GARENTINA KRAJA IN PRISTINA, SERBIA-MONTENEGRO
TENS of thousands of ethnic Albanians threw flowers and wept as Ibrahim Rugova's flag-draped coffin made its way to his final resting place yesterday.
The Kosovo president who embodied ethnic Albanians' quest for an independent state was laid to rest in a white marble tomb, his name engraved in gold.
Mr Rugova's family, colleagues and dignitaries gathered at the grave, some bowing, others stroking the plaque or leaning to kiss it as they paid their last respects. Some cried, others hugged each other. The president's wife, Fana, clutched the flag that draped the coffin. A 21-gun salute was fired.
Mr Rugova died on Saturday of lung cancer at the age of 61 after 16 years as the leader of Kosovo's ethnic Albanians, who want independence from Serbia.
"You fulfilled your dream, you laid the foundation for Kosovo to become a free and independent state," the head of the province's parliament, Nexhat Daci, said.
With no-one in line to take over, Kosovo's political scene has been thrown into disarray as the province prepares for talks on its final status. The talks have been postponed.
"It is a cruel irony of history that he left at the moment he was most needed, the very moment he was expected to provide leadership in helping to settle the future status of Kosovo," Javier Solana, the EU foreign policy chief, told the crowd.
Gani Shahini, 77, from the town of Shtimje, said Mr Rugova's death was "a great loss in these moments when we need him. He has built our path and now we need to finish what he has started."
Thousands of people lined the streets of Pristina as the coffin was driven to the tomb overlooking the capital at the Martyrs' Cemetery, initially dedicated to the victims of the Second World War.
It has since become a graveyard for members of the Kosovo Liberation Army, the rebel force that fought Serb troops in Kosovo's 1998-9 war.
Mr Rugova's grave is near his official residence, where he met western leaders and insisted they recognise the tiny province of two million as a state.
His peaceful way of confronting repression came to be seen as a rarity in the Balkans and earned him the nickname "Kosovo's Gandhi".
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16 comments:
Could any of you guys explain me what this site is? I just entered and have no idea.
Condoliances for the beloved president Rugova
I have heard that pr. Rugova had converted to Catholicism. If this is the case I don’t see cause for concern. He has exercised a right, and as such should be respected.
We have been told, since the birth, that we are Muslim or Christians. How many of us have chosen consciously the religion they want to belong to? Or, have chosen to become, let say, Agnostics? This topic must be subject of a personal search, both spiritual and intellectual.
Hi ;
Kristian and Heku ;
what does it matter if our President died as a muslim or christian ?
Isn't Albanianism the religion of the Albanians " Mos shiqoni....se feja e Shqiptarit eshte shqiptaria"
And do not speak in the name of the majority of Albanians,if they don't practice Islam that doesn't mean they're ashamed to be a muslim.
Religion is a personal value, so you can do with it what you want,and you can choose the one you want.
But before coming up with a statement such as our ancestors were chatolics, go and read some more history then you'll realize that the 3 religions which Albanians belong to ,have been granted by their occupiers,(Romans,Byzantine and Ottoman).
So don't get me wrong and belive what yo want, but please do not speak in the name of all Albanians, at the end of the day we all belive the same God each in own way.
Mos shiqoni kisha e gjamia se feja e Shqiptarit eshte Shqiptaria.
rrnoft Kosova
I don't think that's a big loss to people for organized religion has been one of the most destructive forces in the history of humanity.
We Albanians are one of the big losers of such power struggles between the Western Christians, Muslims and Orthodox.
I'm not sure that Albanians practice any religion right. Even among Catholics, there are still curses and prayers from the pagan Illyrian times. And Kanun among Catholics most definitely overules anything Bible or the Pope says.
As for Rugova's religion, he got a state funeral. His personal beliefs are between him and God.
Personally I do think he converted to Catholicism and the reason was that he didn't feel very comfortable who he was. This is another reason why he spent most of his leisure time drinking alcohol and chain smoking.
As far as whether this would change my opinion, I have to say no. Despite the fact that he deserves a good deal of credit for internationalizing the Kosovo issue, his contribution is overly exaggerated. The fact of the matter is that if Kosovars hadn't started the war in 1998, NATO would have never intervened (It didn't intervene for 8 years 1990-1998 while Rugova was in charge), and Kosovo would have still been ruled by Serbia today (believe you me).
