Sanjak

[Soldier of Macedon]

As I am the local (forum) nut job that deals with all things regarding ethnic-linguistic claims and descent, the following statement - which I have to point out - raised a smile:

Единственото нешто што ме поврзува со муслиманите е моето име, но и тоа не е комплетно исламско, бидејќи нашите (албански) имиња се секуларни и потекнуваат од католиците Албанци и од Илирите - рекол Харадинај.

Interesting statement. First he says that the only thing that ties him to Muslims is his name, then he follows by saying his name isn't completely Islamic because Albanians have secular names which descend from Catholic Albanians and Illyrians. First of all, few if any Albanians had Illyrian names prior to the 20th century - the practice of Albanian parents giving their children Illyrian names only started becoming common during the regime of Enver Hoxha. Second, his own name appears to be completely Islamic. The original Arabic version of the Albanianised 'Ramush Haradinaj' is probably 'Rami Hayreddin' - such a name could only have come about after Albanians became Muslims.

[Carlin]

Interesting statement. First he says that the only thing that ties him to Muslims is his name, then he follows by saying his name isn't completely Islamic because Albanians have secular names which descend from Catholic Albanians and Illyrians. First of all, few if any Albanians had Illyrian names prior to the 20th century - the practice of Albanian parents giving their children Illyrian names only started becoming common during the regime of Enver Hoxha. Second, his own name appears to be completely Islamic. The original Arabic version of the Albanianised 'Ramush Haradinaj' is probably 'Rami Hayreddin' - such a name could only have come about after Albanians became Muslims.

Interesting indeed.

Here are some more facts about Haradinaj.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramush_Haradinaj

- Haradinaj was born on 3 July 1968, as second of nine children, in the village of Glođane, near Dečani, in the Kosovo and Metohija Province that was part of the Serbia and Yugoslavia. His paternal descent is from Berishė in northern Albania, around the city of Pukė. (Haradinaj's ancestors originated from Iballe, Pukė in Northern Albania, who later then migrated to Kosovo)

- In 1989, using a false name, Haradinaj emigrated to Leysin, Switzerland. He worked there for eight years as a construction worker, security guard, and a bouncer in a nightclub.

- In Switzerland, Haradinaj joined the Albanian nationalist organization "National Movement of Kosovo", from which the KLA originated; this organization wanted to separate Kosovo from Yugoslavia through armed struggle. In 1996, he went through sabotage training in Albania, then participated in the establishment of KLA bases in Kukės and Tropojė. According to media outlets, he organized the smuggle of arms into Kosovo; in one of those operations he was ambushed by border patrols, during which he was wounded and his brother Luan was killed.

- In spring 2000, Ramush Haradinaj was involved in a fist fight with Russian soldiers at a KFOR checkpoint, and later that year was involved in a shootout in Strellc with members of the Musaj family (members of the FARK), which was covered up by US officials of Camp Bondsteel. He was injured, and sent by a US helicopter to Germany, while the location, long from US area of responsibility, was cleansed of evidence.

- It is alleged that he beat the soldiers under his command in order to maintain discipline, and was described as "a psychopath" by one of his former soldiers.