By Artan Pernaska
The recent publication of the “Macedonian Encyclopedia” has aroused vivid criticism among Albanians in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), in Kosov련Kosovo), in Montenegro and in Albania. The late Encyclopedia represents Albanians as mountaineers having come to FYROM in the XVIth century and tries to delegitimize the position of the Albanians as a constituent part of the FYROM republic. Trying to grow out of the republican frame of mind into the national-state frame of mind, the Macedonian political attitudes as well as academic life seem concerned with delegitimizing and then wiping out the role of the Albanians as a one of the pillars of recent Macedonia. Its position as a pillar ethnic group, an ethnic group possessing its own nationality, and participating in an emancipated and liberal way in the creation and in the support of the modern Macedonian state. Every entry in the Encyclopedia concerning the Albanians and their historical figures has been treated in a down-grading, segregative and provocative manner.
Encyclopedic racism
The Albanian media, intellectuals, political parties as well as Macedonian and foreign media and institutions have reacted over the theses spread by the Encyclopedia. The ideas reflected there remind of old Serbian propaganda, which aimed at checking and downscaling Albanian political and institutional rights before and after the Balkan Wars. The same theories that they tried to make instrumental against the creation of the Albanian state in 19912 and to the benefit of jeopardizing Kosov련Kosovo) and Macedonia in the War Years. The connection of the theories expressed in the Macedonian Encyclopedia with racist and segregative politics and propaganda has already been demonstrated by the political history of Serbia.
Thus the words written in the Encyclopedia were offensive also form the fact that they are a repeat of past policies which have been injurious and to the Albanians and have since been condemned. The reactions have been multiple from Albanian as well as Macedonian political parties. “Encyclopedic racism” titled Ora News (21.09.2009). The “Falsiclopedia” called it the movement Zgjohu (Awaken !) which is active in Macedonia, (Lajm, 18.09.2009). “This publication has aroused ire among Albanians, to start with, from the fact that it was published with the money of all of us, to offend us !” wrote Ramadan Ramadan, (Lajm, 20.09.2009). “We should make a slight draw-back from the acceptation of their auto-declaration as Macedonians” suggests Ramadan.
“It is clear now that ŠAlbanians in Macedonia should have their own encyclopedia”, spoke out Menduh Tha詬 leader of the Albanian Democratic Party (Partia Demokratike Shqiptare, PDSH), Lajm, 20.09.2009.
“Made not from any individual or non-governmental organization, but made by the Academy of Sciences and financed by the state this sets a precedent and is an unforgivable blunder in a row of blunders”, writes Idaver Sherifi.
In 2001 the Macedonian Academy proposed the division of FYROM
P쭬umb Xhufi, (Express, 19.09.2009) and Idaver Sherifi (Lajm, 22.09.2009) remind that it was this same institution (the Macedonian Academy) that in 2001 proposed the division of FYROM and the separation of the Albanians from the Macedonians, a proposal that was rejected by the Albanians.
Myzafer Korkuti, vice-chancellor of the Albanian Academy, refers to older ex-Yugoslav or Macedonian scientific work and publications after the Second World War and says that the Encyclopedia has gone astray former findings of Macedonia’s own Scientifics, (Alsat, Express, 19.09.2009).
As Albanian counterparts, some Macedonian opposition parties highlight that this publication is in line with a number of political actions of the new government towards Albanians in Macedonia or in the region. Many Macedonian writers, intellectuals, artists and historians distance themselves from the stand of the compilers of the Encyclopedia.
The political climate in Macedonia seems to bear the seeds of policies oriented at provoking Albanians in FYROM or elsewhere (see our former report Macedonia Disheartens, Tirana Times, 15.05.2009). To what extend they are related or coordinated with the positions taken on Albanian history by Macedonian compilers of the Encyclopedia remains unknown. But an attentive lecture of the behavior of Macedonian governmental or local powers towards the Albanians, especially after the late elections in the country, shows signs of smoothly-enveloped aggressiveness and flowery provocativeness. The lecture of such stands as for example towards the president of Kosov련Kosovo) or many other occurrences at the local level makes to think about the goal of such stands. And, from a point of view, that goal may be to provoke the Albanian constituent group of FYROM to such reaction that this body could be stigmatized and delegitimized from its position as part-taking in the nation-building of Macedonia. This would leave Macedonians alone to dominate over a national state and apply nationalist, racist and segregative policies over the other components of the Macedonian democracy.
If it were the case, it would mean that like often in the history of the Balkans states and of FYROM, the governments and societies are undressing from republican conceptions of state, to control nationally whatever form of power to the detriment of the other constituent groups. This would mean the end of the republican state and the beginning of the nationalist era.
That reminds wars and sufferings and should not be encouraged, neither allowed.
