Sherif Langu (also known as ''Sherif Lëngu'', 1877,

Debar Debar ( mk, Дебaр ; Albanian: ''Dibër''/''Dibra'' or ''Dibra e Madhe;'' ) is a city in the western part of North Macedonia, near the border with Albania, off the road from Struga to Gostivar. It is the seat of Debar Municipality. Debar has ...

- 9 March 1956) was an Albanian Muslim cleric who served as chairman of the Muslim Community of Albania from 1942 until 1945.

Biography

Born in

, present-day

North Macedonia North Macedonia, ; sq, Maqedonia e Veriut, (Macedonia before February 2019), officially the Republic of North Macedonia,, is a country in Southeast Europe. It gained independence in 1991 as one of the successor states of Socialist Feder ...

, he received his religious schooling from the local town madrasa and was later appointed imam. Langu took part in the great Assembly of Dibra on February 27, 1899. After graduating from the madrasa, he continued his high school education in

Bitola Bitola (; mk, Битола ) is a city in the southwestern part of North Macedonia. It is located in the southern part of the Pelagonia valley, surrounded by the Baba (North Macedonia), Baba, Nidže, and Kajmakčalan mountain ranges, north of th ...

and in 1904 went to study theology in

Istanbul Istanbul ( , ; tr, İstanbul ), formerly known as Constantinople ( grc-gre, Κωνσταντινούπολις; la, Constantinopolis), is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, serving as the country's economic, ...

. In December 1908, he formed the "Bashkimi" club of Debar. As leader of the club's administrative council, along with other activists such as Kadri Fishta, Riza Rusi, Eqerem Cami, Ibrahim Xhidri, Abdullah Tërshana and Ibrahim Jegeni, he carried out vigorous activities for the benefit of the national cause. His grandfather Selim Rusi, supported him in continuing his studies in Bitola and later in

, where he met other figures 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 ...

, including

Ibrahim Temo Ibrahim Starova, also Ibrahim Bërzeshta (born ''Ibrahim Ethem Sojliu''; 22 March 1865 – 5 August 1945), better known as Ibrahim Temo, was an Ottoman- Albanian politician, revolutionary, intellectual, and a medical doctor by profession. Temo was ...

and

Dervish Hima Dervish Hima (1872–1928), born Ibrahim Mehmet Naxhi, was a 19th-century Albanian politician and one of the delegates who participated at the Albanian Declaration of Independence. A publisher, he travelled from country to country, promoting Al ...

. He moved from Bitola to Debar in 1907, and formed a chapter of the

Society for the Unity of the Albanian Language Shoqnia e Bashkimit të Gjuhës Shqipe (Society for the Unity of the Albanian Language), usually known as the Shoqnia Bashkimi (The Union Society), or simply Bashkimi i Shkodrës (The Union of Shkodra) was a literary society founded in Shkodra, O ...

there in December 1908. The chapter also included Fishta, Riza Rusi, Eqerem Cami, Ibrahim Xhidri, Ramadan Camin, Abdullah Tërshana, and Ibrahim Jegeni. Langu also helped organize the

Congress of Dibra A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of ...

on July 23, 1909. At the end of June 1910,

Shevket Turgut Pasha Shevket Turgut Pasha ( tr, Şevket Turgut Paşa; 1857–1924) was an Ottoman Empire, Ottoman army general with the rank of ''mirliva'' (major general), who also held the governmental title of ''pasha'' (lord). He went to the Prussian military scho ...

, who derided Langu as a “Latin priest,” crushed the rebellion, but it continued underground. Langu continued to lobby for Albanian-language schooling in the area, and the people of Debar elected him unanimously as their first official teacher of same. Carefully watching the fall 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) ...

, he joined Cami, Ismail Strazimiri,

Tajar Tetova Tajar Tetova ( tr, Kalkandelenli Tayyar) was an Albanian military commander and ''çetë'' (band) leader in southern Albania and Macedonia. History Background Born in Kalkandelen (modern day Tetovo) in the late-19th century, Tajar bey Tetova c ...

