Today is the third anniversary of the death of father Ismail Jangulli, clergyman of the famous tekke of Bllaca. Baba Ismaili was born in the village of Godvi on May 05.1932. Godvi village is an integral part of Zerqan commune, Dibra prefecture. Baba Ismaili was born and raised in a large patriarchal family with patriotic traditions. The patriotism of this family has been unite in the bright path of faith, in the Bektashi order. The elder or grandfather of this tribe, Selim Jangulli, gave way and bright name to this ancient tower. He takes the Bektashi covenant in the named tekke, that of Hider Baba in Kerchova to Ismail Baba around 1771. His three sons Abazi, Ali and Hyseni also receive the nasib of the Bektashi covenant precisely in this blessed tekke .Baba Ismail Jangulli is part of this glorious chain. He grew up with Bektashi upbringing since childhood. Many fathers and dervishes had become part of his large family. His mother, Hidja, had taken the hand of the covenant to father Zenel in Bllace, which directly helped in the education of this boy.
Father Ismaili, at the age of 23, on March 22/1954, receives the Bektashi covenant with father Xhemal Selsa. Father Ismaili started his career as a teacher. He served as a primary school teacher in many villages of Peshkopia. Later, he worked in the company supplying workers in Thekër of Martanesh as a storekeeper, as a cook and as a shop seller.Later he came to Bulqiza and worked in the same enterprise in the confectionery factory. After the revolution of February 1967 where all the cults of different religions in Albania were destroyed, Ismail Jangulli experiences this catastrophe very badly. The most painful moment for the future Bektashi father was the return of the holy, exhumed body of father Rushit Tolla to Strikcan after 37 years. He was there when the body was placed in the large room of Sabri Tolle in Strikcan. Baba Ismaili, in the presence of many locals and foreigners, takes the Holy hand of Baba Rushit, and after kissing him, with tears in his eyes, lifts him up and addresses those present: “Here is the Ahl al-Bayt who never die! ” Gathered in this case, were not only Bektashi believers; There were also state security informants, whose father Ismaili fell prey to.
On March 31/1976 he was arrested on the charge of “Agitation and propaganda against popular power”, and sentenced to 10 years in prison. Before receiving the sentence of 10 years in prison, the court addresses Baba Ismaili: “Violate this picture with your feet and we will release you from the courtroom from now on”. They were talking about the photo of our bright Piri, Haxhi Bektash Veliu, which they had taken as evidence in his house. But the answer of our honorable Father was: “Let me kiss him, he has punished me and not you!”.
With the decision of the Judicial Council of the Criminal College of the High Court, on October 12.1976, he was deprived of the medal he had, “For good service to the people”.
He served his sentence in Spaç, Mirdita, where from 10 years, he did 5 years and 6 months. In 1981 he was released from prison and returned to his family.
From Valikardha, which had his second residence, he leaves in the village of Dom in the district of Mat, where he begins a new life full of vicissitudes and hardships. With the advent of democracy, the freedom to believe in God was restored. Religious cults began to be rebuilt, where along with them, the destroyed soul of every believer began to be rebuilt. Even the tekke of Bllaca, destroyed to the ground, began to grow thanks to the unstinting help of the believers of the provinces such as Gryka e Madhe, Bulqiza and Gryka e Vogël.
The Bllaca tekke was again left without service and care. The council of the tekke, tightened by the situation created, went to Tirana to the World Hrandfather of Bektashi where a cleric is asked for service in the tekke of Bllaca. The grandfather tells them: “Go and bring Ismail Jangulli to me here”. And so it happened. Baba Ismail Jangulli takes over the tekke of Bllaca in November 1997. In August 1998 he dressed as a dervish to wait for the long-awaited date of April 4, 1999, when Baba Ismaili received the Holy Decree of ‘Baba’ ‘Father’ from Haxhi Dede Reshat Bardhi. Baba Ismail Jangulli has made an extraordinary contribution to the establishment of the good name of this well-known Tekke.
Appreciating the contribution of father Ismail Jangulli, the Bektashi World Leader, Haxhi Dede Edmond Brahimaj, among others, stated: “More the years pass, the more we honor and respect the work of father Ismail Jangulli. We honored him in our conversations and ceremonies, we gladly received the title ‘Honor of the Nation’ which was awarded to our myrshid by the President of the Republic, we came from time to time to his tomb, in the heart of the mountains and we were disgusted by our silence . Father Ismail Jangulli was and remains the model of the devoted cleric. Even devoted to God and Haxhi Bektash Veliu, in the most difficult times we went through, in the times when belief in God was forbidden by law, by force, with the severity of state segments. He kept this belief alive within himself, but in the meantime he was not afraid to pass it on to any Albanian believer who dreamed of receiving something from the light of the Ahl al-Bayt… With the life and work of father Ismail Jangulli, the great movement to join the Bektashi resurrection, to make the proverb of Haji Bektash Veliu regain lost hearts. We all are witness how in the early ’90s, in this blessed place, this clergyman started from scratch and with the love of faith and believers, was able to rebuild this temple of divine and human love. All of us do not forget that the guests in this house of God, were not only the Dibrans of Zerqan, but also the people from Kruja , Tirana and even the believers of Vlora and Lazarat. This is Bektashism, a symbol of unity and deep solidarity. “
Prepared by:
Kujtim BORIÇI
