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
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