What lowers my opinion of Mr. Rugova even more is the fact that he didn't have the courage to say that he had converted to Christianity (if he in fact had done so). He knew this would have lowered his popularity a great deal-and God didn't he love to be at the center of attention.
Overall I think most people of Kosovo would have held Rugova in a lower regard if they had known he had converted to another religion. This is not because Kosovars are very devout Muslims- It’s because most people would have not understood his reasoning for doing so. He lived 60 years as a Muslim and then all the sudden he became a Christian? Why?
In any case, we are just speculating here. We don't know for sure if he had indeed converted. If he had indeed converted it was because he wanted to be “adored” in the western world, not because he believed in Catholicism more the Islam. Based in the Information we know about him, he didn't truly believe in Good at all!
Well as Im reading along.I do understand most of the points made.I respect the views expressed. For individuals such as heku well I Congratulate him with the descion to choosing christianity, If you eat pork and drink alot might as well be anything else but muslim,that way you dont pollute the religion. As to the argument that we should go back to our firsts well thats simply nonsense and very unintelegent, if you believe it that way. We should go back to the romans then peganistic illirians then who else knows where you end up. You shouldnt generailise on the state of islam in Kosova there is a lot of Albanians that follow strict or should I say clean islam, Mosques do actually fill up on fridays to say at least. More people interested in clean islam now then ever before but that is of course rivaled with the opposite extreme side of drugs,prostituation, alcohol etc people do find a safe heaven in islam from these at least .
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As for the case of Rugova he was never a real muslim anyway(only his name) actually a major part of the cause of his death was alcohol, He did have quite alot of those whiskies with his Belgrade collegues and thats why they actually do have alot of respect for him.Rungova not making his 'conversion' or as I should put it entry to christianity official or public is purely political. There are 'rumours' he entered christianity in 1994 believe you me he wouldn't have been the president if he announced his 'conversion' publicly.Purily because someone that has a major change of heart like that is not trutworthy and shouldnt be a leader.
On the other hand he did play apart in winning the heart of the Holy See in VAtican by accepting christianity hence as VAtican and 'Zionist' are the most influencial parties in Todays world politics Rugova managed to gather alot of support for Kosovars.
As to the question if my views about Rugova has changed, not at all. I always thought of him as well to put bluntly 'dodgy' in every sense. A man that goes on TV with a letter on his hand like a school boy reading a peom in front of a class, probably cant even answer direct questions from journalists or member of public, stubbles through his words looks drunk(im thinking ten years ago) everytime you see him. Well I always new that he shouldn't have lead us.
I would just like to ask, would KLA and the war (resistence or what ever you want to call it) went ahead if it was for Rugova. In some sense I do hear that he was an obstacle in the actually war well for some who are invovled in Kosovar politics they are fimiliar with FARK.
Well I do send my condolonces to family of Dr. Ibrahim Rugova or Pjeter (Uke) Rugova.
P.S. Again religion is being brought into kosovareport.com which im particularly not happy with. People converting to christianity being our first ,albanianism,americanism,europism(yeah alot of isms but they all are and ideology,filozofi,like a religion is) need to get some more facts right and not be brainwashed open your mind and stop offending other believes. Im a strong believer that islamophobia has reached the highest levels in albanian society at the moment which is a shame
i just have to bring this is in.With the argument abour Romans and Christianity i would suggestion reading The Da Vinci Code, which has alot of facts,then follow them with further reading and you'll see how christianity and Romans merged and became the christianity we know
To Kristian.
We are claming that the ilyrians are our ancestors,which is a stemp of our History, so were they catholics then ?
And to Kosovar2006;
I do agrre with you in many points,except the point when you're critisize our president.
Didn't all European and US politicans great him as the most moderate politician of Ballkans, I think you're going a bit to far when you interfere into his personal life.
I read the comments and I have to admit, again and again, that "The truth is not the daughter of Sympathy, it is instead the daughter of discussions".
The discussion is always healthy. That being said, I don't want to ad more arguments to those you have expressed. Yet, I have difficulties to understand some of the views expresed. My first impression is that we have rigid concepts about Identity. Find things that can unite us and not separate. Can't we be more flexible in that? Should we always go back to the ancient times to find references. Isn't that a complex? Of the denial we have experienced by our neighbours and other manipulators? why can't we live freely and wth pride our diversity, which is wonderful and unique?
