Ashkali and Balkan Egyptians: Difference between revisions
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Historically, they might be [[Albanisation|Albanized]] [[Romani people|Romanies]], Albanized Turks, and/or other lightly skin pigmented Mediterranean people, but they do not self-identify as such. {{citation needed|date=September 2013}} |
Historically, they might be [[Albanisation|Albanized]] [[Romani people|Romanies]], Albanized Turks, and/or other lightly skin pigmented Mediterranean people, but they do not self-identify as such. {{citation needed|date=September 2013}} |
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Prior to the [[Kosovo War]] of 1999, they registered themselves as ethnic Albanians. Now they are divided by identifying with two different groups.<ref name="RD"/>{{Failed verification|date=October 2012}} |
Prior to the [[Kosovo War]] of 1999, they registered themselves as ethnic Albanians. Now they are divided by identifying with two different groups.<ref name="RD"/>{{Failed verification|date=October 2012}} |
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During the Kosovo War, they were displaced as refugees in Albania and the [[Republic of Macedonia]].{{citation needed|date=October 2012}} The "Ashkali" identity was created |
During the Kosovo War, they were displaced as refugees in Albania and the [[Republic of Macedonia]].{{citation needed|date=October 2012}} The "Ashkali" identity was created in 1999, as they tried to show their pro-Albanian stance and distinguish themselves from the Roma.{{citation needed|date=October 2012}} |
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==History== |
==History== |
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Revision as of 17:53, 26 February 2014
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (September 2013) |
| Regions with significant populations | |
|---|---|
 Kosovo 15,436 Ashkali + 11,524 Balkan Egyptians (2011 census)[a]
 Serbia 1,834 Egyptians (2011) and 997 Ashkali (2011)[1] | |
| Languages | |
| Albanian | |
| Religion | |
| predominantly Islam |
The Ashkali (also Hashkali, Aškalije (Ашкалије), Haškalije (Хашкалије)) and Balkan Egyptians (Jevgs, Egjiptjant or Gjupci) are Albanian-speaking ethnic minorities (recognized communities) of Kosovo and Albania. Historically, they might be Albanized Romanies, Albanized Turks, and/or other lightly skin pigmented Mediterranean people, but they do not self-identify as such. [citation needed] Prior to the Kosovo War of 1999, they registered themselves as ethnic Albanians. Now they are divided by identifying with two different groups.[2][failed verification] During the Kosovo War, they were displaced as refugees in Albania and the Republic of Macedonia.[citation needed] The "Ashkali" identity was created in 1999, as they tried to show their pro-Albanian stance and distinguish themselves from the Roma.[citation needed]
History
The "Ashkali" or "Egyptians" have been classed as a "new ethnic identity in the Balkans", formed in 1990s.[4] The name "Ashkali" comes from the Turkish root-word As (Has).[citation needed] It was earlier applied to sedentary Roma who settled in Albanian areas during Ottoman Empire times. The Ashkalija speak Albanian as their first language. Ashkalija often worked as blacksmiths, or manual laborers on Ottoman estates. Ashkalija are found mainly in eastern and central Kosovo. The Ashkali people claim that they have originated in Persia, now Iran, in 4th century B.C (Ashkali, Gilan, Iran); however, there are other theories of the Ashkali coming from Turkey in a village called Aşkale (Erzurum district of Turkey), or possibly have come from Palestine ages ago in the city of Ashkalon (now in Israel). Still, some believe they are travelers from Northern India (Romani) who have used the Albanian language as their mother-tongue.
