Night In Gale Forgot

Oh, forest, my father my sweet black father! The time of wandering Gypsies has passed long ago. But I see them, they are happy and strong and clear like the water. You see how it is running: it wants to speak.

But it has no words, poor one. The water does not look back: it runs far, it flies away where nobody sees it, disappears the water.

Oh Sweet Maiden, Please Don’t Leave!

Night In Gale Forgot Oh Sweet Maiden, Please Don’t Leave!

Nathaniel Grann

On the third day, Šaban Gašjani’s ran out of

the Albanians who made the men flee.”

water. “It was a very harsh trip and I would

The RAE communities have fallen under a

have given up if I hadn’t known my family

strange societal status in modern Kosovo.

awaited me on the other side.” said Gašjani.

When Kosovo declared independence in

It took a total of eight days for Gašjani to

2008, the RAEs were officially recognized

reach Montenegro but that would be nothing

to entitlement of their land and other basic

compared to the six years his family would be

rights as long as they were registered, to help

forced to stay due to the lack of stability back

local municipalities with yearly census data

in their hometown of Mitrovicë (Kosovska

on growth of their RAE communities, in their

Mitrovica), Kosovo.

respected municipality. Although this notion of ownership is admirable, the undertaking

Gašjani’s story is just one of the estimated

and implementation has fallen short according

90,000 Roma, Askali, and Egytian’s (RAE) who

to human rights groups like the European

were forced into exile during the Kosovo war.

Committee of Minority Issues (ECMI).

Many RAEs faced an increase of hostile actions during and after the war from both Albanians

“It’s amazing when you read it on paper.” said

and Serbians. Gašjani faced both sides of this

Lars Burema of the ECMI Kosovo “But then

hostility as Serbian police forces routinely

you see how it is implemented, or rather how it

raided their community, Roma Mahala, for

isn’t. That’s when you start to realize how big of

Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) insurgents

a mess this whole thing is going to be.”

and as the KLA sought out retribution upon the RAE community for alleged pro-Serbian backings. “It was the Serbians who made me make my family flee.” said Gašjani, “But it was

A slippery slope falling upon municipalities

children go to the schools and that is where

and NGO’s attempting to integrate their RAE

they learn Serbian, not Albanian.” said Gašjani,

communities into the regular society but as

“We don’t speak it at home but when we leave

Albanians and Serbians still live without basic

the community (Roma Mahala), we can only

needs, the RAE’s usually get cast aside. This

speak Serbian and not Albanian yet I can’t even

turns into confrontation though with the goal of

get to the Serbian side of the city.”

creating the Kosovar civic identity, an identity

Today, Roma Mahala is slowly becoming a

that’s meant to incorporate not only Albanians

part of South Mitrovicë (Kosovska Mitrovica)

and Serbians but also RAE’s. This can leave

but basic fundamental necessities are still

local municipalities and NGO’s having to

lacking. While measures are being taken to

choose special interest groups to target, that at

improve the general livelihood and community

times can cause more harm then good, due to

empowerment, lack of cultural understanding

the increase attention.

between the RAEs, Albanians and Serbians still creates fundamental problems. These

The Roma community of Mitrovicë (Kosovska

differences, along with the heated history

Mitrovica) has been a targeted group by many

between the groups, have made an acceptable

aid organizations since it was discovered that

standard of living within Roma Mahala difficult

heavy lead had contaminated the water supply

to maintain.

in the settlement of Roma Mahala. It is believed, according to the Humans Right Watch, that an

An identity crisis is clearly evident within the

estimated 97% of the community at one point

RAE community as well, which may be playing

suffered from lead poisoning or other health

a bigger role in the failure of assimilating then

related issues due to the heavy mining taking

earlier considered by municipalities. “I wish we

place near and around the city.

could be more part of this community, be what they call kosovar.” said Gašjani, “I would like

Gašjani believes that this extra attention, while

that very much but it won’t happen, we’re all

still remaining grateful for all the help, is what

too proud, even us Roma, to be suckered into

has led so many Albanians to believe that

something like that.”

the Roma are Serbian collaborators. “All my

They came and took us away from our home. They said, “Your uncle is Kosovar now, so you too are Kosovar so we can now send you home.” They looked us in the eye and thought they were helping by sending us ‘home.’

Zorić ‘s eldest son - 2011

Gašjani may be in the minority though with

Serbian. They want me to go to school but I

his support of the Kosovar civic identity. The

cannot understand what they are saying. I was

Zorić family, who wished only to be known as

to go to university for computer science and

their family surname for their immigration case

now I will do nothing.”

is still currently under review, have a much harsher feeling towards the Kosovar identity.

The Zorić family live in a larger RAE community then Roma Mahla located near

“They came and took us away from our home.”

the legendary Kosova Polje (Kosovo Field),

said the Zorić’s eldest son, “They say, “Your

which has now become a campsite for many

uncle is Kosovar now, so you too are Kosovar

undocumented RAE’s. Many have been forced

so we can now send you home.” They looked

back to Kosovo, which has been a major

us in the eye and thought they were helping by

roadblock for this developing Kosovar civic

sending us ‘home.’”

identity. How are you to united individuals into a community that don’t want to be there

The Zorić family had fled to Germany under

in the first place? Acceptance of the Kosovar

asylum rights during the early 90’s, during

civic identity could be a saving grace for the

which their two sons were born and granted

RAE community, as it could prevent them from

German citizenship. Their son’s citizenship

slipping through the cracks and past the red

status though did not help the Zorić’s in

tape, giving them a societal voice. But as long as

fighting for their right to stay within Germany

opinions like Gašjani’s remain in the minority,

in December 2009, when they were forcibly

the Serbians may accept it before they do; an

removed from their home and re-immigrated

event that is likely not to take part anytime

to Kosovo. “I am a German.” said the Zorić’s

soon.

eldest son, “I speak German, not Albanian or

All my children go to the schools and that is where they learn Serbian, not Albanian. We don’t speak it at home but when we leave the community (Roma Mahala), we can only speak Serbian and not Albanian yet I can’t even get to the Serbian side of the city. Šaban Gašjani - 2011

N i g h t In G a le Fo rgo t Oh S weet Mai den, P l e a se D on’t L e a ve !

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