Ashkali and Balkan Egyptians

The Ashkali are a predominantly Muslim minority in Kosovo and Central Serbia, Albania, Bulgaria and Macedonia. They form a subgroup of the Roma.

Origin

In the 1990s, emerged in Kosovo in the context of support for Kosovo's minorities by the Western states with " Ashkali " and " Egyptian " two hitherto non-existent minorities. In a short time, was formed with the Democratic Party of Albanian Ashkali under President Sabit Rahman political representation and with " Democratic Hope" under Agim Hyseni an NGO.

At the same time created speakers and supporters of the new minority autonomous historical and ethno -genetic derivatives. It is - according to one interpretation - the descendants of immigrants from Turkey during the Ottoman rule or - as a second - in the wake of the campaign of Alexander the Great to India reached ( about Ashkelon ) from Egypt to the Balkans. So declare the name Egyptians for a part of them. The myth raises the explicit claim, "Egyptians " and Ashkali were the Albanians before the first inhabitants of Kosovo as well as other areas have been that they were therefore in possession of older and more senior rights. A third derivation refers to it as the second oldest "people" in the Balkans after the Illyrians, who in the 4th century BC (!) Had taken Islam from them. A fourth explanation relates to the city of Ashkelon in Palestine. It is argued here with information from the Bible. A fifth leads a king Arsaces or Ashkan into the field of a dynasty of the Arsacids had founded, which had an area from Iran to Egypt dominated. A preference for any of these proposals has not yet emerged, they still compete with each other.

The existing mythical Offered in common is what is generally for origin myths just true in the Balkans that they " ( are ) derived from most ancient times and relate ... to the world civilizations and religions". The mythical origin serves to legitimize an "ethnic " self-reliance, especially in distancing from the write-up "Roma" or the opposite of, especially in the majority of the population are still common, usually pejoratively intentioned labeling as "Gypsies".

The demarcation of the two new minorities, " Ashkali " and " Egyptian", against each other is unclear. "Egyptians" organize " Ashkali " as part of its minority and vice versa. Mutually the charge is made to try to assimilate the other. There is agreement in the complaint that "Roma" or " Gypsy " to be exposed Assimilierungsanstrengungen of this page.

In fact, Ashkali likely to be catalyzed Albanian Roma. This is at least indicate cultural similarities between the two groups, for example in the acquisition activities, oral traditions or rules of marriage. This is not precluded that the Romany for many a foreign language, Albanian primary language, second language is often Serbian. The language loss smaller ethnic groups is a general phenomenon and not South-East European Roma or specificity. With "Egyptians " Use the speakers an old common European name for Roma, as she still lives in " gypsies ", " Gitans " or " gypsies " and is also preserved in the Balkans, and return to Egypt Myth of the historic Roma. The Egyptian origin myth was since the end of the Middle Ages a part of the self-definition of the Roma minority. It is the scientific study of the novel in the late 18th century revealed the real origin of the Roma from the Indian subcontinent to which knowledge has now been taken over by the minority itself, but was just made from one part of the Ashkali reversed.

Even official representative of the group in Germany explained that many of her relatives in Kosovo describe themselves as Albanian Roma. From the Kosovo Albanians, they are considered together with the Roma residing in Kosovo as a group. The Roma of Kosovo consider it as one of its subgroups. International organizations such as the OSCE or the Swiss Refugee they see as Roma.

The self- association can differ widely in a family. As a "text book example" denote the ethnologists Elena Vesselin Popov Marushiakova and in case of three brothers on the one known as "Egyptians", the second as "Rome" and the third as " Albanians ". It is also seen that individuals between the groups as needed " switchen ," the groups merge into one another and are contrary to the minority political self- representation real not mutually distinguishable.

Ashkali in Kosovo

Before the outbreak of the civil war in Kosovo Ashkali also took part in strikes and street actions against the Yugoslav and the Serbian government. They were no different than the Albanian government opponents exposed to repressive measures.

During the war, the allegation was made from the Albanian majority population out, the Ashkali who cooperated with the Serbian minority. There was severe pogroms against Roma, looting, the burning of settlements and the expulsion by armed groups and other members of the Albanian majority population. Many Aschkaligemeinschaften were destroyed and often, members of the majority population whose land and property appropriated.

In the language of international organizations Ashkali, "Egyptians" and all other Roma under the symbol " RAE " ( = Roma, Ashkali, Egyptians ) are merged and allocated to the overall European minority.

Ashkali in countries neighboring Kosovo

In the census of 1994 in Macedonia, 3,169 people identified themselves as "Egyptians". They live mainly in the municipalities of Ohrid, Struga, Kicevo, Resen and Debar. Primary language of the "Egyptians" in Ohrid, Struga, Resen and Debar is Albanian. In Bitola, it is Turkish, Macedonian in Kicevo.

The mass expulsions in the course of "ethnic cleansing" by KLA militia and the Albanian majority population left many Roma, Ashkali and Egyptians as well, to flee to Serbia and Montenegro. There they live mostly in the slums off the native population.