by Saqet Vejseli

The following letter was published in the newspaper Skeperia.

Dear Mr. Apostle,

I received your letter along with the issue of Skeperia and thank you. I also saw your article in Number in which my name was mentioned. I had intended to reply on a certain point, but I have not yet been able to complete several pending tasks, although I certainly intend to do so.

For some years I have held the view — which was further strengthened by a trip I made last year to Ioannina — that Turks, Arvanites, and Greeks are brothers and form one nation. Historical circumstances have divided us. It is time to recognize that we share the same blood. The past should be set aside.

If we fail to achieve this understanding, it is likely that our three groups will be absorbed by the Slavs, and this process may occur rapidly. However, if we unite and support one another unselfishly to the extent possible, we may be able to resist this pressure and, in time, form a single nation — and perhaps even a powerful and respected state.

I have shared these ideas wherever I could. Three or four years ago, I wrote a letter to Pyrros in which I proposed that the Albanian language be used in preaching in Greece and that the successor to the throne, the young prince, should learn Albanian. I have also told many friends that the legacy of Dombolios should be used to establish an Albanian university, preferably in Corfu or another suitable location.

Unfortunately, no progress has been made on these matters in Greece so far.