, Ramadan Cami, and Sulejman Shehu from

Zerqan Zerqan (Albanian pronunciation: ) is a village and a former municipality in the Dibër County, eastern Albania. At the 2015 local government reform it became a subdivision of the municipality Bulqizë. The population at the 2011 census was 4,111 ...

in taking up arms to liberate Debar. By now the leading local independence ideologue, he was elected along with

Vehbi Dibra Abdyl Aziz Vehbi Agolli mostly known as Haxhi Vehbi Dibra (12 March 1867 – 24 March 1937) was an Albanian mufti, theologian, politician and a delegate of Dibër at the Albanian Declaration of Independence. He was elected as chairman of th ...

to the

Assembly of Vlorë The Assembly of Vlorë ( sq, Kuvendi i Vlorës) was an Albanian assembly constituted during the All-Albanian Congress in Vlorë, on November 28, 1912. Background The All-Albanian Congress or ''Albanian National Congress'' or ''Albanian Ind ...

. He left

Vlorë Vlorë ( , ; sq-definite, Vlora) is the third most populous city of the Republic of Albania and seat of Vlorë County and Vlorë Municipality. Located in southwestern Albania, Vlorë sprawls on the Bay of Vlorë and is surrounded by the foot ...

to organize resistance to the Serbian occupation of the Debar and

Elbasan Elbasan ( ; sq-definite, Elbasani ) is the fourth most populous city of Albania and seat of Elbasan County and Elbasan Municipality. It lies to the north of the river Shkumbin between the Skanderbeg Mountains and the Myzeqe Plain in central ...

regions. He was arrested but freed by public agitation. He was ushered into Elbasan by his longtime friend

Aqif Pasha Elbasani Aqif Pasha Biçaku mostly known as Aqif Pashë Elbasani (1860 – 10 February 1926) was an Ottoman Albanian political figure in the Sanjak of Elbasan and after the Young Turk Revolution The Young Turk Revolution (July 1908) was a constitution ...

and helped connect the tribes near Debar with the

Provisional Government of Albania The Provisional Government of Albania ( sq, Qeveria e Përkohshme e Shqipërisë) was the first government of Albania, created by the Assembly of Vlorë on 4 December 1912. It was a paternal government, led by Ismail Qemali, until his resignati ...

out of Vlorë. A commission consisting of Langu, Elbasani, Tetova, Ismail Haki Peqini, and

Ahmet Dakli Ahmed Dakli was an Albania Albania ( ; sq, Shqipëri or ), or , also or . officially the Republic of Albania ( sq, Republika e Shqipërisë), is a country in Southeastern Europe. It is located on the Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the M ...

, set out to professionalize local government in Debar. They were helped by Ramadan Cami, Hoxhë Muglica, Hoxhë Kurt Ballë, and others in this effort. From 1913 to 1917, Langu acted as

qadi A qāḍī ( ar, قاضي, Qāḍī; otherwise transliterated as qazi, cadi, kadi, or kazi) is the magistrate or judge of a ''sharīʿa'' court, who also exercises extrajudicial functions such as mediation, guardianship over orphans and minor ...

( sharia judge) in the parts of the

Dibër valley Dibër may refer to: * Dibër Valley, known today as the "Two Dibers", a tribal-highland region of northern Albania with the administrative and commercial center in Debar that was split between Albania and Yugoslavia, present North Macedonia Alba ...

under Albanian rule. He then resettled in Debar, serving as an imam and occasional qadi there from 1920 to 1938. Reconnecting with local associates, he was surveilled by the

Yugoslav Yugoslav or Yugoslavian may refer to: * Yugoslavia, or any of the three historic states carrying that name: ** Kingdom of Yugoslavia, a European monarchy which existed 1918–1945 (officially called "Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes" 1918–1 ...

government. From April 1938 to 1941, he served as chairman of the

Skopje Skopje ( , , ; mk, Скопје ; sq, Shkup) is the capital and largest city of North Macedonia. It is the country's political, cultural, economic, and academic centre. The territory of Skopje has been inhabited since at least 4000 BC; ...

Council of

Ulema In Islam, the ''ulama'' (; ar, علماء ', singular ', "scholar", literally "the learned ones", also spelled ''ulema''; feminine: ''alimah'' ingularand ''aalimath'' lural are the guardians, transmitters, and interpreters of religious ...

, but seeing growing danger, he left for

Tirana Tirana ( , ; aln, Tirona) is the capital and largest city of Albania. It is located in the centre of the country, enclosed by mountains and hills with Dajti rising to the east and a slight valley to the northwest overlooking the Adriatic Sea ...

to serve as leader of the Muslim Community of Albania, promoting interreligious tolerance as the key to national unity. In 1947, at the age of 70, he was sentenced to ten years in prison for agitation and propaganda. He was released in 1950 and died in 1956.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lengu, Sherif 19th-century Albanian people All-Albanian Congress delegates 1877 births 1956 deaths People from Debar People from Manastir vilayet