Musa Demi (1878–1971) was an
Albanian
Albanian may refer to:
*Pertaining to Albania in Southeast Europe; in particular:
** Albanians, an ethnic group native to the Balkans
**Albanian language
**Albanian culture
**Demographics of Albania, includes other ethnic groups within the countr ...
revolutionary and writer. He was one of the main proponents of the
Albanian National Awakening
The Albanian National Awakening ( sq, Rilindja or ), commonly known as the Albanian Renaissance or Albanian Revival, is a period throughout the 19th and 20th century of a cultural, political and social movement in the Albanian history where th ...
in the region of
Filiates
Filiates ( el, Φιλιάτες; ) is a town and a municipality in Thesprotia, Greece. It is located in the northernmost part of the regional unit, bordering western Ioannina regional unit and southern Albania.
Name
The region of Filiates was kn ...
,
Paramythia
Paramythia ( el, Παραμυθιά) is a town and a former municipality in Thesprotia, Epirus, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Souli, of which it is the seat and a municipal unit. The municipal unit ...
and
Igoumenitsa
Igoumenitsa ( el, Ηγουμενίτσα, ) is a coastal city in northwestern Greece. It is the capital of the regional unit of Thesprotia.
Igoumenitsa is the chief port of Thesprotia and Epirus, and one of the largest passenger ports of Greece ...
(
Çamëria
Chameria ( sq, Çamëria; el, Τσαμουριά, ''Tsamouriá''; tr, Çamlık) is a term used today mostly by Albanians to refer to parts of the coastal region of Epirus in southern Albania and Greece, traditionally associated with the Alban ...
).
Life
Musa Demi was born in
Filiates
Filiates ( el, Φιλιάτες; ) is a town and a municipality in Thesprotia, Greece. It is located in the northernmost part of the regional unit, bordering western Ioannina regional unit and southern Albania.
Name
The region of Filiates was kn ...
, then a town of the
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...
in 1878. His father Hamit Demi was a local landowner of the region from the Demi family of Filiates. Musa Demi's grandfather had been Çafa Demi. He graduated from the local
Ottoman
Ottoman is the Turkish spelling of the Arabic masculine given name Uthman ( ar, عُثْمان, ‘uthmān). It may refer to:
Governments and dynasties
* Ottoman Caliphate, an Islamic caliphate from 1517 to 1924
* Ottoman Empire, in existence fro ...
rüşdiye (secular state school) and then continued his studies in
Ioannina
Ioannina ( el, Ιωάννινα ' ), often called Yannena ( ' ) within Greece, is the capital and largest city of the Ioannina regional unit and of Epirus, an administrative region in north-western Greece. According to the 2011 census, the ...
.
In the early 1900s he became one of the founders of the Vëllezëria association of Filiates and was the commander of one of the most important ''çetë'' (armed guerrilla groups fighting for independence of Albanians). On August 25, 1908 along with other
rilindas
The Albanian National Awakening ( sq, Rilindja or ), commonly known as the Albanian Renaissance or Albanian Revival, is a period throughout the 19th and 20th century of a cultural, political and social movement in the Albanian history where the ...
he opened the first Albanian-language school of Filiates.
Musa Demi,
Rasih Dino
Rasih Dino (1865–1927 or 1928) was an Albanian politician, diplomat and a figure of the Albanian national movement of the early 20th century.
Life
Rasih Dino was born in 1865 in Preveza to the notable Dino family of the area. His father was ...
along with other locals provided the funds for the construction of the school building.
During
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
, he is said to have had contact with the
Albanian
Albanian may refer to:
*Pertaining to Albania in Southeast Europe; in particular:
** Albanians, an ethnic group native to the Balkans
**Albanian language
**Albanian culture
**Demographics of Albania, includes other ethnic groups within the countr ...
as well as the
Greek Communist Party
The Communist Party of Greece ( el, Κομμουνιστικό Κόμμα Ελλάδας, ''Kommounistikó Kómma Elládas'', KKE) is a political party in Greece.
Founded in 1918 as the Socialist Labour Party of Greece and adopted its curre ...
. However, it is contested that there was a 'socialist' movement around Musa Demi during this period
His daughter
Ballkëze Demi fought and died during the
Albanian Resistance of World War II
In Albania, World War II began with its invasion by Italy in April 1939. Fascist Italy set up Albania as its protectorate or puppet state. The resistance was largely carried out by Communist groups against the Italian (until 1943) and then Germ ...
.
He was decorated in 1945 with the Patriot of National Awakening ( sq, Patriot i Rilindjes Kombëtare) medal. Musa Demi died in 1971. In 1978, for the 100th anniversary of the formation of the
League of Prizren
The League of Prizren ( sq, Besëlidhja e Prizrenit), officially the League for the Defense of the Rights of the Albanian Nation ( sq, Lidhja për mbrojtjen e të drejtave te kombit Shqiptar), was an Albanian political organization which was offi ...
, he was posthumously decorated with the civil medal For Patriotic Activities ( sq, Për Veprimtari Patriotike).
Sources
{{DEFAULTSORT:Demi, Musa
1878 births
1971 deaths
19th-century Albanian writers
20th-century Albanian writers
Activists of the Albanian National Awakening
Cham Albanians
Albanian resistance members
Musa
Musa may refer to:
Places
*Mūša, a river in Lithuania and Latvia
*Musa, Azerbaijan, a village in Yardymli Rayon
*Musa, Iran, a village in Ilam Province
* Musa, Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari, Iran
*Musa, Kerman, Iran
*Musa, Bukan, West Azerbaijan Pr ...
National Liberation Front (Greece) members
People from Filiates
People from Janina vilayet