Fehmi Ajvazi, an eminent author from Kosovo, has shared his book ‘In the Kingdom of Death’ published in Albanian in 2012 in Pristina, and in Romanian in 2019, and was translated from Albanian to English
[In March 1999, the Serbian regime blanketed Kosovo with a contingent of 120,000 regular police, military, and civilian paramilitary forces. Just about two weeks before NATO’s intervention in Kosovo began, the region was surrounded on all sides, while pockets of the interior (villages and towns) were hit with arrests, liquidations, and massacres. Kosovo became a reservation. A kingdom called the “Kingdom of Death” established authority everywhere! However, some areas were controlled by insurgent liberation forces, and in some places, Serbian forces couldn’t penetrate. Well, the hatred between Serbs and Albanians was the same, but the bullets were the same too: they brought death to everyone, and it was no problem for the “bullet” whether the target was Albanian or Serbian. I mean, the forces of the Kosovo Liberation Army held some territory and kept it free! But about ten days before NATO planes launched their attack in their battle for Kosovo, Albanian insurgents managed to have the world’s most powerful force as their ally: the NATO alliance. However, no one had managed to master a pact with death. Just a few days before March 24th, the “Lady of Death” was the ruler of Kosovo, in reality, she was the ruler of the Albanian citizens of this extremely small territory! And for the third time in history, the state of Serbia wanted nothing more and nothing less than: the ethnic cleansing of Kosovo. Over 1 million residents before March 24, 1999, challenged “this kingdom” by saying, “Here we are, your power is not the power of God!” I had decided to stay, not to leave. I was a journalist, but also a creator. And so, I had no idea what dilemmas lay in this direction, despite the open threats from the Serbs, and I knew well that they would try to wash their hands of us like Pontius Pilate! Regardless of every situation and circumstance, I sacrificed to be a witness to a time and a history without parallel! Yes, a witness…! And everything I have said and written about literary-historical conditions is in this book – a testimony. Therefore, this book is a source and my personal experience of a time I pray will never be repeated – anywhere. Just as I pray for the souls of those who did not come out alive in this “kingdom of death” in the third millennium! Read the truth about Kosovo… Author]
March, 28th
Horrifying news has gripped the capital. It is being reported that Dr. Ibrahim Rugova, along with his family, has been abducted, and Dr. Rexhep Qosja has been liquidated. Some of these reports are likely true. The massacres in Gjakova and Prizren have been confirmed to have occurred, but the exact number of casualties remains unknown. The victims have been identified as Agim Hajrizi and Latif Berisha. Furthermore, it has been confirmed that lawyer Bajram Kelmendi, along with his two sons, has been liquidated near Fushe Kosova, and their bodies are said to have been buried today.
Events like these have caused sadness, insecurity, and fear. Fear and death are spreading their dominion over us more and more. Public figures, journalists, intellectuals, politicians, writers are increasingly becoming targets. They must be more vigilant at these times, protect themselves, or hide wherever possible (if they can and if they have a place), and disguise their identities because they could be arrested at any moment and eliminated. But how can they protect themselves, disguise themselves, where, and how? Lists for the terror and elimination of intellectuals and individuals from various social and political fields made by secret agents have been a known fact for some time now. We have known about such “lists” since 1981. I can’t verify it right now, but I know for certain that my name must be somewhere on those lists.
The Serbian blade hovers above our heads, not like an omen, but like a serpent poised to strike. Serbs, they are murderers like venomous snakes, ruthless, sadistic slayers, rapacious plunderers.
Today’s news is utterly horrifying: in Celina, Rahovec, various sources report that 54 people have been killed, in Polac, Skenderaj, 17 people have been killed, 17 members of the Beka family have been liquidated in Skenderaj, and in Izbica, it is said that 129 people have been executed. Fear of massive massacres before the start of bombings is becoming a reality. Fear of sudden attacks, massive crimes even in Pristina, is present everywhere. Therefore, we always remain dressed, even in the few hours we can sleep. But there is nothing we can do. We are helpless, at the mercy of no one. The most we can do is stay awake, understand what is happening beyond the walls, eavesdrop through the windows, think and imagine what might happen to us and how we should behave in the face of what might happen. I have no weapons, only a kitchen knife. Sometimes I think, if they come to the door, if they knock, to resist with that knife. Of course, not to resist with a kitchen knife, but to avoid being “bled dry,” as we say. The best thing is to try to resist to force them to kill me immediately because they are so wretched that they could massacre you slowly and sadistically, torture your wife in front of your eyes, slaughter your child in your hands. All these criminal intentions, they can carry out ruthlessly and right before your eyes. They have done it in the past, and they are doing it today. And undoubtedly, bullets from an automatic weapon in the chest and forehead are better than inhuman tortures.
The Serbian blade hovers above our heads, not like an omen, but like a serpent poised to strike. Serbs, they are murderers like venomous snakes, ruthless, sadistic slayers, rapacious plunderers. Chaotic souls, entwined with their delicate culture and identity. Their cultural-political-religious symbols are marred by chaos. The color black dominates the emotional significance of their cultural-religious symbols and holds sway in the realm of their geostrategic ambitions.
