Lost Albania

Albania was forgotten by Muslims, then Americans opened their arms to it.

In a report conducted by the Dutch radio on the last Friday, 8 May 2007, Tyne Sadier, the reporter of the Albanian radio, said: "Albania is the only country that receives the American president George W. Bush warmly!"

He added that the Albanian shall experience an eventful day next Sunday, 10 May at the visit of George W. Bush to them.

Of course , this warm welcome is not the followed pattern which some politicians receive, especially the Arabs during their visits even in their own countries, where some citizens go out forcibly sometimes to cope with the event, however this is a real form of the Albanian happiness.

Of the features of warm welcome is: Coffee cups are sold for 12 dollars just because the image of George W. Bush is engraved thereon !

Moreover, the American flags are flickering on many houses in the capital "Tirana "!

In the meantime, hundreds gathered in gardens and public places wearing the American hats !

Some people may ask about the reason which made the Muslim country of Albania where Muslims make up more than 75% of its population open its arms to Americans and to their president George W. Bush in his first visit to that European country?!

A question that incites many sorrows; after long years during which thousands dedicated themselves from multiple Muslim countries to help this country with themselves, money, knowledge, and experience, how come that happened?!

Painful years of communism

Few years have passed from the history of Yugoslavia during which hundreds of thousands of Muslims were killed by the Serbian forces supported by the previous soviet union and currently Russia because they demanded independence and autonomy in Kosova.

However, the Arab and the Muslim countries took a united stance toward the Albanian case in Kosova in the face of the communist war which the Serbian forces raided long years for the purpose of killing the Muslim Albanians, the decisive event was the intervention of the NATO forces led by the United States of America, which launched war in 9 June 1999 and stopped the massacres there.

Although the "NATO" forces led by the United States of America did not move but after 8 years of killing and displacement in the Muslim territory, the Albanians who make up the majority of the population in Kosovo as well as in Albania began to look thankfully to the NATO and USA.

Nothing confirms that the United States intervened to stop the killing and the slaughter of Muslims in Kosovo, starting from the long years during which Washington and its European allies looked silently at what is happening there, and ending with many cases in which Muslims were killed at the hands of the Americans themselves, and the U.S. administration did not move a finger!

There is only one confirmation that USA did not free Kosovo but for its hostility to Russia which supported Serbia at that time and demanded to keep the Muslim territory in the hands of the Serbian communists.

The disagreement which moved things around!

Today, Bush did not go to Albania but for the same reason for which he militarily intervened in the former Yugoslavia; the disagreement with Russia is at stake and sending a message to Moscow is the main objective!

So, Bush has just finished the Conference of the Eight countries, in which he participated with the Russian President "Vladimir Putin," in restless clashes, starting from the Iranian nuclear file, passing by the file of Kosovo itself, and ending with the main problem which is the deployment of American missile bases in Europe, which made the Russian president threaten to launch a new Cold War against USA during which he shall deploy additional nuclear missiles that are able to penetrate the US defense systems.

Therefore, the visit to Albania at that time sent a message to Moscow which says: Do not bet me that we are able to strengthen the relationship with the Europeans, especially after the join of Albania to the NATO and it will be an effective country in the European decision, which its influence and loyalty are increasing in favor of USA whenever the gap widens between Moscow and Washington.

Muslims and Albania

Muslims remember as they watched the news of Bush's arrival at Albania the history of that Muslim country which remained until 1943 the only Muslim country in Western Europe after it had been opened for Islam by the Ottomans in 1423 AD, and Islam entered therein for the first time.

The features of the Muslim European countries began to eradicate when the Communists came to power upon the assumption of "Enver Hoxha", who gave power to the "Stalini communism" in the country, eliminated the civil liberties, isolated Albania from the outside world, and from the Muslim world in particular, fought Islam, and turned its masjids into museums, shops, and night clubs!

