An introduction to a book ‘He is Alive’, authored by Dibran Fylli that narrates the story of Liberation War of Kosovo and Commander Adem Jashari who led the war
By Angela Kosta
Dibran Fylli, born in Kosovo, is a director, actor, poet, writer, academician, Editor-in-Chief of the prestigious international magazine Orfeu. He has won many awards for his work. He fought with Ushtria Clirimtare E Kosoves (UCK), the Army for the liberation of Kosovo from the Serbs, who killed many women, children and elderly people. He was seriously injured during the fight. He wrote the book translated into 9 languages for the Great Martyr Commander of the UCK Adem Jashari. Dibran Fylli has made many films as a director and actor.
The Hero Adem Jashari of Kosovo is a monument of physical and spiritual immortality, not as a medieval myth, not as a legend of traditional mythological tales, but as a particular and real character of typical realist history, because the work and his heroism have acted as a pedestal, touching the peaks where not even legends reach. He has made infinity. Adem Jashari was becoming a legend. He was everywhere where the enemy was attacked, he was in every line of Kosovo. The object of the assault was Adem Jashari, who had in his search Serbian police patrols and police stations. On April 5, 1993, the Commander of the Kosovo Army was appointed in Adem Jashari’s house.
The Hero Adem Jashari of Kosovo is a monument of physical and spiritual immortality
The systematic violence of the Serbian forces in Kosovo caused the formation of the KLA to pass into another phase of activation that of direct confrontation with the Serbian forces, then the frontal battle on November 26, 1997. In Rezalle të Re, the armed forces and Commander Adem Jashari, developed a bitter battle with the numerous forces of the Serbian police. In this battle, the armed columns of the Serbian forces, were heading towards the village of Vojnik, where a day earlier, the masked patrols of the Serbian police had been attacked by one of the UCK fighters, and stopped. On January 22, 1997, the Serbian Police and its Special units organized an attack on the homes of the Jashari, with the intention of eliminating this dangerous nest of the Kosovo Liberation Army, but, thanks to the courage of the Jashari family, the enemy did not reach the objective. A similar, different attack might surprise even a professional military unit, but not Adem Jashari’s family. The KLA units, commanded by their Commander Adem Jashari, had begun a new phase of activity in the territory of Drenica… The heroic resistance of the Jashari Family lasted three days – March 5, 6, and 7 in 1998. On the battlefield, 20 members heroically lost their lives protecting the homeland, 10 of whom were children, while the elder Shaban Jashari in this battle, again had the name he had taken before “The Master of the Liberation of Kosovo.”
Jashari’s name will leave its mark in history after March 5 in the year 1998. Everywhere Albanians live and everywhere in the world, the family that with their sublime sacrifice opened the doors of freedom in Kosovo will be known. There will be four, five and six generations of this family, with whom the freedom dreamed of over the centuries will be identified. On the other hand, the wise old man, the master of mountain liberation, Shaban Jashari, with the Hamzë men, had decided the time of the war of liberation, in the midst of the life of imprisonment and humiliation, and had decided the life of glory and freedom. Only the brave in various periods have changed the course of history, and so it is with Adem Jashari. Thus began the war activity with the enemy’s police, initially in Drenica, and later expanded into Llap and Dukagjin, Shala and everywhere else in Kosovo.
Adem Jashari, until the fall, did not give up his weapon for freedom or singing the song for freedom, for Albania.
The KLA became the hope of the people and terror of the enemy. Adem Jashari was everywhere where the enemy was attacked, he was in every line of Kosovo. Adem Jashari testifies to his orientation towards the search for freedom and how it was necessary to try to free the country from the violence and terror of the Serbian occupier. The demonstrations of the year 1981, and the events of the Great Student Spring, brought a great popular movement, thus keeping the bonfire of the nation’s freedom burning for years, magically influenced the generation that formed, organized and politically and militarily managed the Kosovo Liberation Army. Adem Jashari and his cohorts were and remain the main nucleus of the KLA. On November 3, 1991, Adem Jashari and his group went to Albania to the military services to train for armed warfare. This group included many warriors and heroes from Kosovo.
THE BATTLE OF MARCH 5, 6 and 7, 1998
Between 4 and 5 March 1998, Prekaz and the family of the Legendary Commander of Adem Jashari, were surrounded by large Serbian military and police forces. The attack began at about six o’clock in the morning. Immediate, powerful, courageous and with a perfect military strategy was also the counter-response of Commander Adem Jashari and his family. On the first day, March 5, 1998, Adem Jashari’s entire family began fighting, prepared for the Jashari’s resistance to the last drop of blood. After a long and heroic resistance, three days and three nights, the enemy destroyed the Jashari Quarter, but never the determination to continue the war for freedom and national unity. Adem Jashari, until the fall, did not give up his weapon for freedom or singing the song for freedom, for Albania. The Kosovo Liberation Army lost its leadership. Kosova lost its Legendary Commander. With the fall of the Yashari, Kosovo conquered fear and opened the doors of freedom. Adem Jashari, the legend, brought a new quality of the philosophy and thought of the Albanians for life, for the homeland, for freedom, for the honor and dignity of the nation, therefore He is Alive…
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Angela Kosta was born in Albania in 1973 and has lived in Italy since 1995. She is a translator, essayist, literary critic and promoter. She has published 11 books: novels, poems and fairy tales in Albanian, Italian and English. Her poems are translated and published in 23 intercontinental countries, as well as various articles on her literary journey, as well as being (in the second half of 2023 alone), an author in 75 magazines and newspapers. She has been featured on the magazine covers of Elite Magazine (Liban), International Literary Language Journal (New Yor), Wordsmith International Editorial, (Florida).
