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Post by whatever on Jun 26, 2008 11:49:40 GMT -5
WTF? Albanian custom of woman as the family man fades New York Times Posted online: Thursday, June 26, 2008 at 2213 hrs Print Email
Kruje, June 25: Pashe Keqi recalled the day nearly 60 years ago when she decided to become a man. She chopped off her long black curls, traded in her dress for her father’s baggy trousers, armed herself with a hunting rifle and vowed to forsake marriage, children and sex.
For centuries, in the closed-off and conservative society of rural northern Albania, swapping genders was considered a practical solution for a family with a shortage of men. Her father was killed in a blood feud, and there was no male heir. By custom, Ms. Keqi, now 78, took a vow of lifetime virginity. She lived as a man, the new patriarch, with all the swagger and trappings of male authority— including the obligation to avenge her father’s death.
She says she would not do it today, now that sexual equality and modernity have come even to Albania, with Internet dating and MTV invading after the fall of the Berlin Wall. Girls here do not want to be boys anymore. With only . Keqi and some 40 others remaining, the sworn virgin is dying off.
“Back then, it was better to be a man because before a woman and an animal were considered the same thing,” said Keqi, who has a bellowing baritone voice, sits with her legs open wide like a man and relishes downing shots of raki. “Now, Albanian women have equal rights with men, and are even more powerful. I think today it would be fun to be a woman.”
The tradition of the sworn virgin can be traced to the Kanun of Leke Dukagjini, a code of conduct passed on orally among the clans of northern Albania for more than 500 years. Under the Kanun, the role of a woman is severely circumscribed: take care of children and maintain the home. While a woman’s life is worth half that of a man, a virgin’s value is the same: 12 oxen.
The sworn virgin was born of social necessity in an agrarian region plagued by war and death. If the family patriarch died with no male heirs, unmarried women in the family could find themselves alone and powerless. By taking an oath of virginity, women could take on the role of men as head of the family, carry a weapon, own property and move freely.
They dressed like men and spent their lives in the company of other men, even though most kept their female given names. They were not ridiculed, but accepted in public life, even adulated. For some the choice was a way for a woman to assert her autonomy or to avoid an arranged marriage.
“Stripping off their sexuality by pledging to remain virgins was a way for these women in a male-dominated, segregated society to engage in public life,” said Linda Gusia, a professor of gender studies at the University of Pristina, in Kosovo. “It was about surviving in a world where men rule.”
Taking an oath to become a sworn virgin should not, sociologists say, be equated with homosexuality, long taboo in rural Albania. Nor do the women have sex-change operations. Known in her household as the “pasha”, Keqi said she decided to become the man of the house at age 20 when her father was murdered. Her four brothers opposed the Communist government of Enver Hoxha, the ruler for 40 years until his death in 1985, and they were either imprisoned or killed. Becoming a man, she said, was the only way to support her mother, her four sisters-in-law and their five children.
Keqi lorded over her large family in her modest house in Tirana, where her nieces served her brandy while she barked out orders. She said living as a man had allowed her freedom denied other women.
Albanian cultural historians said the adherence to medieval customs long discarded elsewhere was a byproduct of the country’s previous isolation. But they stressed that the traditional role of the Albanian woman was changing.
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Post by whatever on Jun 26, 2008 11:51:51 GMT -5
Rights group investigates Kosovo organ charges
Associated Press - June 25, 2008 12:13 PM ET
STRASBOURG, France (AP) - A European human rights watchdog says it will investigate claims that ethnic Albanian guerrillas in Kosovo killed hundreds of Serbs and sold their organs at the end of the war in Kosovo.
Hundreds of Serbs and ethnic Albanians are still missing from the 1998-99 war.
The Council of Europe's parliamentary assembly is sending a Swiss senator to Kosovo to draft a report on the accusations, which first appeared in a book by a former U.N. war crimes prosecutor.
Carla Del Ponte says her sources told her that Kosovo Albanians transported between 100 and 300 people - most of them Serb civilians - by truck from Kosovo to a house in Albania where doctors allegedly extracted the captives' internal organs.
Albania's foreign minister has called the allegations "inventions and absurdities."
Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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Post by Toskaliku on Jun 26, 2008 11:53:08 GMT -5
The last court that pursued del Ponte's allegations closed it for lack of evidence. We will see where this one will go, but I highly doubt anywhere...
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libofsha
Amicus
socially inept village idiot who is having a meltdown daily
Posts: 611
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Post by libofsha on Jun 26, 2008 11:55:28 GMT -5
this is a very old custom whereby the eldest of the sisters as a result of the loss of the father figure steps in and takes over the fatherly duties, she is regarded as the pillar of the family and decision maker, she keeps company with men and is treated as such....this was typical of large families with young kids who needed a figure of authority and protection.
