By: Nail Dear: Ismet Azizi, “Aqif Blyta: the colossus of the New Market”, published by “Logos-A”, Skopje-Pristina-Tirana, 2019
The publication of a book represents a special moment for the author and the relevant environment, but when the object of research is personalities, events and special geographical environments, then such a book exceeds personal dimensions and stimulates the reader’s curiosity.
In the entire Albanian ethnogeographic space from the end of the Second World War until 1990, with the failure of socialism as a social system and communism as an ideology, there have been various subjective obstacles in relation to scientific and social research. This was the time of monism where everything was evaluated according to ideological direction and not the reality of scientific factography. But, in new social circles, after 1990 researchers and passionate individuals have started researching and publishing publications of various scientific, cultural and journalistic profiles.
The broad opinion is known that the Albanians who remained outside the political Albania of 1913, although they were in their autochthonous lands, experienced the policy of assimilation and ethnic cleansing, which was carried out in practice according to the Serbian project of Naçertanija (1844). Considering the territorial distribution, there is no doubt that the Albanians in the peripheral areas were in a more unfavorable position, being constantly threatened by the Serbian government of the time.
In this aspect, the Albanians of the Sanxhak region present a special case, an issue which has long been a personal and professional preoccupation of the teacher and researcher I. Azizi, who, thanks to the commitment of several years of research, has published the book “Aqif Blyta; the colossus of the New Market”, “Logos-A”, Skopje-Prishtina-Tirana, 2019. We are dealing with a monographic book about a special environment and not sufficiently known by the general public, which mainly includes the period from the beginning of the century XX until the end of the Second World War.
The book is divided into several chapters, first providing information about the region of Sanjak, then continuing with the personality of Aqif Blyta, regarding his life and activity, education, activity in Izmir (Turkey), return to his homeland and his involvement in politics, his role in the establishment and activity in Xhemijet (Union), his parliamentary activity, the commitment to prevent the migration of Albanians, as well as in the political trends after the extinction of Xhemijet, the occupation of Kosovo and Sanjak in the Second World War and the partition theirs in the occupation zones, the organization of power for the protection of Sanjak from Chetnik attacks, then his activity in the Second League of Prizren and then in the NDSH, and recently the entry of the communists and the establishment of their power in Pazar Ri and its execution on their part.
There is no doubt that Aqif Blyta was an intellectual with great political and diplomatic values, at the service of the people and the national cause, remaining the symbol of the rescue of the New Pazar from the occupation of the Chetniks during the Second World War. In this aspect, he had the fraternal help of the Kosovars led by Shaban Polluzha and his comrades-in-arms, demonstrating organization and sacrifice in defense of the national cause.
Although in difficult circumstances, A. Blyta remained the most influential politician in New Pazar and its surroundings, especially among the Bosnian population, a symbol of resistance against the Serbian government of the time for national and social equality. We are dealing with the time when the government denied national rights to Albanians, proving hypocrisy because members of other non-Slavic peoples (Germans, Hungarians, Italians) were allowed national rights.
Thanks to the activity and sacrifices in defense of the population of Sanxhak, A. Blyta, should take the deserved place in the history of Bosniaks and Albanians, in the history of Kosovo and Albania, therefore it should be part of school textbooks. Because few people know that the Albanian school “Naim Frashëri” (1941-1944) functioned in Pazar e Ri as proof of the national identity of this city. Such a concession in the past had to be eliminated now in pluralism, because the issues should not be treated with an ideological approach as in the time of monism (1945-1990), but with arguments and scientific facts in the context of the time.
In relation to the relevant issues, the author offers interesting data based on literature and archival documents which present the social and political circumstances of the time, from which it appears that the members of the Bosnian and Albanian people have coped to survive. And there is no way it could be otherwise because there was an alliance between Chetniks and partisan units when the local Bosnian and Albanian population was in question, which was an obstacle in the realization of the strategy of ethnic cleansing in this region. Even the division of Sanjak into two parts between Montenegro and Serbia, with the end of the Second World War against the will of the local population, proves the hegemonic state policy against this region with a geostrategic position.
Reading this book it becomes clear that Aqif Blyta remains a rare model of the efforts and unrelenting struggle of the people of Sanjak in the many battles to curb the aspirations of Serbia and Montenegro in the implementation of various programs for ethnic cleansing and exit. in the sea through the region of Sandjak. And such a situation culminated especially at the time when eastern Sanjak, upon the arrival of the Germans (1941), remained part of Serbia. But, Aqif Blyta, being now a real leader, took it upon himself to lead the processes by taking the situation into his own hands, protecting the population, which was endangered by the Chetnik forces, which had in their program the cleansing of Sanjak from the non-Serb element , as their political and strategic goal.
I appreciate this book as a tribute to A. Blyta and all those martyred in Pazarin e Ri, who fought for freedom and national equality, like all civilized peoples. But, in new circumstances with the installation of the communist ideology, all those who were not according to their perception were potential enemies and as such dangerous for the new power. Therefore, living in an environment dominated by prejudices against members of other peoples, in terms of national, linguistic and religious aspects, punishment was inevitable. In this aspect, the Bosnian Albanians in the New Market experienced it more than others, because the new ideological rulers had a mission to eliminate their religious and national opponents.
We appreciate the publication of this book as a practical opportunity to learn about the political and social circumstances of the time, in Sanjak, at the end of the Second World War. We are dealing with the role and contribution of Aqif Blyta, his social and patriotic activity within Xhemijeti, with a mission to advance the Albanian issue, the protection of Sanxhak and other Albanian lands in general.
The book “Aqif Blyta, colossus of the New Market” is welcome not only for researchers, but also for all those interested in the historical events and personalities of this region and beyond. By reading this book, the reader is offered an opportunity that he missed earlier to be informed in more detail about the historical past of the Sanjak region (especially the south-eastern part) and the struggle for the survival of the Bosnian and Albanian population. . On the other hand, the assimilation policy of the Serbian government from 1912 until the end of the Second World War is documented. And such an approach did not end, but continued afterwards, where it is in modified forms even today, because Serbia remains the number one destabilizing factor in Southeast Europe. Even the contestation of A. Blyta by daily politics and the Serbian government is part of the prejudice against Albanians and Bosniaks and the pathological hatred against non-Serbs in this environment.
From the content and treatment of the subject, it remains for the readers to analyze and conclude how difficult it was to cope with the social and political circumstances of the time in the region of Sanjak, without overlooking Kosovo and Macedonia, where the Albanian population dominated. It was precisely this population in terms of religion and nationality, which differed from the Orthodox population, being a syndrome for the Serbian government and their hegemonic goals.
When it comes to Albanians in the historical and geopolitical aspects of the Illyrian Kingdom, the book in question should not be treated as isolated, but as an integral part of the Albanian issue in general, which should be the preoccupation of Albanian researchers now and in the future.
There is no doubt that the author has offered the readers a valuable publication, for this historical personality, enriching the fund of publications from the historical geography of the Albanian ethnogeographical space.
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