Written by Nue Oroshi. Translated by Petrit Latifi.
Among the many Massacres committed by Serbs, Montenegrins and Greeks who were never satisfied with the plunder of Albanian lands, there is also the Massacre of Greek Communists on May 9, 1947 in Crete, Greece. This Massacre is one of the most special for the type of massacres committed. It is special for the fact that these patriotic Albanians who were sworn anti-communists had taken political asylum in Greece.
But the Greeks do not trust and the communist proletarians have always collaborated among themselves, as was this collaboration between the Greek, Yugoslav and Albanian communists for the murder of patriotic nationalists from Kosovo. I am convinced that most of the relatives of the murdered did not know and cannot know even today where their relatives were killed, let alone their graves and the place where they were shot after their murder, which has lost all trace.
It is worth highlighting the fact of the resistance and non-surrender of these Albanian patriots from Kosovo who, although without weapons, used everything they had to stand heroically where most of them were killed in an attempt to never surrender. Three of them were burned inside their homes and the rest escaped with wounds on their bodies. This massacre clearly shows that the Pan-Slavic communists committed insane massacres against Albanians in Kosovo, Albania, Montenegro, Macedonia and in all ethnic Albanian lands.
I am bringing to the readers this exclusive article with historical facts about this Massacre that occurred on May 9, 1947. This material was taken from the Archive of Captain Ndue Gjon Marku, which is also the archive of the Independent National Bloc, where these materials were brought to me by the daughter of Captain Bianca Gjomarkaj, published in “Albania Libre”, which was an organ of the Independent National Bloc, and where we are giving it in full:
“On May 9, 1947, at 4 o’clock in the morning, in the center of the Fera Petra Sub-Prefecture in Crete, a battalion of Greek communists surrounded the house, where 28 Albanians from Kosovo, political immigrants, were sleeping. The Albanians had been settled in this place by the Greek authorities, and were engaged in agricultural work near the Greek families of the country.
In this way, they ensured their living expenses. Of course, they did not have any kind of weapon with them. They also had no special protection from the authorities. They spent the whole day working and so at dusk they gathered together in a house that had been assigned to them for sleeping and living. On the night of May 9, 1947, the Greek communist battalion consisting of more than 300 people began to surround the building of the sub-prefecture, the Korofillakavet barracks, and then the house where they were sleeping. After completing the siege, they gradually began the attack. The communist patrols called out to the Albanians and demanded that they open the gate of the house and surrender alive.
At first, the Albanians, surprised by this unexpected event and as sleepy as they were, did not understand what was happening to their fate. Therefore, they remained silent. But it doesn’t take long and the communist patrol begins to descend with weapons against the house and tries to break down the gate and enter. At the same time, the entire battalion begins the attack, approaching the Albanians’ apartment with the aim of capturing them alive. But the Greek communists had miscalculated because they did not know that the sons of Albania do not surrender alive to the enemy.
When the Albanians saw that they were in serious danger, they began to fight against the communists. But what were they really doing?
They had no other weapons except their personal bravery, except their heart and ideals. But they also had tools of work: they had hoes, shovels, picks, axes, they had benches where they sat to rest when they returned from work, and some pieces of brick that they could remove with their hands and nails from the walls of the house. With these weapons, these brave Albanians begin their fight and fight like this for six hours in a row. Meanwhile, the first martyrs began to fall. Jonuz Emini, leader of the group, Idriz Sallova, Latif Kuqi, Riza Matoshi, Zejnel Mehmmeti, Qerim Hajdari and Halil Idrizi.
But on the communist side, five were killed and several wounded, who retreated and fled. Seeing that the Albanians were standing like men and had no intention of surrendering alive. The communists set fire to the house by lighting several gasoline cans that were on the lower floor of the house.
Immediately, the entire house was surrounded by flames. The danger became so great and death was approaching so quickly that for the Albanian fighters there was no other way but to pass through the fire and flames. Osman Sinani attacks first, coming out of the house, and miraculously he is able to take the weapon from a communist who came before him, whom he kills. But shortly afterwards Osman Sinani also falls to the ground, killed, shouting “Long live Albania and Long live Kosovo! Down with Communism!”
