by DardaniaPress | History
Albanian volunteers from Rugova responded to Aqif Blyta’s call for help in 1941. In the fighting to defend the New Bazaar, Sak Faslia was wounded, while Demë Haxhia lost his life.
Their memory was also immortalized in the verses of a song written by Fazli Sh. Murqi.
During World War II, the New Bazaar became one of the important centers of military confrontations in the Sandzak. In the fall of 1941, the city faced attacks by Chetnik forces, which threatened the safety of the Muslim population and control of the city.
In these circumstances, the organization of the defense of the New Bazaar was closely linked to the name of Aqif Blyta, one of the most well-known political personalities of the Sandzak during this period.
Albanian volunteers from Kosovo, especially from Rugova, Drenica and other regions, also came to the aid of the city’s defenders.
An interesting testimony about the participation of the Rugova people in these battles is found in the work of Fazli Sh. Murqit, Rugova Resistance and Sak Faslia – Bajraktari i Rugova (1911–1944), second edition, Peja, 2019. The author describes the participation of Rugova fighters, the wounding of Sak Faslia and the death of Demë Haxhië, events that were later immortalized in a poetic creation.
Aqif Blyta’s call and the mobilization of Rugova
In November 1941, when the New Bazaar was facing the danger of Chetnik attacks, calls for help also spread to Rugova.
According to the account of Fazli Sh. Murqit, Sak Faslia, the bajraktari of Rugova, organized a group of volunteers who headed towards the New Bazaar.
In the author’s commemorative song, the mobilization is directly linked to the name of Aqif Blyta. The song’s verses mention that in November Aqif Blyta asked for help to confront the Chetniks, while Sak Faslia mobilized Rugova’s fighters.
The song mentions a group of about a hundred volunteers, but this number should be treated as part of the poetic narrative until it is confirmed by historical documentation. The participation of the Rugovas in the defense of the New Bazaar represents an important aspect of the ties between the Albanians of Kosovo and the Muslim population of the Sandzak.
These ties, created over the centuries through family, economic and cultural relations, in the circumstances of the war also took on a military character.
Sak Faslia is wounded, Demë Haxhia loses his life
In the battles for the defense of the New Bazaar, according to Fazli Sh. Murqi, among the distinguished participants were Sak Faslia and Demë Haxhia from Shtupeqi i Madh. During the clashes, Sak Faslia was wounded in the leg, while Demë Haxhia received serious wounds, from which he did not survive.
The author’s account also mentions Xhemë Zeka, who took the national flag during the fighting. In the memory preserved for this event, the flag occupies a special place, symbolizing the connection between fighters from different Albanian regions. One of the most touching episodes of the story is related to the fate of Demë Haxhië and the reaction of his family.
The father who asked where his son had gotten the bullet
The news of Demë Haxhië’s death was brought to the family by Sylë Mehmeti from Shtupeqi i Madh. According to Fazli Sh. Murqi, Demë’s father, Ahmet Avdyli, after receiving the news of his son’s loss, demanded to know whether the bullet had hit him from the front or from the back. The question was not accidental.
In the tradition of the Rugova warriors at that time, a hit from the front was considered evidence that the warrior had stood facing the opponent, while a hit from the back could be associated with retreating from the battlefield. When Sylë Mehmeti told him that Demë had been hit from the front, Ahmet Avdyli, according to the story, received the news with fortitude.
This episode reflects the traditional worldview of honor, endurance and sacrifice, preserved in the Rugova family memory.
For the Haxhia family, the losses did not end with Dema.
The author writes that in 1942, during the fighting in Mokna, Rexhë Haxhia, Dema’s youngest brother, also fell. Thus, within a short period of time, the family lost two sons in the battles of World War II.
When history was turned into song
The event of Pazar i Ri and the fate of the Rugova fighters did not remain just part of family narratives. They were also immortalized in the verses of a long commemorative song, which Fazli Sh. Murqi included in his work. The song begins by evoking the confrontations of Albanians during World War II, from Plav and Gucia to Rugova and Pazar i Ri.
At the center of the poetic narrative are the call for help from Pazar i Ri, the mobilization of Rugova volunteers, the wounding of Sak Fasli and the death of Demë Haxhija.
Through dialogues between fighters and family members, the author transforms the historical event into a narrative of sacrifice, loyalty and memory. Particularly significant is the fact that the song mentions the participants of the fighting by name, preserving their memory for later generations.
However, an important detail should be noted: this song is not documented as an anonymous wartime creation. At the end of it, Fazli Sh. Murqi notes that he dedicated the song to the protagonists of the fighting from Rugova and Potguri, giving the date May 24, 2009, Peja.
So, we are dealing with a commemorative poetic creation, based on historical memory and narratives about the events of 1941. This does not diminish its cultural value, but helps us to correctly understand the nature of the source.
Rugova and Sandzak – connections that were also proven in times of war
The participation of Rugova volunteers in the defense of the New Bazaar is one of the episodes that reflects the historical relations between the Albanians of Kosovo and the population of the Sandzak. In the circumstances of World War II, these relations were also expressed through the joint organization of defense.
From Rugova, Drenica and other areas of Kosovo, volunteers were engaged in various military confrontations in the Sandzak, including the defense of the New Bazaar.
In this context, the names of Sak Fasli and Demë Haxhi represent part of the history of those fighters who participated in the events of 1941, far from their places of residence. Their history has been preserved through memories, family stories and poetic creativity.
This is precisely where the importance of the work of Fazli Sh. Murqi lies: it conveys to us part of the historical memory of Rugova, preserving the names and experiences of the participants in the events of World War II.
For the history of Sandzak, these testimonies are also valuable for understanding the human dimension of cooperation between Albanians and Bosniaks during a period filled with conflicts and uncertainty.
Source
Fazli Sh. Murqi (alias Bajraktari), Qëndresa rugovase dhe Sak Faslia – Bajraktari i Rugovës (1911–1944), second edition, Peja, 2019, p. 194–197.
Note: The memorial song is a creation of Fazli Sh. Murqi, dated May 24, 2009. The events described in it should be distinguished from contemporary documents from 1941.
