Collaborator and close friend of Fan Noli, prominent publicist, active activist of "Vatra", editor-in-chief of "Dielli" newspaper, graduated in journalism (1926), ardent patriot, anti-fascist and democrat, analyst in the central American press, a by the authors of the book "The Albanian effort in the old and new world, preparing and publishing the work of Faik Konica" Albania, the rock garden of South-Eastern Europe" and "Album II" of Noli, his first biographer. He left handwritten works such as "History of Albanian History of Massachusetts", "History of Albania" and Windows (1936-1959) etc...
In 1993, when I went to the USA for the first time, I had the opportunity to meet his wife, Mrs. Sarah Panariti, Harvard professor, who gave me very valuable information about his life and his scientific-artistic legacy, writes in "Dita Nasho Jorgaqi. Also, thanks to her nobility, she gave me that part of Qerim's many-year-old diary that she wrote about F. Nolin, which is being given to our readers for the first time. It is Qerim's thoughts, impressions and findings over the course of 33 years that shed light on Noli's life from a benevolent and realistic position, without sparing criticism from time to time.
From the biography he wrote: "Noli: The Uncrowned Prince of the Albanian Renaissance" we are publishing the chapter "Noli, the man and his character"
Qerim Panariti
FROM "THE WINDOWS" (1936-1959)
also
Today marks the 55th anniversary of Fan Noli's death
1936
January 21 — I had a conversation with F. Nolin. He is an interesting man, cultured and well-informed, but slippery and angry.
April 20 – F, Noli refuses to attend a banquet in his honor that I sponsored. Reason? Ska. I think it's childish behavior.
May 17 - Albanians hold an annual meeting in Saint George. What meeting? A truly mad house. F. Noli is guilty of everything. He cannot guess what is behind his actions.
1937
June 22 — I attended the graduation concert at the New England Conservatory where FN was awarded a degree in composition. We ate lunch together and talked about everything under the sun for four hours straight.
June 30 — The late F. Noli. has been badly confused with an article published last Monday in the newspaper "Post" where it is described as anti-Mohammedan.
September 3 — I had lunch with F. Nolin. He is a pleasant conversationalist, distinguished by his sense of humor and intellect.
September 8 — I was at a WPA concert at the Boston Public Library, where a Noli composition entitled “River of Babylon. Noli was there.
1938
June 21 – Today F. Noli received his bachelor's degree from the New England Conservatory.
July 19 - Fan Noli is somewhat unhappy, regarding an article of mine about him where I accuse him of not completing the Agrarian Reform proposed by him.
1942
May 24 – I had dinner with F. Nolin. He paid for it. We talked for a long time about the Albanian United Front. He has a bad opinion of Konica, Çekrezi and Zogu. But he thinks that the Front should be completed. There was a meeting of the "Albanian Relief Fund", but not many came. In the evening I declared: "I am responsible for the Albanian Front"
May 30 - In the evening I met F. Noli and we talked about the "Albanian United Front". Like me, he thinks we should try hard to get organized. He may have some personal interest, mainly to extract some money from the Bird.
June 13 – F. Noli is becoming very active in the United Front. He will go to New York and Philadelphia. His attacks against Çekrez are very overwhelming.
June 21 – F. Noli expressed his position in favor of the United Front with Zogu at the head and a royal government in exile. He is dignified, calm and seemingly victorious. He was the chairman of the meeting and this was one of the best Albanian meetings, in which I have ever participated.
July 11 - F. Noli told me to participate tomorrow afternoon in a meeting between "Vatra" and the Çekrezi group to establish the United Front.
1943
February 23 – I spoke on the phone with F. Nolin. I can start writing for "Dielli" soon. If not, I will go work somewhere else.
March 5 - F. Noli practically directs "The Sun". He is hitting Çekrezi.
March 16 - I saw Nolin again and thanked him for the statements made in New York two weeks ago regarding the United Front.