After Osman, his brother Bajra attacks, and Sinani and after him Isak Ahmeti, Haxhi Halili, Banush Berisha, Bajram Berisha, Kadri Berisha, Mustafa Bajraktari, Ahmet Uka, Fiqri Sejda and Hidajet Arifi. These miraculously managed to escape from the flames and bullets of the enemies. The following were wounded: Qerim Ibrahimi, Bajram Gorani, Hysen Rama, Nazif Vata, Nazif Varoshi, Azis Murati and Istref Selmani. Of these wounded, the first three Qerim Ibrahimi, Bajram Gorani, Hysen Rama died a little later. However, Xhemal Matoshi, Rexhep Gashi and Ymer Sakoli remained inside the house amidst the fire and flames. These, unable to pass through the flames, stood and awaited death like the early men, singing the anthem of the flag and shouting Long live the national flag! Bajram Sinan, one of those who escaped the danger of fire, goes and enters the priest’s house but unfortunately the enemies surround him here too.
In the Second World War, Bajram Sinan begins, who fights using the priest’s staff or any other object that falls into his hand instead of a weapon. He kills a communist and finally escapes by jumping out of a window and hiding in a safe place. No Albanian surrendered alive, into the hands of the furious communist savages. After this ugly event, the Greek authorities decided to provide for the Albanian emigrants by gathering all those from Crete, 400 people, in a center of Athens.
The bitter news of the tragic murder of our Albanian brothers from Kosovo caused an unspeakable despair among all the Albanian exiles. The savagery and barbarism of our enemies, instead of decreasing, seeks to increase more and more. Enver Hoxha, insatiable with the blood he had shed and was still shedding within the borders of Albania, wanted to extend his cruelty beyond these borders.
He took care of the criminals of his category who unfortunately also happened to be in Greece and demanded that these criminals also stain their hands with the blood of Albanian refugees who were working peacefully on the island of Crete. By shooting at Albanian refugees from Kosovo, Enver Hoxha was sure that he was doing a great service of loyalty to his master, Marshal Tito, who had caused so much misery in that purely Albanian country that is Kosovo. But the blind tools of red barbarism had not done their calculations well. They thought that the Albanian refugees of Crete would fall into their hands as if nothing had happened.
Although they did not have weapons themselves, the brave Albanians knew how to fight like lions and sell their blood very dearly, making it clear to the red enemies that when they could escape, they would accept to die in the midst of flames and fire, because they never surrender alive. In the midst of this great sorrow, the courage that these brothers have shown in the face of a much stronger enemy constitutes a true consolation for our poisoned hearts. Our newspaper congratulates those who escaped this danger and expresses its most sincere condolences to the descendants of the martyrs, showing their heroism as an example for all other Albanians, concludes the article “Albanie Libre”.
As a result, in this massacre carried out by the Greek communists on May 9, 1947 in Crete, 14 Albanian patriots fell heroically:
- Jonuz Emini, leader of the group,
- Idriz Sallova,
- Latif Kuqi,
- Riza Matoshi,
- Zejnel Mehmmeti,
- Qerim Hajdari,
- Halil Idrizi,
- Osman Sinani,
- Qerim Ibrahimi,
- Bajram Gorani,
- Hysen Rama,
- Xhemal Matoshi,
- Rexhep Gashi,
- Ymer Sakoli, while the following were seriously injured:
- Nazif Vata,
- Nazif Varoshi,
- Azis Murati and
- Istref Selmani.
We have no further information about how these four patriots who were seriously injured ended up. While unharmed or with minor injuries, the following escaped:
- Bajram Sinani,
- Isak Ahmeti,
- Haxhi Halili,
- Banush Berisha,
- Bajram Berisha,
- Kadri Berisha,
- Mustafa Bajraktari,
- Ahmet Uka,
- Fiqri Sejda and
- Hidajet Arifi.
This was the tragedy of 28 Kosovo Albanians, 14 of whom were killed, burned and massacred by the Greek communists.
The fate of the others who survived is unknown and if any family members may have any further evidence from these 14 survivors, it would be good to provide the records about this Massacre committed by 300 Greek communists against 28 Albanian patriots from Kosovo, who did not surrender and did not lose their blood but paid for themselves many times over.
Here, it is clearly seen that the re-occupation of Kosovo and other Albanian territories was paid very dearly with the blood of 47,314 Albanian patriots.
Reference
Balkan Academia 