THE KOSOVA TRAGEDY
A grim crisis for the Muslim Ummah

by Dr. Anis Ahmad

The changes that emerged on the face of the earth in the wake of the First World War are of special significance in modern history. Generally it is believed that the Balkan states proved to be the land mine that ignited World War-I. Now after a lapse of 85 years, history has again reached the point where Balkan states are once again the focus of world attention. Although there is a change in the faces of actors, the historical factors bear a great deal of similarity. The process of eliminating the influence and authority of the Ottoman Empire from Europe and establishing ethnic states in the Balkan was initiated by the West through the Berlin Treaty of 1878. Italy, Russia, Germany, Britain and France fully collaborated and acted in unison, inspite of their mutual differences, in supporting the efforts to dismantle the Ottoman Empire.

The truth of the adage that the non-believers are together a single entity, was fully evident in the reaction of the European nations in the case of Bosnia Herzegovina and Kosova. Although some European nations did condemn routinely the atrocities perpetrated on Muslims in Kosova on human grounds, but even these states could not reconcile themselves to the idea of a Muslim state existing in Europe and acted together to obviate this possibility. An analysis of the situation makes it clear that their intentions has been to block the possibility for the establishment of a Muslim state in Europe through all available means including tyranny and oppression, forced migration, political destabilization, economic coercion and blockades etc. Another instance of this deep-rooted bigotry and intolerance of the European countries is the action against the Prime Minister Necmuddin Erbakan and his party in Turkey. His greatest sin was that he took pride in being a Muslim in a country having a secular constitution and that he endeavored to foster economic collaboration among Muslim countries. All the democratic norms were trampled to deprive him of power and even a westernized Deputy Prime Minister like Tansu Ciller came to the conclusion that even though Turkey may be a secular state of white Turks, it could not convince the European community of its origin being European. For so long as Turks have their link with Islam, however feeble it may be, Europe shall treat them as aliens and strangers.

Kosova fell under the suzerainty of the Ottoman Empire in the 14th century. It was on June 28, 1389 that the Ottomans routed the Serbs and opened this region for the propagation of Islam. Like other Muslim countries, this region also welded the Albanians, Turks and the local population together discarding the distinction of colour, race and blood. Thereafter, large sections of native population started embracing Islam and during the span of 600 years Muslim population increased manifold in Kosova, Montenegro, Macedonia and the adjoining states. Today Kosova’s population comprises ninety one percent Muslims and only nine percent Serbs.

As a result of the Balkan War in 1913, Kosova fell in the hands of the Serbs after 600 years. On the formation of Yugoslav federation, the communist dictator Marshal Tito allowed internal autonomy to Kosova in the confederation in view of the liberation movement of Muslims there. But in 1990 Milosevic - the assassin of human rights - made a unilateral declaration on the occasion of the 600th anniversary of the Serbian rout at the hands of the Turks, disbanding all the elected institutions and terminating its autonomy. The people of Kosova rejected this autocratic decision and declared the establishment of an independent republic of Kosova, on the basis of a referendum in 1992 and with the support and will of its 99 percent population. Elections were held again in 1998 in which Ibrahim Rogovo was elected as President.

Serbs refused to recognize the elections and the referendum in Kosova and started the evacuation of its population through mass murders, rape, pillage and ethnic cleansing by its armed forces. The aims of forcible evacuation of population are quite obvious and are:

• First, to disperse the Kosovans after branding them as Albanians and depriving them even of their inherent birth right so that, faced with banishment and diaspora, they are compelled to live as nomads like the Palestinians who were similarly ousted by the Jews.

• Secondly, to expel the Muslims forcing them to travel on foot for scores of miles of desolate and snow-bound terrain without food or medicine thereby killing thousands of them and depriving those who manage to survive, of their official documents of identification so as to prevent their re-entry into Kosova.

• Thirdly, future scenario has to be visualized for which there is a model in Bosnia. Whatever happened in Bosnia is being repeated in Kosova with some difference here and there. First, a mass scale massacre was carried out followed by dislodging and dispersing the Bosnian Muslims. Then after segregating them in three different areas, they were annexed to Croatia in such a manner that Muslims may never in future become a dominant element with power and authority. All this was imposed through Dayton Agreement in the name of peace and in accordance with European democratic values. Exactly similar plan of action has now been drawn for Kosova and its implementation has already started.