May 26 – F. Noli received a letter from Zogu asking him to go to Washington as his representative. Needless to say he will accept.
May 27 - I received a letter from Kosta Isak, with Çekrezi's suggestion to reach an agreement with "Vatra", regarding the United Front. Çekrezi offers conditions for Zog's acceptance as a leader. I will write to Çekrezi tomorrow.
July 8 – F. Noli is registered at Boston University for a postgraduate work (Graduate) for Doctor of Philosophy. (PhD). At his age he still goes to school.
August 16 – Today F. Noli came to the office of "Vatra". He has received a letter from OWI to provide news for Albanians in Albania in the Albanian language.
September 11 – Noli left for New York to speak on the radio tomorrow.
1944
September 30 – F. Noli returned last night. He was in New York, summoned by the I War Office to talk to the Albanians to support the Allied armies. He has many followers who follow him in Albania and see him as their leader.
October 31 - F. Noli is working on organizing all the churches to send telegrams to the allied forces for the recognition of the Albanian government of Berat.
November 16 – F. Noli came a little later to take a look at the materials I brought from Washington. It is good material if you had reached us in time.
1945
May 21 – Today F. Noli received his doctorate.
July 27 – Quite by chance in the afternoon I met F. Nolin. We took a long walk. He is very unhappy with church affairs. Albanians are grown children. He wants to retire, to give up the church completely.
July 30 – F. Noli has different concerns from the people of the church. It's hard to deal with ignorant people because they don't follow the rules. And they don't obey the majority.
September 22 – FN has a problem. The priest will run away, but the worry does not end.
November 20 - F. Noli was presented with honors by Albanian writers.
November 28 – I had dinner with F. Nolin, with Mr. Messinger and Rev. Upson. All three are renowned researchers.
1946
January 2- F. Noli has many concerns with his community. I feel sorry for him that he is wasting his time and putting up with so many threats from ignorant people.
January 26 – Still more trouble has been created by some of his churches, especially with that of Philadelphia…
Albania has made a request to the UN.
March 14 – F. Noli or I will have to go to Washington next week since we have been asked by the Yugoslav Legation to give us an accurate information, where to request Albania's admission to the UN on the 25th of this month.
March 15 - A delegation of 4 Albanians from New York came today to meet with Noli and asked him to take the lead in the fight against Greek propaganda. He accepted the offer and will go to Washington next week.
March 30 – This morning F. Noli came to the office quickly, in order to prepare together some telegrams for all the senators of the Foreign Relations Committee for the passing of the resolutions... F. Noli asked me to work as a secretary in "his work new'.
April 4 – More bad news for Albania. England has withdrawn from talks on Albania. F. Noli is loved and hated everywhere. In the eyes of some I come after him.
April 5th - I have been busy all day working at a great speed... I will do, besides our work, all Noli's correspondence, which is considerable.
April 8 – This afternoon, Noli left for New York. Today it was announced that England has reopened talks with Albania.
April 12 – Noli returned from New York where he was to meet UN delegations, but met only a few of them. Will be back in New York next week.
April 13 – F. Noli pays me $10 for the work I do with this "new crusade" he has started. F. Noli's English is not very idiomatic and he does not like to correct it.
April 15 – Again F. Noli left for New York. He is desolate, he is trying hard to achieve something, but he will be in front of a very difficult time as the USA will be against Albania.
April 19 – F. Noli met with the heads of the delegations of England, Holland and Poland. He reports good results.
April 26 – F. Noli is still in New York. According to his report, it appears that he met with Ambassador Gromiko.
May 13 – Money is coming in from all over the USA for F. Nolin. Undoubtedly, he knows how to extract this money from Albanians. ... He deserves this, because he gave his whole life for Albania. What the hell, it's too stingy.
May 29 - F. Noli received some information from Hoxha, regarding the countless delegations.
