Remembering Ibrahim Rugova, non-violent leader of a country at war

  PRISTINA - For many historians, the Kosovar leader Ibrahim Rugova, who died in 2006, remains one of the most important figures in the recent history of Kosovo and an absolute protagonist of that wind of freedom with which he tried to the last to resolve the delicate Kosovar question inserted in the Balkan cauldron, drawing on the culture of "non-violence."

  He was a "father of the country", a country at war, without himself ever carrying a gun and never wearing a military uniform.

  But he was a sad leader, as he believed that he had been betrayed by the so-called International Community and by the friends of his people's cause, who never went along with his appeals for a greater diffusion in the Balkans and elsewhere of the ideals of tolerance and the value of inclusion.

  His political commitment remained linked to the period in which in Kosovo, the Kosovar-Albanian people decided after many hesitations to stop the blood feuds and face hard-nosed pro-Serbian nationalism led by Slobodan Milošević.

  At the time, this attitude earned him the title of "Gandhi of the Balkans" and in 1998 he was awarded the Sakharov Prize, a recognition intended for "prominent personalities who have distinguished themselves in the fight against intolerance, fanaticism and oppression. Following the example of Andrei Sakharov, the winners of the award named after him testify how much courage is needed to defend human rights and freedom of expression."

  But at the same time, in one region, the Balkans, prey to all extremisms, his non-violent attitude was seen, by comrades and enemies, as a trait of weakness, of political immobility, and the international community, pressured by the public opinion and the media with images of Kosovar exodus, prevaricated to the point of not being able to prevent the outbreak of war.

  His figure was further clouded during the 78 days of war, when his spasmodic search for alliances, even meeting Slobodan Milošević, earned him criticism and vetoes from allies and adversaries.

  What remains is the image of a leader with high ideals who preaches in a region at the mercy of centuries-old hatred and resentment.

  But with time and 15 years after his death, many today pay homage to his visionary spirit and his desire to project his people, in the era of modernity and the overcoming of certain historical barriers, which hold entire peoples hostage in the memory of the time that was ...

  Europe, which questions itself in 2021 on its guidelines, has in the thought and life of Ibrahim Rugova, an example to remember and to pass on to future generations.

  And the Kosovars themselves, who must formulate new perspectives to better integrate the legacy of this hero of their homeland, can find in his thought a reference so close to the spirit of the founders of the European project.

 

 jp-mr-ol