The blade, a classic weapon, is their beloved tool. When wielded against an adversary, its purpose is to instill terror. They brandish it proudly on their banners and ensigns. What strikes the eye is the Serbian penchant for chaos, the disarray of their waves and tempests on the battlegrounds where they surge as terrorists and conquerors.
Being perennially chaotic, as history attests to their tumultuous development, their festivals’ rites, their liturgical ceremonies, their songs and dances, their wedding and burial rituals are fraught with signs of curses, rhythms of damnation, hues of dark veils, and cries of despair.
From early morning, an explosion occurred near our block. Later, we learned that the blast had targeted the reinforced iron door of the “Oaza” supermarket.
Serbs, unlike any other people on this planet, are profane. They blaspheme God, the Sun, Bread, the Earth, and more. When all these elements converge, they form a sinister wreath adorning the Serbian identity and culture, not just chaotic but also mournful.
Should we examine their language closely, emerging from an alphabet with merely 26 characters (the Serbian language is a mishmash of borrowed words and phrases from other languages: Albanian, Italian, German, Romanian, Hungarian, Bulgarian, Turkish, etc.), we’d affirm that this impoverished tongue predominantly consists of aggressive, hateful words and sentences. Words and phrases laden with insults, ignorance, scorn, incitements to war, and conquests.
Thus, in their perpetual chaos, Serbs perpetrate wars, invasions, and depopulations. According to their tradition, their primary aim is the torment and agonizing torture of their victims, followed by slow and gruesome liquidation. Serbs employ pyromaniacal policies and methods of “scorched earth,” meaning the annihilation and obliteration of all that is living and material. Simply put, to irrevocably alter the very essence of land, nature, and demographics…
The absence of Candles
From early morning, an explosion occurred near our block. Later, we learned that the blast had targeted the reinforced iron door of the “Oaza” supermarket. The orgy of the violent, the murderers, the looters, the pyromaniacs continued unabated throughout the day, both in the vicinity of Bregu i Diellit and across the capital. This frenzy, the “celebration” of terror and crime, burst forth with intensity from its hiding place in the past two or three days.
Private bakeries, like “Saranda,” where I also get my bread, were not only looted but several different establishments, especially eateries, have been demolished and set ablaze over the past couple of days in the capital.
Even Serbian civilians are participating in this madness of violence and terror. Initially, they are ransacking various establishments, taking what they need and what they don’t. My neighbor Dragan (along with his grill) came by today, heavily laden with various alcoholic beverages, sausages, biscuits, and canned goods. He entered his apartment twice, each time carrying a loaded suitcase. Two others who were with him were similarly weighed down with various items. One of them was mostly carrying bottles of beer and alcohol. I watched them from the corner of the window that faces the street. I thought to myself, they’ll consume so much that they won’t wake up tomorrow.
Private bakeries, like “Saranda,” where I also get my bread, were not only looted but several different establishments, especially eateries, have been demolished and set ablaze over the past couple of days in the capital.
We pray for our lives. Our isolation is like being confined with a hungry African leopard. Almost all Serbs have lost their sense and mental control to be normal. It’s as if they’ve stopped being human. And, “if man is dust, those who tread the field are human,” as the writer Octavio Paz said. And what are the Serbs? Only God knows!
Food supplies, some of them, are dwindling faster than usual. Serbs are reportedly starting to refuse to serve Albanians in their shops. Or you have to wait for hours in line to buy two or three loaves of bread, a kilo of salt, a bit of sugar, a liter of oil, etc. Various military and paramilitary forces, armed civilians, are beating Albanian citizens while they wait in line in front of shops, cursing them, insulting them on nationalist and religious grounds, frightening them with gestures, automatic gunfire, and even arresting them. Candles have run out quickly. I managed to get a couple from Uncle Shaban, but they too have run out, as Etnik is altering his sleep schedule: he sleeps less or almost not at all at night, doing so more during the day. I need candles for myself. It’s impossible to stay calm, especially when the darkness around you is deep. Candles are also essential because the electricity supply frequently stops during the day. I use them to prepare and heat Niku’s milk (a kind of powdered milk called “Bebellëk”). Otherwise, it’s impossible to prepare this baby food, which is a substitute for mother’s milk.
However, imagine how much and how effectively a small amount of liquid can be heated through the light of a candle (the quality of which need not be commented on). Yesterday, two of Shpresa’s cousins (Ardita and Afërdita J.) who live about 100-150 meters from our apartment on the south side of the neighborhood came over and brought us two candles. They didn’t have any more. But as soon as they entered and sat down, without even greeting properly, the alarm siren went off, and they left in a hurry, terrified. (Continues)
Click here for Part-1, Part-2, Part-3, Part-4, Part-5, Part-6, Part-7, Part-8, Part-9, Part-10, Part-11, Part-12, Part-13, Part-14, Part-15, Part-16, Part-17,
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[The book ‘In the Kingdom of Death’ is being reproduced in episodes with the consent of the author]