June 1 - Last night F. Noli returned from New York and this afternoon we held a conference. He has received 3 messages from Hoxha, which give us some final ideas regarding the ties between the USA and Albania. Albania, first, seeks recognition and then talks about conditions acceptable to both parties.
June 5 - F. Noli called from New York and said that Albania has been invited to the International Health Conference. This means that we will be able to get first-hand information from Albania if a delegation is allowed to come.
June 7 – … I will be very happy to meet them.
July 13 – F. Noli came back for a while. He is almost dissatisfied with the Albanian delegation. So am I... They know nothing about the situation here and yet they want to be the judge and jury of our situation.
July 8 - F. Noli called from New York, asking for the Albanian Constitution to be translated by tomorrow.
1947
May 18 – Sara and I went to the Albanian church of St. George, where Fr. Noli did the service in English. It was a long and boring thing. There were many personalities there: Dr. and Mrs. Coon, Rev. Dr. and Mrs. Messinger, prof. La Piana and many others.
May 22 - F. Noli does not like my opinion about some churches that I call "fascist". I agree with him. with some exceptions, but still the churches do not recognize the danger of fascism.
1948
February 6 – I had a little friction with F. Nolin. Last week I asked him to write something short about the 36th anniversary of "Vatra". He has not done anything and demands advance payment from "Vatra". In this way he manifests his selfishness.
February 7 - Finally, F. Noli has written a short story about the 36th anniversary of "Vatra". Today I met briefly with him. We both tried to maintain a scrupulous policy to compensate for yesterday's friction.
April 24 - I met with F. Nolin a little and gave him a check of 1000 dollars for the Albanian text of "Skenderbeu".
1949
March 3 – I met with Noli for a few minutes. He seems to be getting old fast, yet he still writes books. He is working again on Skenderbeu, a book that we ("Vatra") contracted and which is expected to be completed next June.
March 19 - I don't know what to do with "Skenderbeu". We still have many copies left that are not sold.
April 21 – F. Noli is becoming more and more quarrelsome every day. We had an argument on the phone. He was asking for 1000 dollars today for his book "Skenderbeu", which he wrote and sold years ago to another organization.
May 6 - I left for New York by plane... Late in the afternoon, F. Noli came to "Prince Georg", a coincidence... The delegates had us for dinner.
June 3 – Rev. Thimi Theodosi was upset this morning...
June 22 – Stefan Lasko was ordained a priest last Saturday.
December 25- I met for a while with Noli at Miçeklët. I think he decided something with himself. It would not surprise me if he favors Dhimitër Trebicka against me for "Dielli" at our next meeting in July.
1950
April 28 - "Skenderbeu" went to press today. Crimson Printing Company is doing the printing.
September 3 - A Greek bishop surrendered today in Istanbul for specific groups of Albanians in this country, in opposition to F. Nolin. His name is Mark Lipa.
October 9-F. Noli is sick.
December 8 - "The Story of Skanderbeg" came today. It's tied nicely and doesn't look small.
also
55 years since the death of Fan Noli
December 17 - Bishop Mark Lipa gave a brief interview to Boston newspapers. F. Noli is a little scared.
1951
February 8 - The new, self-styled Albanian bishop, Mark Lipa, has caused a terrible division in Boston's larger Albanian community. It is somewhat surprising how they have become attached to this unknown man.
February 17 - Concerns among Boston's Albanian circles will reach their peak tomorrow. Mark Lipa preached today in another church. He can use this for good.
February 22 - "British Post" has published a short interview, which F. Noli gave to the reporter on Tuesday.
March 25 - We had the meeting of the board of "Vatra". With some objections we decided to launch a campaign to buy a house for Noli.
March 28 – I'm a little worried about how much support the campaign will get to buy Noli a house. It is a big job and requires a lot of effort. In the meantime, the daily work must be done. The news from the Balkans is disturbing and Albania is at the forefront.
March 29 – F. Noli is somewhat satisfied with my campaign (of "Vatra"). However, I will need a large amount to buy a suitable house because the prices really, like other things, are very high. This means a very heavy job for me.
