Summary

Flamuri (February 1950), a special exile issue of the National Front (Balli Kombëtar), describes severe persecution under Albania’s communist regime. It reports repression of religious groups, particularly the Bektashi Order, whose leaders and followers had supported national resistance but were later targeted as “reactionaries.” The paper recounts violent coercion against religious authorities, mass arrests of students, executions, and widespread torture. Intellectuals are portrayed as the most persecuted social class, accused of sabotage and conspiracy. Failed state projects, such as the Maliqi Lake drainage, were blamed on engineers and foreign influence, illustrating a climate of terror, scapegoating, and systematic repression.

Flamuri Newspaper, organ of the “Balli Kombetar” (National Front party) in exile. Published by “Kallnedur” 1950 No. Special issue. February, 1950, 2 sheets, 4 pages.

Cited:

“In addition to Catholics, a strong persecution was also suffered by Bektashiism, which has its World Center in Albania and exercises a great influence, especially in Southern Albania and to a lesser extent in Central Albania.

In the National Front, Bektashiism has given the best soldiers to the cause of freedom, since the times of the Turkish occupation. Although the leaders of this sect bravely resisted and fed the partisans who were in the mountains, the communist government, as soon as it took power, began persecution on the grounds of reaction.

During 1947, the government wanted to impose on the Head of the Bektashi Order of the World, Baba Aabas Frashëri, reforms according to the communist plan, spirit and goals. This imposition was attempted by two communist fathers. The venerable patriarch, after a heated discussion, took out his coffin, killed the two apostates and finally killed himself.

Thus, this religious and national faith proved with blood and heroism the strength of inflexibility. There is no institute or class left that has not been subjected to various accusations and that has not suffered painful losses. The young people of the schools who watch with concern the abyss of the Fatherland, are especially evil.

In April 1945, the Tirana High School, which contains over 1000 students, was ordered, like every institute, to elect the school council, in the presence of Koci Xoxe, the general director of the police. The Kuximtari students did not accept the government agent’s request, but bravely elected a council with members of the National Front.

Then 200 of these reactionaries were imprisoned, some of them are still in prison, some are crazy from torture, some of them are not known where they are. In 1946, 14 students were shot in Berat as enemies of the people, and another majority filled the prisons of Shkodra.
Even the young people that the red government boasts about are witnesses to the terror and massacres committed in the name of “people’s freedom”.

But, above all, those who are trying the ignorant coup of the communist party are the intellectuals. In Albania, intellectuals are considered the most dangerous class, the class that does not know how to submit to the hammer and sickle.

That is why intellectuals fill the prisons. That is why the red government in every conspiracy adds to the lists of these undesirable people, accuses them of sabotage. What happened to the engineers in the drying of the Maliqi Lake swamp in Korça.

After being forced to sabotage the works according to an incompetent communist plan, the engineers saw that they were falling into the water. But the government accused them of saboteurs of the people, trials were held and after them the tripods for the heads of some valuable people.

This is similar to the day after the American Mission left Albania. March 1947. This bankruptcy of vitally important works was blamed on the Americans who sabotaged the government through intellectuals who were put at the service of foreign imperialism.”