Free Your Mendje

[Migjeni]

I'm not against re-writing our history, even if that means telling the truth about Skenderbeu, before him and after him also. I just want genuine history. Not propaganda. I know that it's often hard to separate those two things, but at least don't pretend that we're committing sacrilege when proposing something else than the propaganda which we've been spoon fed to learn in our schools.

[artan]

I'm not against re-writing our history, even if that means telling the truth about Skenderbeu, before him and after him also. I just want genuine history. Not propaganda. I know that it's often hard to separate those two things, but at least don't pretend that we're committing sacrilege when proposing something else than the propaganda which we've been spoon fed to learn in our schools.

Are you referring to Skenderbeu's mother who was apparently a Serbian princess? I suppose many Albanians will simply ignore that but it really doesn't matter at the end since he fought for the Albanian movement and not Serbian.

BTW, one of my favorite figures is Avni Rustemi. Still remember some old(60's or maybe older) movie my dad had on him where he shot the traitor Esad Pasha in Paris. Anyone possibly know the name of the film I'm talking about.

[Aurora Bulkualis]

Serbian princess She was from the area of Northern Macedonia, could have easily been Albanian from Macedonia. Even if she was from a Slavic speaking area (which there is no confirmation), it doesn't mean she was Serbian.

He was royalty so I don't see why it matters. The Queen of England has like 30 different nationalities including Arabic in her ancestry.

[artan]

Serbian princess She was from the area of Northern Macedonia, could have easily been Albanian from Macedonia. Even if she was from a Slavic speaking area (which there is no confirmation), it doesn't mean she was Serbian.

He was royalty so I don't see why it matters. The Queen of England has like 30 different nationalities including Arabic in her ancestry.

Exactly.. For the reasons you mentioned and for some other I don't really care if his mom was Albanian or not. It's about what he stood for and who he represented.

[Migjeni]

I'm not against re-writing our history, even if that means telling the truth about Skenderbeu, before him and after him also. I just want genuine history. Not propaganda. I know that it's often hard to separate those two things, but at least don't pretend that we're committing sacrilege when proposing something else than the propaganda which we've been spoon fed to learn in our schools.

Are you referring to Skenderbeu's mother who was apparently a Serbian princess? I suppose many Albanians will simply ignore that but it really doesn't matter at the end since he fought for the Albanian movement and not Serbian.

BTW, one of my favorite figures is Avni Rustemi. Still remember some old(60's or maybe older) movie my dad had on him where he shot the traitor Esad Pasha in Paris. Anyone possibly know the name of the film I'm talking about.

If that's a fact, then why not? - But that wasn't really what I meant. I'm speaking in general - not just about Skenderbeu or Isa Boletini. Also, nationality back then was far more fluid than it is today, I would say.

As for the movie, it might be 'Dy krisma ne Paris', if I'm not mistaken. You can find it on youtube - but I think there are two of them. I'd post them here, but I don't know which one of them you're looking for - if either.

[Plako]

Myths and heroes were needed for the modern day nations that rose up from the crumbling European and Ottoman Empires. Nobody in Albania proper had any idea who Scanderbeg was in the early XVIII century. It was the Arbereshe in Italy, under the influence of the Italian Rinascimento, who built up his figure for the modem day nation of Albania. They needed a valiant Christian prince who fought the Ottomans to represent the new struggle for independence. Scanderbeg never fought for Albania, as that concept didn't even exist at the time. Yet we adore him as our greatest national hero.

Isa Boletini fought for the unification of the four Albanian vilayets and was a participant at the time of the Declaration of Independence. That's an indisputable fact. I'm not sure what part of "Hoxh's version of history" you have an issue with Migjeni. You keep saying you want the truth to be taught and we were lied to all along but yet you don't specify what exactly we were lied about. And I tried watching the video but stopped as they were taking too long to get to the point.

National Myths are specifically designed for kids to imbue them with a sense of national pride at a very young age. It's the same with religion. Adults can think for themselves and can take a more nuanced view of things once they reach adulthood and have the desire and curiously.

[Migjeni]

Myths and heroes were needed for the modern day nations that rose up from the crumbling European and Ottoman Empires. Nobody in Albania proper had any idea who Scanderbeg was in the early XVIII century. It was the Arbereshe in Italy, under the influence of the Italian Rinascimento, who built up his figure for the modem day nation of Albania. They needed a valiant Christian prince who fought the Ottomans to represent the new struggle for independence. Scanderbeg never fought for Albania, as that concept didn't even exist at the time. Yet we adore him as our greatest national hero.

Isa Boletini fought for the unification of the four Albanian vilayets and was a participant at the time of the Declaration of Independence. That's an indisputable fact. I'm not sure what part of "Hoxh's version of history" you have an issue with Migjeni. You keep saying you want the truth to be taught and we were lied to all along but yet you don't specify what exactly we were lied about. And I tried watching the video but stopped as they were taking too long to get to the point.

National Myths are specifically designed for kids to imbue them with a sense of national pride at a very young age. It's the same with religion. Adults can think for themselves and can take a more nuanced view of things once they reach adulthood and have the desire and curiously.

You might be right, that those things were needed, but we're not in that time and age anymore. Let's move on from the myths. And I know that Skenderbeu didn't fight for the concept we know as nations today. The time was different back then. But let's at least try to teach history as it's supposed to be taught. Even in our school books "hordhite barbare nga Anadolli"-shit is written. In no western country will you have a credible book describing other people as barbarians and lesser humans. But I don't think that goes for Albanians only. I think that's a Balkan thing.

Isa Boletini fought for those who gave him the most money. He fought against the Sultan first, but after a few years he was the leader of the Sultan's personal protection. He fought along Serbs, and after a few years he fought against them. He was paid by the Serbs/Russians to oppose a railway in Kosova and he opposed it. He only later let it happen on the condition, that the stones would come from his personal 'gur thyes'. Also, you should try to watch the video, as they explain everything in great detail.

History is a science. Not a tool to brainwash children. At least it shouldn't be. That's why I'm saying that almost our entire history needs revision.

[Pjetër]

History is a science.

That was like the exact opposite of what I learned in any history class I have ever taken.

[Migjeni]

History is a science.

That was like the exact opposite of what I learned in any history class I have ever taken.

Lol, my bad. Poor choice of words. Although the discipline of history is considered to be part of the social sciences by some and in many cases uses outside disciplines as economy, geography, anthropology, political science, psychology etc.

[Pjetër]

One of Donald Trump's advisors said that it was Al-Qaeda that destroyed the Serbian army in Kosovo.