April 6 – The campaign for F. Nolin got off to a good start last night when the ladies of St. George's Church gave $1000 to the campaign.
April 18 - The Albanian Church of Saint George gave last night 1500 dollars for the campaign of Noli, started by "Vatra" on March 25. So far we have received nothing from any particular colony. This worries me a little, but everything moves more slowly at first.
April 22 – Crist Ellis was ordained a priest…
April 27th – As far as we know, our branches have not yet started moving to raise money for the Noli House campaign.
April 28 – I'm starting to worry about Noli's house campaign. Things move slowly.
May 20 – We raised nearly $185 for the Bishop Noli Home Fund. I'm glad the campaign is going.
25th May – Around 4pm Sarah and I left for Manchester. I started collecting…
June 5 - The quarrel between the Albanians about Bishop M. Lipa has reached a ridiculous level. Even the judges and lawyers are starving for pleasure.
June 19 – Received $200 for Noli's house fund. "Bashkimi" is very popular all over America among Albanians. This is bothering me a lot.
June 26 – The campaign for Noli is moving very slowly. It has not lived up to my expectations and I am very disappointed.
June 27 - Money is coming from all branches, while the Assembly is approaching. It's just a fact that they're not coming in enough for Noli's house fund.
July 7 – Most of the delegates have arrived. Some of them brought money. The New York group brought in $600. Then we had a committee meeting in the afternoon. At around 2 o'clock the Assembly opened. Marko Adams was elected chairman. We talked and discussed until close to midnight. F. Noli came, or rather they brought him around 10 o'clock. "Union" with "Free Albania" was the main topic of discussion. F. Noli did not speak. Almost all the delegates were for "Union", but they do not know how to achieve this. I will have a fierce battle on my hands.
July 31 – July is gone. It was a very busy and unpleasant month. Mainly because of a movement to join a ridiculous organization, started 10 years ago by K. Çekrezi, mistakenly called "Free Albania". The movement since the assembly has lost some moments, but the idea continues to remain. It was started by the Albanian delegates to the UN with the aim of destroying "Vatra" and weakening the influence of F. Noli.
October 8 - F. Noli was called to "COUNT" today regarding the deeds of M. Lipa in the Albanian churches in South Boston. But I was told that Noli was not asked any questions.
1952
March 13 - Bishop M. Lipa, Greek agent, is making a big noise. He is using communism to confuse and frighten the Albanians in this country.
March 26 – This afternoon F. Noli left for Chicago to assist in saving the Albanian church from the clutches of M. Lipa.
April 7 – Worcester has launched a campaign for Noli's house. A considerable amount has been collected.
June 10 - Today I received from New York $1088 for Noli's house fund.
November 30 - From lunch I went to the Albanian church where, after the religious service, there were celebrations for the Independence Day of Albania. I chaired the meeting even though I was left out of the "Free Albania" gang.
1955
February 14 – Tomorrow Bishop Noli goes on vacation to Florida.
March 22 - I spent almost the whole day at the printing press and I don't know how the paper will come out. There was only one man working there... Bishop Noli sent me a basket of oranges and lemons today. I don't know what happened to him!
June 17 – Tonight we had F. Nolin for dinner. He has problems with his teeth and because of this he can only eat soup and some other soft foods. He is an interesting personality.
1956
June 25 - Kristo Thana will be the chairman of the banquet for F. Nolin. Muhamet Zeqari from Detroit will be the dollibashi. A good couple.
July 17 – I met briefly with 'Beard'. He is very busy with the arrangement of "Dhiata se re" in Albanian.
September 3 – The banquet for F. Nolin, for the 50th anniversary of his arrival in this country, went well. About 450 guests took part. The speeches were long and boring. F. Noli received a considerable amount of money.
September 9 – I had a very busy day trying to settle the accounts of F. Noli's banquet. It's a big mess. A lot has to be done to keep everything in order.