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rex362
Senior Moderator
Pellazg
PELASGIANILLYROALBANIAN
Posts: 19,058
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Post by rex362 on Jun 26, 2008 12:45:54 GMT -5
thanks for the info lil Dardana
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Post by whatever on Jun 26, 2008 12:51:55 GMT -5
You're welcome cousin dardan
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rex362
Senior Moderator
Pellazg
PELASGIANILLYROALBANIAN
Posts: 19,058
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Post by rex362 on Jun 26, 2008 14:59:13 GMT -5
my kokina
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Kralj Vatra
Amicus
Warning: Sometimes uses foul language & insults!!!
20%
Posts: 9,814
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Post by Kralj Vatra on Jun 27, 2008 13:39:55 GMT -5
Eva!!! Good to know you are informed!!! The fact that these news get published over there is a sign of health!
However, it is not albanians fault. Albanians were, are and will be criminals for ever. We cant do anything about it,
What we can do (the international community) is TO NOT PROVIDE COVER, OR DIRECTLY CAUSE such crimes.....
Instead of albs, the UN and NATO commander should be in the hague.
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rex362
Senior Moderator
Pellazg
PELASGIANILLYROALBANIAN
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Post by rex362 on Jun 27, 2008 15:21:33 GMT -5
^ my kok e Karit
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Post by speedy on Jun 29, 2008 21:58:14 GMT -5
CHILD ABUSE www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/_w_articles_politics_100019_28/06/2008_98106Girl, 14, escapes after being kept prisoner and raped A 22-year-old Albanian national alleged to have illegally detained a 14-year-old Albanian girl and forced her to work as a prostitute in Pieria, northern Greece, yesterday faced a prosecutor after the girl managed to escape and report her captor. The suspect allegedly kidnapped the girl at gunpoint last December, with the help of his mother and another accomplice. The girl was held in a flat in Pieria for three months before being transferred to a house in Porto Rafti where she was also forced to have sex with clients, police said.
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Post by albquietman on Jun 29, 2008 22:57:59 GMT -5
If I was you speedy, I would had posted this (taken from the same website you posted):
A third of students fail to get a place at university
Almost 13,000 places at universities will not be filled next year because one in three senior high school students who applied did not achieve the 50 percent pass mark in the recent exams. In figures released yesterday by the Education Ministry, 32,272 of some 90,000 students failed to get the grades they needed, which was very similar to the proportion of students that did not pass their exams last year.
because is more embarrassing than a child abuse that has an albanian as suspect, and which by the way happens in every corner of the world, even in USA. But seems like young greeks are getting dumber by day, so no wonder the prostitution is flourishing in Greece...we know who are the clients at least...
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Post by Teuta1975 on Jun 29, 2008 23:02:00 GMT -5
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Post by albquietman on Jun 29, 2008 23:06:27 GMT -5
Greeks...the page has only greek news, I already checked that out before I posted.
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Post by Teuta1975 on Jun 29, 2008 23:16:13 GMT -5
...prostitution has existed and it will continue to exist. Now it is carried out by Albanians and tomorrow it will be by some other mafia. This is a disturbing issue to deal with, but not as important issue as 1/3 of those who take the state exam is refused the possibility to get a higher education!
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Post by albquietman on Jun 29, 2008 23:20:22 GMT -5
Not refused...they couldn't pass the exams, and the pass mark was 50%, the lowest I have heard so far...
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Post by Arxileas on Jun 30, 2008 2:27:30 GMT -5
FFS man how can you compare btw the university story and a Girl, 14 getting raped. Think before your nationlist emotions get in the way.
Trelathike o kosmos paohw tsk tsk
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libofsha
Amicus
socially inept village idiot who is having a meltdown daily
Posts: 611
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Post by libofsha on Jun 30, 2008 2:47:54 GMT -5
o Arqile,
its a little funny you accusing us of nationalistic emotions...what with a greek guy sparking off provocations of the type ' here's another unseen, unheard of crime committed by....yeah you guessed it, AN ALBANIAN!!!'
you wanna talk about national blind xenophobia then lets talk about the leaked videos of your army calling out anti turk and anti albanian chants, lets talk about how minorities get abused on a daily basis in your country, lets talk about how kids get physically harmed in police stations, lets talk about how you killed albanian fans after the football match in sept 04, lets talk about your completely biased media that portrays minorities as a plague and incites racial conflict, lets talk about how alb kids in greek schools get abused for being the cream of the crop, lets talk about how greece...next to turkey have the worst human rights record in europe, talk about fair huh...
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Post by Arxileas on Jun 30, 2008 2:55:36 GMT -5
I just know that Pedophilia is a bad mind desease..............It cannot be compared with anything else...Your talking about "Greater Albania" BUT not caring for your loved ones will be your down FaLL...Wait and see...Leave you to it champ...
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Post by Duke John on Jun 30, 2008 3:40:10 GMT -5
Two dead in failed eviction The attempted eviction of a 68-year-old tenant from a house in Nea Makri, eastern Attica, yesterday afternoon led to a bloody shootout involving two deaths.
