On August 15th 2002, and group of Sunni extremists besieged the Harabati Baba Tekke, a traditionally Bektashi Sufi lodge. In spite of documentation attesting to their ownership of the lodge, the Macedonian Bektashi community is locked in a legal struggle to maintain their right to the tekke. More recently, the extremists have laid claim to more of the lodge, and have begun firing their weapons inside the tekke grounds.
If you are an American citizen, we the worldwide Bektashi community ask that you please write to your congressmen in both the House as well as the Senate, to express your strenuous objection to such a gross violation of religious freedom.
You can write to your representative, and your senators . You may also wish to write the Department of State, or just plain ol' President Bush, or Vice President Cheney. You might also try using FaxZero.com to send up to two free faxes a day to your congressional representatives, the Albanian American Civic League (914-762-5102), or others. I recommend that you state the following in your fax:
"I write to you in strenuous protest of invasion of the Harabati tekke in Tetovo, Macedonia by armed Sunni extremists, and ask you to call upon the U.S., E.U., and U.N. authorities in Skopje, who monitor terrorist threats in the Balkans, to pressure the Macedonian government for the immediate removal of the extremists from the Harabati tekke, by legal force if necessary, and protect the tekke from further interference.
The extremists are currently besieging the Sufi dervishes inside the compound, have threatened or intimidated visitors, and have been discharging their weapons around the compound. I feel this is unacceptable, and ask you to address the issue immediately.
Naim Frasheri, poet-laureate of the Albanian national cause and Bektashi Muslim himself, said of us: "Let them be peaceable, let them remember the poor, let them shun evil and folly, let them cast into the Way all works that are needful for mankind and for religion, and let them forward all things good. Together with the chiefs and notables let them encourage love, brotherhood, unity, and friendship among all Albanians: let not the Muslims be divided from the Christians, and the Christians from the Muslims, but let both work together. Let them strain towards enlightenment, that the Albanian, who was once reputed together throughout the world, be not despised today."
Our brothers in Macedonia have been seeking recognition from the government since 1993, to no avail; we ask you to help us in calling upon the United States government, the European Union, and the United Nations to press the Macedonian government to recognize our religious freedom, and restore to us our Sufi lodge."
Also, please write an email to the United States Embassy in Macedonia.
If you are a European - or just plain outraged - you can also write to the EU Mission in Skopje and voice an objection about Macedonia's prospective entry to the EU while this matter goes on. Brits, please email Andrew Key, the British Ambassador to Macedonia and voice your complaint.
Within Macedonia, you might try the president, Branko Crvenkovski, or his ruling party, the VMRO-DPMNE, or the Macedonian mission to the United Nations. You can also try Arben Xhaferi, former head of one of the major ethnic-Albanian political parties in the country, or Menduh Thaqi, current head of one of the major ethnic-Albanian political parties in the country.
Human Rights Watch might want to know about it, and the Hudson Institute's Center for Religious Freedom, and the International Association for Religious Freedom, who consult with the UN.
Finally, if you have any contacts with media outlets, please let them know.
You may wish to use the following when you write to these individuals and agencies (included in some of the mailto links above):
"I write to you in strenuous protest of invasion of the Harabati tekke in Tetovo, Macedonia by armed Sunni extremists, and ask you to call upon the U.S., E.U., and U.N. authorities in Skopje, who monitor terrorist threats in the Balkans, to pressure the Macedonian government for the immediate removal of the extremists from the Harabati tekke, by legal force if necessary, and protect the tekke from further interference.
The extremists are currently besieging the Sufi dervishes inside the compound, have threatened or intimidated visitors, and have been discharging their weapons around the compound. I feel this is unacceptable, and ask you to address the issue immediately."
And finally, all prayers are, of course welcome, especially for our beloved brothers who are being harassed.
Ashk Olsun.
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