Rexhep Qosja, the Tirana unrest, the campaign and clashes in Pristina

Regarding a lecture by Qosje in Tirana in 1974 and his positions on the periodization of Albanian literature, Tirana scholars treat it very seriously, and apparently, they are embarrassed. In a report of the archival documents of the Albanian state, there is also a sentence: “He did very well, Rexhepi needs to lower his nose a little”. And, the publication of “Morphology of a Campaign” provoked quite a few reactions. “The publication of this book by the preparers is assessed in aggravating tones towards Professor Qosje. Moreover, they note that “the publication of a work of this nature, with insults and banalities, without any social value, without problems and issues of principle, is not an extraordinary thing in Yugoslavia”, it is written in the reports

During 1973, we encounter the name of Professor Rexhep Qosja in the reports of the archival documents of the Albanian state, where it is mentioned about Ali Hadri's stay in Albania and how, during his stay in Tirana, he was interested in getting acquainted with an article by Ismail Kadare, published in "Zëri i popullit", where Rexhep Qosja was indirectly criticized, and how Ali Hadri was against Rexhep Qosja's harsh criticism of Ismail Kadare. Also, the name of Professor Qosja during 1973 also appears in reports about joint research organizations in the field, of researchers from Tirana and Prishtina, who had come for expeditions in the field of linguistics and folklore in Kosovo, where Professor Qosja meets the researcher from Tirana in the capacity of director of the Albanological Institute.

Year 1974: Tirana embarrassed by the lecture

In 1974, we encounter the personality of Rexhep Qosja in the report prepared by the researcher Bahri Beci. Professor Qosja, in this year, had stayed in Tirana together with his wife Shpresa, for research, and as an invitee of the University of Tirana to hold a lecture entitled: “On some issues of the periodization of Albanian literature” with scientific workers and professors of literature of the State University of Tirana. Professor Qosja evaluates the work of writers in Albania and states that for them “there is a lot of consideration, according to him they are hardworking and they write well. He pointed out as positive features of the writers J. Xoxa and I. Kadare their persistent work to raise their general level”.

The professor and his wife are pleased with the hospitality they received in Tirana and do not hesitate to express it, that "the reception they received here was very good and they expressed their regret that they could not give us the same reception in Prishtina. Among other things, according to them, the food at the 'Dajti' hotel was better than that of the 'Bozhurt', the reception was very good and organized", it was written, among other things, in the report.

As for the lecture he delivered, the report's author states that "his lecture, as is also stated in the special report prepared for him, sparked a lot of discussion due to his fundamental ideas, which, in our opinion, did not comply with the criteria of class analysis and were distinguished by an attempt to remove clear boundaries between the literature of socialist realism on the one hand and pre-liberation literature on the other, our literature on the one hand and Kosovar literature on the other. He has partially expressed some of these views before in the articles he has published as well as in the conversations we have had with him. In general, he thinks that formalist and sociological criteria are harmful to literature. For him, class analysis cannot explain complex literary phenomena, which have their own specificity and can only be explained by starting from them," this report states, among other things. It should be emphasized that in relation to this lecture and Professor Qosja's positions on the periodization of Albanian literature, Tirana scholars treat it very seriously, and apparently, they are embarrassed, because for the same aspect, that is, the periodization of Albanian literature treated by Professor Qosja, three materials are sent in the form of reports and information in certain instances. The materials are sent by Bahri Beci, Nuri Çaushi and Bujar Hoxha. The documents of the first two have the same date of compilation, while that of Bujar Hoxha is two days later. This also indicates the level of concern that the lecture and positions of Professor Qosja have caused in this aspect, because from the research so far, we have also come across materials about other scholars from Prishtina who have held lectures in Tirana and after a few days the report was sent, etc. But within two days, three reports and information about the same person and the same lecture are sent, we have only encountered this in the case of Professor Qosje. Regarding the expressed positions of Professor Qosje, about the periodization of Albanian literature, the researchers of Tirana, will also take the opinion of several other researchers from Kosovo who will stay for visits in Tirana. In this regard, according to a report, Professor Ali Hadri would declare "that Rexhepi was not right". "Very well done, Rexhepi needs to lower his nose a little". He appreciated the discussion of the hon. Aleks Buda, Jorgo Bulo and Koço Bihiku", he wrote, among other things, in this report. Meanwhile, Professor Isak Shema also declared regarding this issue, an opinion which was noted in the report by the researcher Thanas Gjika.

"In a conversation I had with him regarding his opinion on the periodization of Albanian literature," the report writes, "he fully supported the periodization that has been made in our texts and dismissed the periodization made by Dr. Rexhep Qosja as a periodization started from a formalist position. I. Shema is a good connoisseur of our socialist realism literature and this has made him clearly recognize the turn that our literature took in the first years after liberation, seeing this literature as a literature of an essentially new stage."

When we are talking about the opinions expressed by researchers Hadri and Shema, regarding Rexhep Qosje, it should be emphasized that the two researchers have valuable written contributions in their fields of scientific interest. But Ali Hadri was a researcher of history and not literature, therefore his opinions in this regard should not be taken for granted, and researcher Isak Shema, as a researcher of literature at the time when he had declared, is not known for any monographic work in the field of Albanian literature. The vast majority of his writing activity includes the early 90s and later. Therefore, the statements of professors Hadri and Shema, regarding Rexhep Qosje's lecture, are more to avoid "ruining the shroud" of their colleagues in Tirana, than professional and well-founded opinions.