It is very clear for all to see that after evacuation of Kosovan Muslims in a state of helplessness and misery, which is being passively watched by all the Western nations and also by Muslim rulers, and which has in fact been accelerated after the NATO air strikes, the real purpose behind these air attacks seems to be the total exodus of Muslims from this area. By now when these words are being penned, 80 percent of the Muslim population has already left their hearths and homes. Majority of them has taken refuge in Albania where they are in a state too horrible to be described. Some of them are in Macedonia as unwanted guests where they are faced not only with the misery of being refugees but are taunted and even pressurized to go back. About two hundred thousand of them have been dispersed in various European countries. Some are hiding or camping behind the hills. The overall position is that the whole Muslim population of Kosova stands evacuated and dispersed. Safety and security of the population was not ensured prior to air raids and even afterwards no action was taken for their protection. The entire game-plan was enacted in such a manner as to give ample time to the barbaric Serb army for cleansing the area of the Muslim population so that the most speedy exodus in human history could be possible, namely, evacuation of 80 percent of the population of more than 12,00,000 people from the territory within 2 to 3 weeks.

Following the misery of mass evacuation and migration NATO shall probably come round and deploy its forces to some of the destroyed and plundered areas of Kosova looking like graveyards or heaps of rubble and declare them as "protected enclaves". The wretched and deprived Muslims of Kosova shall then be invited to return to these enclaves so as to re-establish themselves. This task shall be entrusted to some western NGOs and to the skill of Israel’s experts. Thus a new plan to carve up this country shall be enforced in the name of peace-keeping, probably on the initiative of Russia, Germany, Greece and Cyprus, but in fact in accordance with the will of the Serbs and particularly of Milosevic - the real culprit responsible for the genocide of Muslims. Their main aim is that never in future should it be possible for the Muslims of Balkan states to come together once again after a lapse of these several centuries to even dream of establishing one or more states for themselves. Through subterfuge and fraud, Muslims would be assigned only those areas that are devoid of natural resources, backward in industry, and lacking in communication facilities and social service. They will be rehabilitated in the under-developed areas leaving them at the mercy of the Serbs in regard to all their economic, educational and communication matters. It will be ensured that Muslims do not acquire military strength either. Their permanent servitude shall be arranged in the name of "safety" and "security accord" through the perpetual patronage and protection of the Christian nations of Europe (including Russia). It may be recalled that one of the clauses of the Dayton Agreement is that all the foreign Muslim mujahids in Bosnia Herzegovina shall be deported and no avenue shall be left open for the entry of mujahideen from Muslim countries in future. What a pathetic fate!

It is a tragic fact of history that local Muslim and Arab population of Palestine was forcibly ousted from their homeland and as many as three to four million of them were scattered all over the world while 3 million Jews from every nook and corner of the earth were shifted to Palestine to replace the Muslims. As a result, Palestinians do not now possess an inch of land in their home country.

Similarly the state of Jammu and Kashmir where 85 percent of the population is Muslim, and whose elected representatives duly approved a resolution in their Assembly on 19th July,1947, i.e. two months prior to the partition of Indo-Pakistan sub-continent for its annexation with Pakistan, and yet the Indian army staged a bloody drama to occupy Kashmir through brute force on 27th October, 1947. Millions of Muslims of Jammu and Kashmir were forced to migrate from their homeland and till today they stand deprived of their right of self-determination.

A bloody game is being played on the soil of Balkan with a combination of these two strategies. It may be Herzegovina, Kosova and then Macedonia (where according to official figures only one third population is Muslim but in actual fact nearly half of the population is Muslim and of them three-fourth are ethnic Albanians) or it may be Sanjaq (where 73 percent population is Muslim); the same action plan is at work in all these places, although the style and mode of implementation may vary.

The real culprits of this episode are Serbs and Milosevic, but how can all those nations including Muslim rulers be absolved of their responsibility in whose presence all this game is being played and in particular NATO, which boasts a lot and makes tall claims but lacks in action miserably and is cowardly (rather, it may not be wrong to say that somehow it took only those steps that helped to accomplish the above-said game-plan)?

