Vasfije Krasniqi's brother: Ramadan Nisor's story is completing the evidence mosaic on the road to freedom

The first public confession of a sexually violated man during the war, according to Vasfije Krasniqi-Goodman's brother, is completing the mosaic of evidence on the road to freedom. Nafi Krasniqi has said that Ramadan Nisor's confession is evidence that <x0 ... sexual violence knows no gender and that war spares no one and that it strips every person of his identity”.

According to him, confession of the 1998 99 war has been built mainly on the heroism of the Albanian people, having little space for discussion and treatment of crimes like sexual violence.

Below, read the complete text:

collective memory and half-war confession

The collective memory, as a social concept, represents a society's effort to build, preserve and reproduce common memories of the past.

Meanwhile, personal memories, although subjectives, often cannot be expressed as they were, and if they are expressed, are subject to structure and reformation as a result of external influences.

In post-conflict Balkan countries, including Kosovo, collective memory building is often accompanied by selective selections. Instead of a comprehensive approach, the selection of events, actions, or experiences that coincide with the heroic narrator takes place. Thus, numerous voices are ignored, and a close <x0... This kind of confession, built on heroism and resistance, is understandable in the circumstances of a people with a printed and traumatic past. However, it becomes a problem and a barrier when it dominates the truth and is used to silence and suppress the painful experiences of thousands of civilian victims, especially those who have experienced sexual violence. In this way, there is a <x2-fertilization of the halve” of the war, a lull that leaves out essential segments of collective suffering and pain, and in the future, can result in harmful to historical truth.

Instead of the past serving as a comprehensive source of where lessons about peace, justice, and social progress come from, it through <x0-second radius” is transformed into an instrument intended to reshape narration for war and its consequences.

Therefore, if collective memory is used to protect identity through denial of a painful past, it does not contribute to recognition of the truth but to the deviation of history, it also does not contribute to collective recovery, but to deepening trauma, hiding crime and, therefore, to amnesty of their perpetrators.

In the case of Kosovo, the 199899 war confession has been built mainly on the heroism of the Albanian people. This approach, while understandable in the context of a people oppressed for decades, has left little room for discussing and treating crimes like sexual violence. Thus, not only have perpetrators of these crimes been amnified, but a segment and an important category of freedom sacrifice has been denied.

Organisations that have worked with victims of sexual violence during the recent war in Kosovo have encouraged survivors to break the silence. Strong voices such as Vasfije Krasniqi-Goodman, Skorete Tahiri, and now Ramadan Nishori have publicly testified to their experiences. Their confessions not only give voice to a silent truth but testify that these victims have names, have identities, and are a living part of our society and cannot be ignored.

However, these efforts face strong and constant individual, family and communicative resistance. Stigma, aggression and prejudice, fear etc., continue to be present in our society, preventing survivors from seeking justice, healing or, simply, hearing. Despite that, significant steps have been taken towards establishing a broader public and institutional awareness.

These developments make an important contribution towards meeting the “modic sacrifice for freedom”.

The collective memory of the recent war in Kosovo could turn into a real reflection of our journey for freedom and a foundation on which the process of healing society is built from war trauma.

Ramadan Nisor's confession is evidence that sexual violence knows no gender and that war spares no one and that it strips everyone of his identity. Human bodies, regardless of gender, are transformed into an invading field of struggle with political violence. But Ramadan is not just a body. That's a memory. It is evidence that speaks, although it has taken a lifetime to do so. His voice yesterday, today, tomorrow and forever will be necessary to say that I, today I want people to see me as a man who has been through many things, I've worked hard. But I've never been broken. I don't want people to look at me with pity for the violence I've experienced, but with respect as a man who has fought hard to survive, and shame belongs to those who committed the crime” With this confession, and other confessions will be completed the mosaic of confession to our journey to freedom.

Thanks Dan for telling.