After there were about 1667 masjids in Albania, some of which were built according to the Ottoman style, now there are only 270 masjids.

The communist tide which left behind a generation of atheists and secularists did not stop what they were doing but after the collapse of communism in its former den (the Soviet Union), leaving the country an arena for missionary and Jewish movements which took advantage of the situation and began to establish temples, cultural centers, and private schools to spread Christianity and Judaism there.

However, the simple tries of communists, there were no presence for Muslim callers in Albania where Muslims did not pay attention to it except when it entered into a military conflict with Serbia to support the Muslim Albanians of Kosovo.

In the war that lasted for about 8 years, thousands of Muslims stood by the side of the Albanians in Kosovo and Albania to support them, as they set up medical and relief camps, some migrated to participate in Jihad against the communist Serbs, thousands offered funds through donations, and some Arab and Muslim countries opened private accounts for them.

After things had calmed down, Muslims continued to provide aid of scientific, medical, legal, and educational expertise with the purpose of supporting the Albanian territory which is still demanding independence from Serbia.

Against the evangelist and the Jewish tide which had excelled Muslims in time and financial support, the Islamic and the humanitarian features were deteriorating such as Hijab which has become a subject of irony and fight to the extent that female Muslims were being expelled from schools against a large spread for churches and Jewish centers.

The country was witnessing diminish in financial support for Islamic institutions. For example, Muslims complained of financial vulnerability of the formal Islamic Authority, which was forced repeatedly to sell the land of endowments to other authorities. The last issue which was raised by some Muslims who went on hunger strike after selling the most important endowment that lies in the heart of the capital Tirana!!

According to the reports which published the news, the land, which covered about 1600 square meters directly facing the Albanian Parliament, was sold for about 33% of its actual value.

Muslim callers rely on Muslim students who study in some Muslim countries, especially in KSA to reinforce the Islamic values of the country which are suffering a big moral problem, particularly in short clothes which have become the fashion of many girls and women there.

Some Islamic foundations, which do laudable efforts in supporting the sound creed and correcting the wrong concepts, rely on local efforts to face the lack of money, the fierce fight of Western countries on Islamic institutions under the pretext of terrorism, and to fight back the limitless financial support which evangelists receive.

The U.S. position in support of Albania!

While the Muslim countries do not have any way influential in the international resolutions because of their weakness and their short-sighted interests, Albanian are still relying on Americans to get the country out of the political problem connected with the independence of Kosovo from the communist Serbia.

In the face of the Serbian and the Russian statements which Putin delivered in the Summit of the Eight, saying: "Kosovo constitutes an integral part of Serbia and that situation cannot be changed except by mutual consent," Bush delivered some statements in his last visit to Albania that reassured the Albanians, saying: "We have to start moving .. The ultimate goal is the independence of Kosovo."

He added: "Certainly, independence must be in the heart of any future talks that will take place about the status of the Serbian province."

He said: "The question is: Do we have to go in an endless dialogue on a matter that has been already discussed?! I am worried about the hopes which have not achieved in Kosovo, so we have to push the process forward."

Bush addressed the population of the territory saying: "It is important for the people of Kosovo to know that the United States supports the independence of Albania very much."

Perhaps this was the most needed thing in that time because Albania has been of great help to the Americans and participated with USA in its war against terrorism inside and outside Europe, took part in the International forces in Afghanistan and Iraq, and accepted the reception of Guantanamo detainees who are belonging to different countries, which increased the strength of the relationship between Tirana and Washington at the expense of the exclusion of the Islamic tide, which has not reached its destination yet.

Ironically, Bush came out of Italy [the Christian country], which he had visited directly before Albania, loaded with hatred, and seen off by demonstrations and protests which accompanied his visit, whereas he was received warmly in the Muslim country of Kosovo as heroes which made most of International magazines write about that visit and that remarkable welcome.

Should we blame the Albanian government, the Albanians, or Muslims who are about to lose another Muslim country in Europe?