Although Professor Qosja's lecture had caused a stir in Tirana, perhaps it had not met the expectations of Tirana scholars, Professor Qosja does not record an event like this in his published Diary. According to the documentation, the lecture was held in June 1974, and the reports were also sent during this month, but in Professor Qosja's diary, in this year, for this month, he does not record any event. In this diary, we have notes until May and then it continues with July 1974. Apparently, the Professor, for this event, as well as for several other events that occurred in our cultural and political life over the years, has given his opinion through statements, at the right time and in the right place and, did not want to give further assessments in the published Diary. Perhaps, for some events, where his name is included, he left it to others to say.  

Opposition to “Kosovo literature”

From 1976 to 1980, in the researched documentation, we encounter the name of Professor Qosja in the capacity of host of delegations with researchers, writers and artists from Tirana. In 1980, in Tirana, the Professors accompanied by their wives, Idriz Ajeti, in the capacity of president of the Academy of Sciences and Arts of Kosovo, Rexhep Qosja in the capacity of director of the Albanological Institute and Ali Hadri in the capacity of director of the Institute of History, had stayed for an official visit. The delegation from Kosovo was very well received by the leaders of scientific institutions in Tirana. During his stay in Albania, Rexhep Qosja, in the premises of the Academy of Sciences of Albania, had held the lecture: “The historical character of rhyme” and which was well received by the attendees. Professor Qosja had raised as a concern "a sharp problem of their life there, that of the denigrating campaign that, according to him, certain forces have been developing for some time against him and other figures of culture and science in Kosovo."

In the conversation, Rexhep Qosja, according to the report's preparers, reiterates "the constant demand of Kosovar intellectuals, that the time has come for us in Albania to study the literature of Albanians in Yugoslavia, to include it in our studies and texts and to evaluate it with the good and the bad" that it has. He calls the fact that we publish the work of a Kosovar author completely insufficient. On the other hand, he does not consider the use of the term "Kosovo literature" accurate, because it should not be the regional and administrative criterion, but the national one that gives the name to a literature".

Clashes after "Morphology of a Campaign"

In 1980, Professor Kristaq Prifti sent Ramiz Alija a study material with this message: "Comrade Ramiz, I am bringing you the study 'Thoughts on Albanian Literature and Criticism in Kosovo, Macedonia and Montenegro' as well as more complete information about R. Qosja's latest book 'Morphology of a Campaign', compiled according to our request," he wrote in this letter.

The material “Thoughts about Albanian literature and criticism in Kosovo, Macedonia and Montenegro”, was prepared by researchers Nasho Jorgaqi, Dalan Shapllo and Jorgo Bulo. Rexhep Qosja is mentioned in this material when talking about Albanian novelists in Yugoslavia and when talking about literary criticism. In both cases, the figure of Professor Qosja is highly appreciated. Meanwhile, the material about the book “Morphology of a Campaign” was prepared by researchers Nasho Jorgaqi and Jorgo Bulo. As is known, this is a book whose publication has caused a lot of controversy in Kosovo. One of the first to react to the publication of this book was Professor Fehmi Agani, through an article with two sequels in the press. Professor Agani calls this publication a Pamphlet which “was published and sold quickly and was read 'with pleasure', as the author had foreseen”, he writes, among other things, in this publication. While Professor Agani concludes his article with these words: “The object of this review was not what could be the valuable work and result of RQ. The object of the review is his failure and pamphletism”, writes Fehmi Agani. Regarding this reaction, Professor Qosja, in his published Diary, expresses surprise, because he did not expect this man to react, to show himself to be unrestrained. According to him, there was no reason for Fehmi Agani to react, when it is known that “he was not a protagonist, not even a character of the most obvious importance in this book”, writes Rexhep Qosja.

The publication of this book by the preparers is considered aggravating to Professor Qosje. Furthermore, they note that “the publication of a work of this nature, with insults and banalities, without any social value, without problems and issues of principle, is not an extraordinary thing in Yugoslavia. Such works and scandals are a common practice of cultural and artistic life there, whether with polemics in the press or with the publication of special books. This is called by them a kind of literature, to the extent that R. Qosja claims to bring a contribution by establishing a new genre in Albanian literature. Various Kosovar intellectuals who have come to our country or with our friends who go there, from time to time, indirectly, have tried to conduct surveys and get our opinion on these disputes. With the publication of R. Qosja’s book, the dispute will deepen, therefore I think that friends who will have contacts with them in the future should be instructed regarding our position”, write professors Jorgaqi and Bulo. Regarding some of the dissatisfaction expressed in Tirana about this book, Professor Qosja, some of them, was verbally brought to him from Tirana by the researcher Sefedin Fetiu. Regarding these dissatisfactions expressed by some in Tirana, Professor Qosja writes: “The number of the most absurd slanders that members of our cultural clan have brought to Tirana is large.”

Meanwhile, regarding the positions of Professor Jorgo Bulo, written in the report, which we have mentioned above, Professor Qosja also writes about the dissatisfaction of his colleague and friend in his published Diary. These dissatisfactions, Professor Bulo, expressed to Professor Qosja during a stay in Prishtina. “His remarks regarding the 'Morphology of a Campaign' had to do with: first, with some expressions, with some expressions that puritans would call dirty expressions, such as the word bythec for one of the characters in the book and, second, with the moment when it was published”, writes Professor Qosja, among other things.  

To be continued in the next issue of the Cultural Supplement. Footnotes have been removed by the Editorial Board. The title and subheadings are the Editorial Board's.

READ ALSO: