“The more we know about our human rights, the less we will abuse the human rights of others”

PATIENTS FROM THE HOSPITAL BETWEEN TWO CHURCHES
Honoring the patients expelled from the General Hospital in Peja

HIPPOCRATIC OATH AND HEALTH NEUTRALITY VIOLATED

Peja, a small city located in West Kosovo is known as entrepreneurial, cultural and religious center of Kosovo. It is also known for its neighborly, friendly relations between different ethnicities and religions. The majority, 93% of population are Albanians. About 7% are Serbs, Montenegrins, Bosnians and the Roma people. The city is known also for its good regional hospital, which offers secondary health services, and is located between the Orthodox and Catholic churches. Positioned between the two churches, and serving the majority of the Albanian population, health professionals and patients for decades felt safe and blessed. This was the common feeling for all ethnic and religious groups in Peja.
During 1998 and the beginning of 1999, all these have tragically changed. The Serbs started the war in Kosovo violating long standing interethnic relationships and trust. The entire Albanian population was under attack and was expelled from Kosovo. Albanians couldn’t believe what the Serbs were doing to them and were bewildered to find out that health professionals and religious leaders were supporting killings and ethnic cleansing policies. Serb politicians and the Orthodox Church wanted Kosovo without Albanians. The very same church, where Albanians worshiped for centuries, a church they had protected with confidence and trust had turned to be unsafe, dangerous place.
Serb leaders led the nation to war within its own neighbors. Joining the political and religious leaders, Serb Intellectuals started supporting the war too; causing animosities and fear between neighbors and friends, yet, during the war, many Serb civilians were not guilty of the wrong politics of their leadership. In many cases ordinary citizens helped each other giving shelter and food to Albanians. In turn after the war, many Albanians protected and gave shelter to Serbs. At the beginning of April, 1999, the Hippocratic Oath and health neutrality were violated by Serbs doctors and nurses. The majority of the Albanian population was surprised by the hostility of Serb health professionals towards them, as they were mistreating patients and colleagues just because they were Albanians. All Albanian patients and health professionals were expelled from the hospital. Patients and staff said that they were following the “signs from God” that was leading them to join the Catholic Church. But, thanks to the nuns and Don Lorenzo all patients were saved.
After the war, tens of thousands Albanians returned home. Peja was like a ghost city. Almost, everything was destroyed and killed. More than 11.000 houses burned and thousands of civilians, elderly people, women and children missing. Dead bodies were scattered unburied and dead animals were found in the wells. Water was scarce all over the city and when found people were afraid that the water was poisoned. There was no food, no shelter and fear of land mines. During the war, only about 1.000 Albanian Peja-citizens -out of 120.000- lived in the city, hiding in their basements.
Mixed feelings, unanswered questions, emotions and consequences of war will remain in Kosovo for a long time after the war to be carried on through generations to come. There were many questions that matter but the most important one was: “How to start a new life”?

WALL THAT DIVIDE

Albanians belong to three religions: Muslim, Catholic and Orthodox. Christianity was embraced by Albanians in the first century AD when St Paul influenced Christian thinking. Galatians and Corinthian Letters were written by St Paul mentioning Illyria (the legend that tells that he visited Durres). For centuries the people of Illyria lived in peace with their neighbors and during the seventh century welcomed Slavs from the Carpathian Mountains. Respect for guests and foreigners are deeply rooted in Illyrian/Albanian tradition and culture, the guest being perceived as a messenger of goodwill.
In the ninth and tenth century Southern part of Albania embrace the Orthodox religion. At the end of fourteenth and the beginning of fifteenth century the Balkan was invaded by the Ottoman Empire and the majority population was converted to Islam. Because of their religion, language and cultural tolerance Albanians were able to survive and preserve their national identity for centuries. Religions being holy and important in all nations are essential for Albanians. During history four Popes were of Albanian origin: Clement XI (1700-21), Saint Eleutherius (175-189), Saint Caius, (283-296) and John IV (640-642). Mother Theresa, Noble Peace Prize recipient, is from Kosovo and of Albanian origin. During the Second World War all Jews in Albania and Kosovo were saved and the number of Jews was increased in Albania at the end of the war. Because of this unique contribution in saving Jews Albanians are honored by the state of Israel with: “The Order of Righteous Nation”.
Albanians are known to promote religious tolerance and during history they have protected and saved people of different religious, believing that religions can be instrumental in preventing wars. The Orthodox Church exists in Peja since the XIII century. During the centuries Albanians have protected the church. Some Albanians are honored by the church to become Vojvoda (Serb Honorary Title). The church was visited by the majority of the population and was introduced to the foreigners as an important cultural site of Kosovo.
During the 1998 and 1999 and to this date the church had closed its doors to Albanians. Unfortunately, its religious leaders are not considering reopening them, having built a high wall around the church, walls that divide neighbor from neighbor and from people of good will. Hopefully, Serb politicians and religious leaders will soon start to destroy these segregating walls. In United Europe, such walls are being destroyed and a vigorous educational process aims to stop intolerance, discrimination and violence and preventing an environment of revenge.
Varies forms of: peace education, conflict resolution, education for democracy, multi-cultural and diversity training programs, not to speak of human rights education and a process of learning human rights as a way of life at the community level, are being spread all over the world. The essential and unique role of teachers, educators, priests of all religions, journalists, community leaders, opinion makers and politicians is to undermine and eliminate the environment of revenge to have us all, learn, know, own and realize human rights. We must all join – women and men alike- in developing a democracy that is a delivery system of equality, economic and social justice, without discrimination, guided by the holistic framework of human rights for all.
This out of our sorrow and pain must be the vision and mission of Kosovo and be its clarinet call to the world – Take down the walls that divide!!

“Only by having your children learn about the crimes done in ours and other countries, we can prevent the creation of an environment of revenge and build a political culture based on human rights”.

Neshad Asllani, MD

Kosova