Many memorials can tarnish even Ibrahim Rugova

Kosovo produces almost nothing except monuments. The long-time leader of Kosovo, Ibrahim Rugova, has not been unaffected by this trend. His septuary recently unveiled in the courtyard of the Cathedral in Pristina is better to be removed, because it does not honor Rugova and insults art

Helmut Kohl was monumental. Tall, big and wide-bodied, he was noticeable everywhere with his presence, especially after the unification of Germany. "Unification Chancellor", this is the highest title that many German politicians have dreamed of after the Second World War and the division of Germany. Kohl earned this title with his measured and well-thought-out policy for German unification. The former German chancellor died in 2017 and was buried as a great European, with many ceremonies and many eulogies in the German media.

It's been almost 5 years since Helmut Kohl's death and he still only has one bust in Berlin and another in the provinces, plus one in Bonn, the former capital of Germany. Here and there there may even be a table that reminds the great German in many ways. Not that the Germans don't have money and bronze to sculpt busts and memorials for Helmut Kohli, but honoring a personality should be done sensitively, in the right way, without pomposity.

Ibrahim Rugova, the long-time leader of the Kosovo Albanians, the most atypical politician of the Balkans in the last 100 years, deserves to be honored and exalted as a figure of politics and culture. There is no doubt here. A few years ago, a monument to Rugova was unveiled near the Assembly of Kosovo and in front of the Skanderbeg monument. Fortunately, it is not ugly like many memorials in Kosovo that were erected in the framework of the revolution for the occupation of public space and in the name of imposing a narrative about the history of Kosovo, making efforts to exclude other narratives. Next to the memorial, there is also a square named after Ibrahim Rugova in Pristina. And a big poster that stands in front of the memorial of Zahir Pajazit. Kosovo is a small country, but it has many heroes and it sometimes seems that they get in each other's way, not through their fault, but because the living politicians want to win the political prize with poorly executed memorial carnivals.

Some dignitaries of the Catholic Church of Kosovo have thought that they are doing a heroic deed by unveiling a memorial to Rugova, this time in the courtyard of the Cathedral in Pristina, on whose architectural values ​​professionals have serious reservations. (The municipality of Istog, where Ibrahim Rugova was born, also honored Rugova with a memorial before church dignitaries).

The sight of the Rugova memorial in front of the Cathedral provokes the muscles of the smile. Ibrahim Rugova in the courtyard of the Cathedral, dressed in that yellow suit, looks like a member of some musical band that in the 70s or 80s sang in restaurants near the "INA" or "Jugopetrol" gas stations. This is how it is in 2021, when religious dignitaries lose their way, deal with politics, challenge laws and urban order. Thus, an Albanian national figure, among the most important of the 20th century, is reduced to a "shepherd" and "religious activist" (which he never was). This absurdity would not even have occurred to Samuel Beckett to write and stage. Thank goodness that at least Anton Çetta had worthy descendants who protected him from the misuse of his figure - a figure that has a place in the heart of every Albanian. Why doesn't this society have the power to protect Ibrahim Rugova from the inflation of the memorials?

Rugova was a leader of Kosovo who believed, worked and implemented Western values ​​and achievements. He wanted to mediate and bring these values ​​to his people. He saw Western Europe as the cultural bed of Albanians. "Heimat", as the Germans would say. Here, an important role has been played by Rugova's intellectual formation and his scientific interests, which are closely related to medieval Albanian literature, which Rugova, more than other scholars, has exalted and returned to where it belongs: as heritage. important of Albanian history. Without Rugova's studies, Pjetër Bogdani would not have become as well known as he did in the 80s, when "Zëri" magazine also published his posters, which were distributed throughout Kosovo and in the villages inhabited by Albanians.

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Placing his memorial in the Cathedral courtyard seems like a distortion of Rugova's personality and work. The Cathedral courtyard is not the private garden of religious dignitaries who show their muscles and defy the state. The existing memorials of Rugova are enough. Because too much honor easily turns into anti-honor. And this is being observed in the recent actions of the heads of the Cathedral, who are acting alone by marching with trucks and tractors to place a memorial.

In the case of Anton Cetta's memorial, his family intervened and did well. In the case of Rugova, his family is silent. Opinion must protect Rugova from harmful hugs. He had good relations both with the head of the Catholic Church and with the chief imam of Kosovo, Rexhep Boja, a patriot and loyalist of Kosovo. Similar to Rugova, Anton Çetta is a super-religious figure. Anton Çetta is an illuminist and non-religious ecumenist. A zealous destroyer of popular culture. A subscriber, the largest of the 20th century among Albanians. His authority among Albanians has no religious basis. His authority stemmed from his work as a scientist who, with a vest on his back, went from village to village to collect legends, anecdotes, stories, wisdom.

Consequently, regardless of who made these decisions to place the memorials inside or outside the Cathedral - they made a mistake. And thus it has fueled debates that no one needs. Unfortunately, the Catholic Church of Kosovo, which has been at its head for several years, does not have a dignitary who stands out for his intellectual sensitivity. This is a quality drop compared to figures like Nikë Prela or Mark Sopi. Such regression is also observed in the Muslim community. From Rexhep Boja to Naim Tërnava, whose offices produce news by buying lambs for Eid.