Christos Malenos is alleged to have “lost control” following the arrival at his home of two police officers, a court-appointed bailiff and a representative of the property owner, identified as Yiannis Stavroulakis, 60. Malenos allegedly ducked into an adjacent room and returned with a 38-millimeter shotgun which he fired at Stavroulakis, killing him instantly.
One of the two officers then fired back at Malenos with his service shotgun, killing him as well. The second officer, a trainee, had been unarmed.
Malenos is alleged to have owed the property owner some 4,000 euros in unpaid rent. He is said to have had an argument with Stavroulakis about his alleged debts at the end of last week.
Police were yesterday questioning Malenos’s wife, who was on the property at the time of the shooting.
Dad rapes girl in hospital bed next to sick son A MAJOR children's hospital has been forced to introduce new security measures after a man visiting his ill son raped a teenage patient in the next bed.
Raouf Philopos sexually assaulted the girl for more than an hour as his six-year-old son slept and while nurses tended to patients in the ward at The Children's Hospital at Westmead.
The 16-year-old victim was readmitted to the same hospital ward after turning to self-harm following the assault. The incident has forced a major review of Westmead's child protection policies, and resulted in new protocols for overnight stays by carers.
"The Children's Hospital at Westmead takes the safety of its patients, staff and visitors very seriously," a hospital spokeswoman said.
"This matter was immediately referred to the police for investigation."
Philopos was sentenced to a maximum 12 years' jail for the offence, which occurred in 2003. But it only came to light last week when his appeal was rejected in the Supreme Court. Following the attack, the hospital launched a review into overnight stays and introduced a formal register of visitors.
It has a new policy on "Bed allocation at Ward Level" and nurses check rooms every 15 minutes.
As part of the tough new policy, children of similar age and gender should be placed in rooms together.
And all overnight bedside carers now have to to sign a register or logbook.
Chief Justice Peter McClelland described the offences as "very serious" and said the victim "is still in a fragile situation".
He said Philopos, now 51, had "abused the position of trust in which the hospital had placed him by permitting him to stay with his own child overnight."
Philopos' lawyer, Theo Tsambas, of Tsambas and Co Solicitors, said his client was devastated.
"He still maintains his innocence and denies that these things occurred," Mr Tsambas said.
The court was told Philopos had been given permission by hospital staff to sit in a chair for the night to be with his young son, who was recovering from a severe asthma attack. In the next bed, divided by a drawn curtain, slept the victim. She was in hospital suffering depression and severe social phobia.
Philopos approached her and started massaging her shoulders and ran his hands to her lower back, waist and thighs. He then indecently assaulted and raped her. Because of the girl's illness she did not raise the alarm immediately, but later that day told her psychiatrist.
When interviewed by police, Philopos denied touching the woman, and said he spent the whole time looking after his sick son.
But at his trial he gave different versions and accused the victim of acting in a "very seductive way towards him". Philopos' DNA was found on the victim's breast and semen samples found he could not be excluded as the source of the partial DNA profile. He was charged with six counts of indecent assault and rape.
He appealed on the grounds he was suffering a psychiatric condition at the time of the attack and was not fit to stand trial.
Philopos had emigrated to Australia from Egypt in 1993 and worked as a cleaner. His wife has filed for divorce.
In the appeal judgement, Justice McClelland found there was no suggestion Philopos was suffering a mental disorder at the time.
"Advantage was taken of a 16-year-old girl who had been hospitalised with psychiatric problems," he said.
"In any event this was an overwhelming Crown case."
Justice McClelland said the DNA evidence ensured that he would be convicted.
Sex predator gets 11 years for death of travel agent who leapt from his bogus taxi A sexual predator who posed as a taxi driver to pick up women has been jailed for 11 years for the kidnap and manslaughter of a young travel agent.
Greek-born engineer Ioannis Revenikiotis, 29, was described as 'sick and twisted' after a jury convicted him four years after the death of Stephanie Hammill.
The 20-year-old blonde was walking home in Wakefield, West Yorkshire, late at night with her boyfriend James Garland when she flagged down Revenikiotis's Mercedes believing it was a taxi.
Suspected patricide Police in Xanthi, northeastern Greece, said yesterday that they had arrested a 30-year-old man on suspicion of murdering his father. The suspect, who was not named, allegedly stabbed his 55-year-old father in the stomach, causing a fatal injury. The apparent motives for the incident were not immediately clear. Officers said they have recovered the knife that was allegedly used in the stabbing.
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Post by Arxileas on Jun 30, 2008 4:18:55 GMT -5
I, I never made it a competition of ethnicity or nationality YOU guy’s did, see what I wrote;
Even if it was a Greek member. I would have replied to in the same way, regardless of ethnicity...My point still stands...It cannot be compared to a university news article...
To which you people prove my point....You all got served...
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