Taken from Rrustem Kurtbogaj. Translation Petrit Latifi.

Fasli Tahir Kurtbogaj (1894-1986)

“On the occasion of the 35th anniversary of our fathers death. Let us remember the man of Faith, the Center of Sacrifice who fought and stood stoically in defense of the Homeland and his people throughout his life. FASLI TAHIR KURTBOGAJ.

As every beginning, even the beginning of a year, month or even week, etc. has its glory and tragedy that remain in the memory of future generations and the historiographers of peoples or individuals, as in the case of a tireless fighter for our national cause. In Albanians, when we are aware of our historical past, we can freely say that we have the month of January, which reminds us of births, deaths, wars, national figures related to their births and deaths, not forgetting the tragedies and deaths that have happened to us in January and much more.

Now that we are in this commemoration of Bardesh, we are dealing with a birth of a Rugova warrior that happened 126 years ago, exactly on January 13, 1894. It is therefore the beginning of this year and the beginning of the frosty month that in Rugova were all very difficult both in terms of weather and for the wars and battles that were non-stop throughout our glorious history.

As a tribe that never stopped fighting for it, the birth of sons was considered an addition to a rifle for the defense of the Fatherland, which is how it turned out. On this marked day, Fasli Tahir Kurtbogaj was born in the village of Shkreli in Rugova. This boy was born in the village of Demë Isufi and Rexhë Avdija and many other warriors who came from this village like Hajdar and Hajredin Feku, Zhyjë Kasemit, Grosho Ibra, Isuf Rexhepi and many others.

Fasli Tahiri comes from a well-known Rugova family with ancient traditions of fighting against foreign invaders since the wars of Moraça, Nokhiq, Berana, Mokna, Smilovica and many others of those times from the Ottoman Empire, the Austro-Hungarian and the Serbo-Montenegrin ones.

He is the son of Tahir Hajri of the Kurtbogaj family, a family that was known for war and battle with brave men like Hysen Hajri his uncle who was wounded in the war of Nokshiq and later lost his life. In this war, Ahmet Kurtboga, the son of uncle Tahir Hajri, also fell heroically from this family.

Fasli Tahir’s father, Tahiri, was the one who declared war on the king’s regime solely to protect the family of the most famous and oldest leader known to Rugova historiography, the Commander of the Banner of Rugova and the representative of the LSHP in 1878, Sali Jaha, known as Sali Jaha Binbashi.

This was the most difficult time for this family, which after the death of Sali Jaha, had its house burned by the Ottoman invaders and some of the Bashibuzuks of the government who wanted to expel this family from Rugova, so it was Tahir Hajri’s family that not only protected them but also kept them in their home for almost three years.

It was this time when Fasli Tahiri was born and raised under the exploits of those wars and the fighters of Rugova and especially his father and his family who grew up and hardened Fasli Tahir Kurtbogaj and who experienced all those successive invaders with whom he fought and remained stoic, continuing throughout his life, which is close to 100 years old.

Fasli Tahiri is also one of the fighters of the year 1919, when Rugova was tried and tried as the people said by the Serbo-Montenegrin invaders, then he also took part in the Kaçak Movement which continued until 1928 and so on.

Fasli Tahiri during the Second World War is one of the most distinguished fighters of the time and one of the most famous fellow fighters of Rugova as they were; The Bajraktari of Rugova Sak Faslia, Sali Rama, Zhukë Haxhia, Rizë Zymeri, and others who did not stop fighting until death. During the Second World War, other fighters from this family were distinguished, such as Ujkan Syla, not to mention Faslia’s brother and nephew, Bali Tahiri and Ibish Bajram.

In addition to the wars that took place during the years 1941-1945, when Kosovo was finally reoccupied again, for which the Freedom Fighters never agreed and continued their wars as everywhere in Kosovo and also in Rugova until 1947. In this year, almost all armed groups in Kosovo had been extinguished, while in Rugova there were still the group of Sali Ramë and Zhukë Haxhië and that of Rize Zymeri, who did not accept the Serbs as their own powers, and Fasli Tahiri had become one of the most famous fighters as the most vocal Jatek of that time.

Because of Fasli Tahiri’s care for the fighters in question, Fasli was not only followed everywhere, but he was also captured and tortured several times, but he had not shown any respect for the aforementioned.

In order not to be noticed by the invaders, he had agreed with Sali Rama and Zhuka Hazhina that when the military-police forces came to search for them, he would place a carpet on a pole over his house in Shkrel, from where it could be seen from Prevara e Malajve, which was many kilometers away and thus he informed them to be careful until the Carpet was removed, which gave them to understand that they had withdrawn for the moment.

This continued until the beginning of 1947, when again numerous forces had come out to search for, respectively to capture, those for whom they had captured Fasli Tahiri and demanded that he show the fighters for which even the enemy forces were sure that he knew their location.

Thus Fasli’s detention continued for several days, until he was only held for a few days before being shot. The abuses were very great, but for Fasli Tahiri the notification of the wanted persons did not come into play.

It was exactly 25 January 1947, when Fasli Tahiri was put before execution and to save himself from certain death was the surrender of the fighters who, due to the numerous mistreatment of the population and Fasli Tahiri, had decided to surrender, and had descended from Prevara to Drelaj where they had also found Fasli in the hands of the allied enemy forces.

Fasli Tahiri was released only when Sali Rama and Zhukë Haxhia, along with his fellow fighters, had declared that he had known nothing about them. Thus, this well-known fighter of Rugova, whom the people of Rugova, the people of Dukagjini and anyone who knew him will never forget, was saved from death, therefore the memory of him is not accidental. Fasli Tahiri died on 16. 5. 1986, at the age of 92, and was buried by his family and many others in his birthplace in Shkrel, Rugova. He left behind a daughter, five sons, and many grandchildren.

Reference

Information gathered from relatives of the family.