September 22 - F. Noli is interested in writing a book about Ali Pasha if "Vatra" will sponsor it.
October 12 - "Balli" is getting on my nerves; much ado about nothing; they write words, words, words, nothing but empty words.
1957
May 8 – Bishop Noli finished the entry for Konica's book. Is good.
October 4- "Albania - the rock garden of Southeastern Europe" arrived this afternoon. It looks beautiful. We are almost shocked... F. Noli, too, is pleased with it.
1958
May 8 – F. Noli has been ill for several days. He was under the care of two doctors.
July 26 – Tonight we had F. Nolin for dinner.
November 13 - I worked with the old "Dielli" in the Albanian Sunday school, center where we have placed old collections. Pages are damaged. I read the first issue - February 15, 1909. I was impressed by the policy of "The Sun" for an independent Albania, openly written by F. Noli. Claims against Turkey include the four major provinces.
1959
February 7 – Today we had F. Nolin for dinner. He is very interesting. Sarah likes him immensely.
February 20 - I worked on an appeal which will be signed by F. Noli and we will publish it in "Dielli" as a campaign for money related to the golden anniversary (50th anniversary) of "Dielli".
April 16 – Received a fruit basket from Noli, sent from Florida.
Qerim Panariti
NOLI: THE MAN AND HIS CHARACTER
Noli was a complex and extraordinary multi-faceted person from every point of view: deep and wide from his shortcomings, encyclopedic from his knowledge, "rebel" from childhood and an intellectual giant.
I manifested my feeling as a "rebel" in the Greek high school in Endrene in the last academic year, when the high school authorities fired one of the most stubborn professors, Noli remembers that the professor was treated unfairly and one-by-one organized a demonstration of students in favor of the professor. Because of this rebellion, the high school authorities refused to give him the diploma until September instead of giving it to him in June, according to custom.
As a person Noli enjoyed all the flaws of man plus his flaws as an individual.
So let's start from some basic qualities. Noli was a secret person. It was impossible for him to open his heart to the man without reserve. This characteristic is said not to be enjoyed by almost all high-ranking people, who have the misfortune to be born in a closed social system like Turkey, a system shrouded in darkness and surrounded by spies and insidious intriguers.
As a shy and suspicious man, it could be said that Noli had hundreds of friends, thousands of admirers, but he had no confidants, that is, someone who would open his heart one by one; he was always reserved. For this reason, it was impossible for anyone to enter into his soul and feelings.
In the Albanians of America, Noli had completely lost faith, "Leave them," you say, "like the old guna."
There was a great love among the Albanian villagers. The simple peasant, says Noli, still enjoys primitive loyalty when he realizes that you have no intention of exploiting and profiting from his ignorance, while the Albanian of America has been corrupted by commercialism and believes that you cannot do business "with a cross on the forehead".
Noli saw life as a comedy. On one occasion I asked him why he does not find a substitute to escape from the daily grind? He answered me briefly: "What do these bishops want, and they don't listen to me, how can they live in harmony with another bishop?" .
Comical answer, but very prophetic.
Noli was not a materialistic person. He lived a simple life. He dressed and carried himself quietly, but always simply. I have been living in an old apartment for more than 30 years, with furniture no worse.
Noli is not as hospitable as Faik Konitza. If you went out with him, it was impossible for him to put his hand in his pocket. If you visited him at home, he would not offer you a glass of water.
Noli's attitude towards hospitality can be easily justified. The man almost kept his house open to visitors, friends and opponents. If he treated everyone with feasts, he must be a millionaire. The truth is that Noli led a miserable life in 1940, barely enough to meet his personal expenses. Besides, the visitors wasted their time.
To escape from the monotony of the guests, Noli had found a unique and interesting formula. When the visitors passed the measure of "friendship", you said: "My mouth is dry, can we come out here and wet our mouths with a coffee?" When they finished the coffee, Noli would recover and return home.