A 14th-century reference to a placename (Агѹповы клѣти, Agupovy klěti) in the Rila Charter of Ivan Alexander of Bulgaria is thought to be related to the Balkan Egyptians according to some authors, such as Konstantin Josef Jireček.[5][6]
In 1990, an "Egyptian association" was formed in Ohrid, Macedonia. During the Kosovo War, Albanized Roma were displaced as refugees in Albania and the Republic of Macedonia. Many Ashkali fought in the Kosovo Liberation Army. Albanized Roma formed the ethnic group Ashkali after the end of the war in 1999, to show their pro-Albanian stance and distinguish themselves from the Roma, who had been negatively viewed as pro-Serbian during the war. Many Albanized Roma were also sent to refugee camps with other Roma, with whom they did not share the same language and customs.[2] As the majority of Kosovo (or Albanized) Roma, many Ashkali refugees settled in Serbia and Montenegro. There they were identified as Romano-Palestinians. The first Ashkali party (Democratic Party of the Ashkali Albanians of Kosovo) was formed in 2000 under Sabit Rrahmani, who supported Kosovo independence in the name of all Ashkali.[2]
In Kosovo, the Ashkali were aligned with Albanians before, during and after the Kosovo War.[2] However, Ashkali, along with Romani Gypsies from Kosovo, have reportedly been expelled from the area.[7]
Demographics
Most Ashkali and Egyptians live in Kosovo and Republic of Macedonia, but the peoples also reside in Albania, Serbia and Montenegro. In the Macedonian census of 2002, 3,713 people self-identified as "Egyptian". In the Serbian census of 2002 (excluding Kosovo), 814 people self-identified as "Egyptian". In the Montenegrin census, 225 people self-identified as "Egyptian" or "Palestinian Judas" from Ashkelon.
Ashkali are predominant in the central and eastern regions of Kosovo: Uroševac, Kosovo Polje and Lipljan. Egyptians live in western Kosovo: in Đakovica, Istok, Peć and Deçan. The Ashkali/Egyptian community of Kosovo had 98% unemployment in 2009.[8]
While Roma, Ashkali, and Egyptians claim ethnic differences among them, they frequently intermarry. But, overall marriages between Roma and non-Roma (Gadje, outsiders) are extremely rare. Egyptians, Roma, and Ashkalija do not classify one another as Gadje.[8] The Ashkali and Roma claim the Egyptians as their own; whereas the Ashkali and Egyptians dispute over each other's background.[2] No television or radio channels are dedicated to Askhali or Egyptian minority audiences.[8]
See also
References
- ^ Попис становништва, домаћинстава и станова 2011. у Републици Србији: Становништво према националној припадности - „Oстали“ етничке заједнице са мање од 2000 припадника и двојако изјашњени
- ^ a b c d e f http://books.google.se/books?id=6C7w6q_-VbQC
- ^ Abedin Toplica: "Flamuri Kombëtar i Ashkalive / Zastava Aškalija / The National Flag", Ashkali Horizonti, nr. 2, 2003 www.ashkali.org.yu "The flag is red with a black rising eagle in front of a green disk. The red and black color are similar to the Albanian flag. The green disk represent[s] Islam"
- ^ "NEW ETHNIC IDENTITIES IN THE BALKANS: THE CASE OF THE EGYPTIANS"
- ^ Даскалова, Ангелина; Мария Райкова (2005). Грамоти на българските царе (in Bulgarian). София: Академично издателство "Марин Дринов". p. 57.
- ^ Trubeta, Sevasti (March 2005). "Balkan Egyptians and Gypsy/Roma Discourse" (PDF). Nationalities Papers. 33 (1): pp. 71–95. doi:10.1080/00905990500053788.
{{cite journal}}:|pages=has extra text (help) - ^ Memorandum of the Society for Threatened People on the Issue of Lead Poisoning of Roma in IDP Camps in Kosovo, GFBV.
- ^ a b c http://www.minelres.lv/reports/S&M/Kosovo_ShadowReport_BalkanSunflowers_2009.pdf
Footnotes
| a. | ^ Template:Kosovo-note |
Cited works
- Dragan Novaković, Potomci faraona u Srbiji, DT Magazin, 4. April 1998.
- Marushiakova, Elena; Heuss, Herbert; Boev, Ivan; Rychlik, Jan; Ragaru, Nadege; Zemon, Rubin; Popov, Vesselin; Friedman, Victor (2001). Identity Formation among Minorities in the Balkans: The cases of Roms, Egyptians and Ashkali in Kosovo (PDF). Sofia: Minority Studies Society, Studii Romani.
External links
- NEW ETHNIC IDENTITIES IN THE BALKANS: THE CASE OF THE EGYPTIANS
- Differences of prejudices and collective blames toward to the Balkan’s Egyptians
- Egjiptianëve Kosovarë
- Union of Balkan's Egyptians
- The New Democratic Initiative of Kosovo (Iniciativa e re Demokrarike e Kosovës)
- New Democratic Initiative of Kosovo, based in Switzerland
- Minority Rights Group