Now what is happening in Kosova? It is all the same. Milosevic not only rejected the unanimous declaration of independence by the representatives and the President of Kosova who were duly elected as a result of the 99 percent of votes cast by the 92 percent Muslim population of Kosova in the plebiscite, but also let loose an unending reign of terror and violence that has been going on unabated since 1992. Their right of independence was neither recognized by the UN nor by Europe and not even by Muslim countries. Even in the Peace Treaty that has now been prepared by NATO in France, Kosova has been treated as a part of Serbia. Kosova Liberation Army has been compelled to accept under pressure semi-independence status for Kosova, but Milosevic has declined to accept even that. Acting with lightning speed after NATO action, which would not have been possible without pre-planned arrangements, Milosevic has dislodged the people of Kosova from their hearths and homes and dispersed them throughout world. Even if certain safe enclaves are created for them in future after the massacre of nearly 50 to 100 thousand Muslims and uprooting of 1.2 million persons and, after having lived on charity for years, these oppressed helpless human beings are brought back to their torched homes, what do they gain? A few so-called safe havens that can never become their ancestral home-land, and permanently dependent on foreign aid for existence and looking again to Serbs for their economic development. In other words the Kosovans should be prepared to live a life of internment in their own homes. Is this the desired outcome of this holocaust? Is this the new world to be built up for which NATO forces are in action and for which $ 5 billion has been spent during these three weeks, while Muslims of Kosova have lost all that they had and are now looking around for help from others for their physical survival.

There is need to analyze the paradoxes behind these facts because it is otherwise difficult to establish their rationale. Generally the West is renowned for according dogmatic sanctity to broadmindedness, tolerance and democratic values and believes in pluralism as well and accepts pluralism of cultures and religions in the society. But inspite of this what we see is that in 1947 when the most important event of this century, viz. emergence of Pakistan on ideological basis as an Islamic state occurred, every effort was made, directly or indirectly, for its dismemberment and ultimately in 1971 this state was split into two and the disruptive forces backed up by them are still working for destabilizing the rest of the country. Be it Pakistan, Algiers or Afghanistan, wherever there arose any possibility of Islamic resurgence gaining ground through democratic means and political process, the so-called democratic minded people of the West always tried to block its way. The only sin of the Muslims of Bosnia Herzegovina was that its people recognized their distinct Muslim identity and tried to establish a democratic state of their own in Europe, and despite its tall claims about tolerance and liberalism, Europe saw in the establishment of a Muslim state as a danger for itself. It appears that inspite of the apparent sanctity accorded by it to the principle of secular and religious pluralism, European mind is not prepared to tolerate any other state philosophy within their geographical bounds against their materialistic system. The holy Quran has very aptly stated, "The non-believers said, return to our faith or we will banish you from our land" (Ibrahim: 13-14).

The history of Islamic movements bears the evidence that whenever and wherever there was a call for Tauhid (pristine belief in the oneness of Allah), discarding agnosticism and bigotry, the Taghoot (the falsehood incarnate) always responded in the same tenor "Get yourself in line with us, follow the way the wind blows, develop friendship and contacts with the so-called uni-polar monopolists, otherwise you will either be ostracized or you yourselves be rendered strangers in your own country." Hence the cult followed by Milosevic - the culprit for trampling human rights - appears to be that whoever has Muslim blood in his veins is an alien Albanian, despite his living in Kosova for the last six centuries! However, if his blood gets whitened and he accepts ethnically the supremacy and hegemony of Serbs, the status of a human being can be conferred upon him again.

The philosophy of the Serb terrorist Milosevic is interesting when he argues that the people living in Kosova for the last six centuries shall not be recognized as citizens of Kosova merely because Turkish blood was inherited by the ancestors of some of them and that they had entered Kosova via Albania and settled there permanently. He argues that they can be never ever be considered as nationals of Kosova and can be thrown out of this country any time after cancellation of their citizenship. If this principle is applied in the case of USA, for instance, then all those who call themselves Americans would in fact not qualify to be Americans. It is a matter of only about two centuries that their ancestors came from Ireland, Britain, France, Germany, Spain and Muslim regions of Africa, and settled there permanently. The blood of their ancestors was not pure as they were not native by descent. Can, therefore, all the Presidents and public representatives elected to the Congress so far, be declared as non-Americans on the basis of this theory?

Kosova presents the worst example of trampling of human rights at the hands of the bigoted West and there is much in it for the Muslim Ummah to ponder upon.

Through self-appraisal we must consider as to whether we did our duty in the matter during the last seven years since 1992 when anybody could see that situation was so grim that it needed only a spark to ignite the gun-powder anytime. The holy Prophet (s.a.s.) had endeavored to weld the whole Muslim Ummah into a monolithic entity. Did we follow his directives and took care of these oppressed people or just let them be what Quran calls "the downcast in the world". The holy Prophet (s.a.s.) had preached that in respect of compassion, sympathy and fellow-feeling, the community of true Muslims is like a body: if one limb gets pain, the whole body feels the discomfort and becomes restless.

