12 months (students must submit proof of enrollment at university for the past year. Persons of retirement age are exempt.)
  7. Applicant must write a two page typed essay explaining the importance of firearms to him/her and what it means to be a responsible gun owner in a free and civil society
  8. Must submit a photo
  9. Must submit fingerprints and pass a criminal background check
  10. Must take a videotaped oath in front of a magistrate: “I am name, job, from place of residence. I understand that a firearm is a dangerous weapon. If I am granted a license to purchase firearms, I will never use any of my firearms in a shooting spree or to commit murder. I will use my firearms for hunting or for sport, at a shooting range, or in a very rare case of defense.”

The review process

Once the application is complete, it shall be submitted to the State Firearms Authority. A panel of three experts 1. a judge, 2. a criminologist, and 3. a law enforcement officer will review the application. Each expert will vote independently on it.

The Votes

  1. Applicant is mentally fit and shows the necessary responsibility to possess firearms
  2. Applicant is mentally fit but does not show the necessary responsibility to possess firearms
  3. Applicant is not mentally fit and is likely to become a threat to self and society if armed

The Results

A majority vote in the A category will result in the applicant being awarded a license.

A majority vote in the B category will result in the applicant being denied a license.

A majority vote in the C category will result in the applicant being denied a license to purchase firearms and additionally, he or she shall be put into psychiatric treatment immediately against his/her will.

If there is no majority vote in any category the applicant is to not be granted a license to purchase firearms by default.

 

Additional Rules

Shooting rangers are to be equipped with firearm lockers.

Military style firearms (such as semi-automatic rifles and high-capacity magazine rifles) may be available for purchase but shall be stored in shooting range lockers; they shall never be taken home.

The license is good only in the state in which it is awarded.

The license expires after 3 years, and must be renewed.

It entitles the applicant to 1 firearm purchase every four months, a maximum of 3 per year.

Applicants who fail to earn a license, but are found to fall into the B category may reapply one year later.

An applicant who falls into the C category may not reapply. Applicant may appeal the decision in a court of law after 3 years.