I started to use this tactic, but I could not succeed. After the coffee, the visitors returned to the "Vatra" office together with me.
On one occasion I asked Noli how he had endured with the Albanians all his life? He answered me in four words: "Albania has caught me". Then I add:
"Albania, as a small nation oppressed by external and internal enemies, needs one idealist who is ready to make personal sacrifices for a holy and high purpose."
Noli was not selfish and vindictive. He would kill you with flesh and soul when the general interest of the case was violated. On the other hand, you were not ashamed to shake your hand when the war was won.
Noli used this admirable characteristic when Mark Lipa came to America in 1950, and some of his old friends defected and joined the renegade. Noli was disappointed at first, but when the defectors drank Lipa's juice and returned to the good path, Noli welcomed them with enthusiasm and never mentioned the defect to them.
On one occasion I asked Noli how he was doing with the Lipists and if he anticipated any danger from them? Ay answered me without hesitation, "Not at all", and I add: "These are our comrades, now that they have returned to the good path, we must forgive them their mistake, because we all have made mistakes from time to time, so therefore, we should not use them as colonials".
Noli was a math eater, when he was healthy and full of humor and shakara. Since 1952, we had made it a habit to invite Noli for lunch twice a year, in June and October, when the greens of our garden started and when they started to finish. At first he ate only vegetables, but later when the doctors threatened him that if he didn't eat meat, his days would be short, he started to eat meat either intentionally or unintentionally.
The last time we had him for lunch was on June 11, 1964. In this case, he only touched the dishes, but he didn't eat them. This made us suspect that the Noli were shortening their days.
* * *
Somewhere in the written pages, we talked about how Noli started the war with the Greeks in Edrene when he was a nineteen-year-old boy, when the gymnasium delayed giving him his diploma because he took the side of a dismissed professor. From then until the end of his eyes, Noli hated the Greeks and the Greeks hated Noli.
As soon as he surrendered to the priest, in 1908, the Greeks started propaganda and anathemas to discredit Noli before the Albanian people. The slanders and accusations against him were as banal as they were primitive. They accused him of being anti-canonical, as an "apostate" and other clichés that had neither side nor bottom.
Noli overcame all these blasphemies and triumphed by opening the autocephalous Albanian church in Albania.
We are not making a new discovery if we say that Noli was a man of the twentieth century who believed wholeheartedly in the freedom of marriage, based on science and the history of free marriage, and as such a person, it was impossible for to believe in the virgin birth, on the other hand, Noli believed and worshiped Christ as the highest prophet that was born in the world before and after Christ. He performed the Orthodox rites with dignity and solemnity, but he did not accept the superstitions of the hypocritical medieval clerics who mocked humanity by promising them an afterlife. For Noli, such theories have their roots in dark times that could not be swallowed by a person with a wide culture like Noli's.
Remember one day I asked Noli because Christianity considers Christ as the "Savior of the world?" I have asked this question to many clerics of different dogmas of Christianity, but Noli gave me the clearest answer.
The Nolian saying about Christ (paraphrased) was this: Of all the noted prophets of the world before and after Christ, Jesus is the only prophet who proclaimed for the first time in the history of mankind, unity and equality in the world. This was a revolutionary statement at a time when people were bought and sold in the bazaar like animals. Christ labored to destroy this barbarous system. For this reason, he was crucified by the classes that exploited the people through religion.
also
Today is Faik Konica's birthday
After the death of Nolian, Christ was a patriot of Israel who tried to free his people from Roman slavery. Christ inspires Noli to dedicate his life to the liberation of the Albanian people from Turkish slavery and the Albanian Orthodox from the darkness of the Patriarchate.
Noli's sermons were always on a humanitarian social basis that could be characterized by the unadulterated preaching of Christ. Against supernatural claims, Noli must be characterized as an agnostic, that is, a person who neither affirms nor denies the mystical occurrence of supernatural forces. This, in short, is Fan Stilian Noli's former religion.