To heku,
faleminderit per shpjegimet :))
Kristian,
Keeping religion out of state functions is actually a good thing, especially for religiuos minorities like you. As I understood from news noise, presties and hoxhas both made their prayers by his grave afterwards.
But Kristian, you shouldn't be surprised if there are such ambivalent feeling about a possible change of heart. Both Islam and Christianity are proselytizing relgions adamant in their sense of superiority. And then come the different sects in both.
Let me ask you this, how would America or Italy react if their presidents announced that they had turned Catholic, Protestant respectively?
My grandma (who became devout Muslim at her old age) woud say: gurit e drunit (to wood and stone), pasha toke e pasha qill (for sky and land), t'shitoft Zana (may Zana curse you), pasha Kanunin (for Kanun), t'marrshin ata t'Ures Shejte (may those of Saint Bridge take you) etc.
Thank you Kristian , and do not forget you are still my brother.
What Rugova concerns, there's nothing in this world could change my respect for him.
To Kristian
First of all I was not directing any of my comments to you. but the readers in general.About alcohol well if you read some of the studies that are published they all have flaws. there is the one that say alcohol has benefits in moderation which no human can keep to. also that moderation always lead to addiction. I have read numerous medical studies in this case there is more anti- then pro - alcohol
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/4232703.stm
just of the links to articles but as ai said there are articles published that do say alcohols advantages.Anyway I would be wrightin an essay if I had to explain the links between liver diseas and lunng cancer. Im really busy with my studying at the moment so PEACE I just gave my views thats all no offence. With the Da vinci code the story line is the fiction but its based in alot of facts as a isad further reading on those points will help.
For every leader that dies a new one is born. Thats the moto i go with at the moment. Lets finish this job proparly so that we can call ourselfs KOSOVAR IN 2006.
Its all well AS heku said hags and kisses. Arguments are good and healthy.
Can i just say though
'UCK forces were completely disproportionate compared to the yougoslav army.'
Albanian were the backbone of Yugoslav Army just dont forget that. Maybe lets say KLA didnt have the materials,The brains (sometimes overrun with brainless komandants) and the foot soldiers were always there very strong against 'Yugoslav Army'
Kotradiq,
You are right on target with your thoughtful comments (C my comment above). If it wasn't for the KLA starting the war, we would have still been living under Serbia's rule. I just fail to understand how some other people don't c this. Rugova has his merits but most people exaggerate his contribution. He was the leader of Kosovo for 8 years (1990-1998), and nothing positive happen to Kosovo during this time. Some people claim that he Internationalized the Kosovo issue but there is scant evidence to support that conclusion (If you lived outside Kosovo you would have known this). Until 1998 most people in the world had never heard of Kosovo and let alone the abuses done by the Milosevic regime. The fact is that the KLA came into being at a perfect timing. If you didn't agree with some of the things that the KLA leadership did, you got to give them credit for staring the war at the perfect time.
The reason some international leaders gave Rugova so much credit for "liberating" Kosovo is because they didn't want to be seen as having supported an armed insurgency, which is what they did. Another thing people should remember is that the KLA managed to get the support of the most powerful military alliance in the world: NATO. Keep in mind that Rugova was not supporting the KLA when the rest of world, including the US and NATO, was dealing with them.
Most security analysts describe the KLA as the most successful guerrilla force in recent times. Some say that the KLA achieved most of the things it fought for by not fight a whole a lot. ISI says that the KLA dragged NATO in Kosovo. To me it doesn’t matter who actually did the fighting. I just have to be honest with myself and acknowledge that the KLA triggered the event that lead to the Liberation of Kosovo. People who don’t accept this obvious fact are living in fantasy land.
Cheers,
Ferik. F
Kristian,
The west had no plans for Kosovo! I don't know why you would say that. There is no single shred of evidence to support that claim. In fact Kosovo was not considered to be a big issue until 1998(See R. Holbrook). I assure you that NATO would have never intervened if it were not for the armed conflict.
In any case, I don’t want to bash Rugova because he is now dead and because he did have his own merits. The fact is that Rugova was not a great politician (this does not exclude the possibility of him having been a good man) cuz he was an idealist, and there is no room for such people in politics. I am convinced someone else, e.i Fatmir Sejdiu, Daci ,Agani etc, would have achieved more results than Rugova. In any case, the History will judge him and KLA and everyone else. The truth does need to be spoken though – even if you disagree with it.
Take care,
Balkan Update
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