Today Kosova is on fire and it is bleeding. Every drop of blood from its body which is getting soaked in that soil, is crying out its affirmation of one Allah. The barren lands of Kosova have been turned into a mire of human blood and tears. Do we feel in our hearts the pain of those deep wounds inflicted on the body of the Muslim Ummah, as inculcated in the hadith of the holy Prophet (s.a.s.)? Did the Muslim rulers and Muslim institutions move a bit at this crucial time? Has the Muslim Ummah, which could collect as much as Rs. 2.5 million in only one city of Gujrat for a cricket match between Pakistan and Bharat and hold functions of fun and feast in Dubai, realized its duty at this critical juncture? Have the religious parties in this dear country taken any steps to discharge their responsibility? Lest we remain under the self-delusion that we are an atomic power and make up nearly one-fifth of the world population and thus no harm can come to us. In fact we are like foam floating on the sea water. As reported in a Hadith, the holy Prophet (s.a.s.) said, "In the near future nations of the world shall rush upon the Muslims like hungry people scrambling for food." When asked whether Muslims shall be small in number at that time, the holy Prophet (s.a.s.) replied, "No, you shall be large in number, but like foam floating on the surface of water. Allah shall obliterate your awe from the hearts of your foes. Your hearts shall be afflicted with infirmity." The holy Prophet (s.a.s.) was asked, "What would be that infirmity?" He (s.a.s.) explained that it is love of the world and evasion from death."

Now, if the hearts of Muslim Ummah have become bereft of the feelings of loss as such, shall we leave the things as they are? What is now incumbent upon the standard bearers of Islam in such circumstances? They must identify their real foe. Their target should be the devil of the world capitalism and the system of exploitation. When devilish forces of falsehood are inflicting severe wounds on the body of the Muslim Ummah by using their economic, political, social, cultural resources and the media as well, it may be necessary, though not enough, to lodge protests through resolutions, demonstrations and rallies, but practical and effective steps are inevitable for counteracting it. In fact we need an all-embracing revolution which may bring under the absolute servitude of Allah all our thinking, our actions, our social dealings and indeed every aspect of our life.

The demon of ethnic bigotry is, in the shape of Milosevic, bent upon eliminating European Muslims simply because they are Muslims. In Muslim countries, on the other hand, another kind of devilry rules the roost. Somewhere it is in the shape of dictators and while at other places it takes the form of fascist regimes that continue harping on the tune of democracy all the time, but when it suits them they do not hesitate in resorting to acts of barbarism and violent repression against their own people to suppress popular dissent. Such conditions may prevail in Kosova or in our own dear country, but Islamic movements, wherever they are, have to follow the same strategy, that is, facing evil with good grace and with virtue. Perseverance and trust in Allah has been the protective armor for Islamic movements at all times and whenever the Ummah had its hour of trial it was the commitment to its cause and strength of character which enabled it to come out with success and glory.

In order to counteract the oppression in Kosova and with a view to expressing solidarity with our oppressed brethren, it is necessary that all kinds of aid, physical, financial, political and material is provided whole-heartedly. The least that can be done is that every head of family spares half the amount of his weekly household expenditure and gives it in the name of Allah for the aid of the oppressed in Kosova. It is incumbent upon the editors of newspapers and magazines that they inform their readers of the gravity of this issue and publish in their papers advertisements free of cost carrying appeal for help for Kosova. It is the duty of NGOs to arrange medical and material aid for them. Those in authority in the government should not only provide every possible financial and material help themselves, but should also arrange free transportation of aid goods through national airlines free of cost. In addition to these short-term steps, there is need for preparing a long-term plan wherein solution to all aspects of the problems pertaining to education, training, social affairs, economy and defence etc. is taken care of. Muslims of Kosova could not get opportunities for development in these sectors during the Communist dictatorship. Therefore, their problems cannot be solved unless they are reasonably advanced in all these sectors.

It is true that the supreme form of ‘Jihad’ is through armed encounter, but education and training are the keys that open the way to progress and prosperity. Islam calls for balance and justice which clearly means that alongwith defence preparedness academic and technical excellence should be achieved through effort and hard work in all the fields viz. education, science, economy, social affairs and culture. For the Muslim leadership not only in Kosova but in Europe, military success without these attainments shall not suffice. Now that the Muslims of Kosova have become intensely aware of their Islamic identity due to the oppressions of the West, it is imperative that they are liberated from the mental and cultural slavery of the West and are transformed into a dynamic force for the establishment of a socio-political order based on the tenets of Islam.

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Translation and adaptation of the editorial of Tarjuman Ul Quran May,1999.