The Academy of Sciences of Albania and the Bektashi World Headquarters, organized today, on May 21, 2021, on the occasion of the 175th anniversary of the birth of the renaissance poet Naim Frashëri, in the premises of the Academy of Sciences, a scientific event in honor of his literary and patriotic work. With the participation of researchers from Albania, Kosovo and Northern Macedonia, with numerous papers, which due to the pandemic, were communicated online and with a limited number of attendees.
The President of the Academy of Sciences, Mr. Skënder Gjinushi, who, in his speech, spoke on this anniversary of the birthday of Naim Frashëri, apostle of Albanianism and the great role of the Frashëri brothers in the National Renaissance.
Afterwards, the World Leader of the Bektashis, His Grace Haxhi Dede Edmond Brahimaj, after greeting those present, in his speech, said, among other things: “I consider myself lucky to be among you today and allow me as the World Grandfather of Bektashi to wish and bless you: “Good luck and prosperity forever in your families! May the Exalted God grant to His attention, care, efforts, love with which you have all approached one of the brightest figures of our national Renaissance, Naim Frashëri! When on the eve of the twentieth century, the opinion of the great men of the Albanian lands had begun to materialize, most of them turned their gaze from Frashëri, from that place-symbol of our national consciousness. The historic house of the Frashëri brothers, but also the blessed tekke of the Bektashis, had been transformed into the Mecca of the Albanians, the pole star from where they could still orient themselves before leaving the long Ottoman night. The time that came after, proved fourfold that both of these objects, remained Holy and alive in the memory of our nation. From the great door of the Frashëri, would come a day in May like today, 175 years ago, our Naimi, renaissance, philosopher, patriot, thinker, servant of the Albanian language and assembly. Educated by his parents with the love for the homeland, educated by the fathers of the tekke with the pure feelings of devotion to the Creator, but also to the Albanian language, this great scholar would later reveal not only the corpus of his literary works, but also the vision of the place where he was born, in the context of Balkan currents and dramas. His literary work suspended the spirit of that generation when it was created, because it was oriented by the most traditional values of the nation, because it called for awakening through knowledge, because it rose above the divisions imported from the relics of religions that passed over Albania, because reminded all his countrymen to feel proud of their origin. Yesterday and today generations of Albanians, not only in their lands, but wherever they are, in every corner of the globe, have repeated and repeat with legitimate pride, the famous verses: You Albania give me honor, / Give me Albanian name… Especially today, in the conditions of this transition so perverted in every respect, the fragile lives of Albanians facing the harsh mechanisms of Western identities, these verses take on a wonderful meaning. Dear Albanian academics! I do not want to take from your precious time and I am completely satisfied with your research and studies about the work of Naim Frashëri. May God help you in this initiative! But let me just remind you that our Naimi occupies an honorable place in the 800-year-old pantheon of the Bektashi order. The philosophical and doctrinal approaches of this Bektashi, not only have reached literary heights, but at the same time have become methods and movements, which have inspired the love within the Bektashi fraternity, as well as the harmony between the traditional religious communities in Albania. As for the famous poem of Karbala, it still remains a philosophical-literary universe, which to this day, despite some efforts, has not been able to climb to the transcendental heights. Personally, I remain hopeful that the day will come when in-depth academic studies will be able to bring to light the resonant values of this masterpiece. Sisters and brothers! As you may be aware, the Bektashi Holy See, since announcing the “Year of Naim” has organized several activities, through which, we aimed not only to commemorate this remarkable man, but especially to return attention to the feelings of today national. I believe that we should be united, not in the folkloric sense, but much wider, in our philosophical, social and moral concepts and perceptions, because being Albanians, we will always be indebted to our homeland. The perversion of national feelings, the great spiritual and economic shortcomings, the thirty-year fluctuations in search of an identity that provides us with food, the painful and endless drama far awaymyths from this land that God has given us should make us all think. To banish hatred for one another and to call for blessings. Let us glorify in our souls, the models of men, who came to the fate of the homeland, even through the most sublime act of giving physical life. I believe that everyone in this room agrees that the deepest respect and the highest appreciation we can convey to Naim is, at least, to approach his physical and spiritual life through the work we do. Once again I thank you all and wish good work to this scientific activity, convinced of its new feeds! ”
Also, in this scientific activity, announced academician, prof, researcher: acad. Pëllumb Xhufi – “Naim Frashëri and his vision of openness and tolerance”; Prof.as.dr. Abdulla Rexhepi (Kosovo) – “Three new works of Naim Frashëri in the Turkish-Ottoman language”; Dr. Dorian Koçi – director of the National Historical Museum – “Myth and history in the work of Naim Frashëri”; Prof. dr. Begzad Baliu (Kosovo) – “The mission of Naim Frashëri in the work of Professor Rexhep Qose”; Shaip Emërllahu, poet (Northern Macedonia) – “25 years of Naim Days”; Mr. Mehmet Gëzhilli, publisher – “Foreign authors for Naim Frashëri”; Mr. Nuri Çuni, researcher (Bektashi World Headquarters) – “Notebook of the Bektashis of Naim Frashëri”.
