Written by: Ruben Avxhiu
In his farewell speech to the US Congress, on December 18, 2020, in the House of Representatives, Eliot Engel also dwelt briefly on one of his favorite stories, the visit that Harry Bajraktari paid the young congressman to his office in the Bronx.
It was a difficult year for the Albanians of Kosovo. Slobodan Milosevic was at the peak of his popularity and had begun the effort to turn Yugoslavia into Serbs. The first step to this was the elimination of the Autonomy of Kosovo and the implementation of a system of segregation for Albanians that would affect schools, hospitals and every necessary institution of daily life. One autumn day, in the Bronx, a young businessman, Harry Bajraktari, who had come with his parents from Kosovo, at the age of 13, overcome by emotions about what was happening in Kosovo knocked on the door of the neighborhood congressman, in the Bronx. New York. Harry was only 32 years old and after a great success in the real estate business with his partner and uncle Rrustem Gecaj, he was trying like many other Albanians to become an advocate for Kosovo in American politics. Although he did not have an appointment, the congressman waited for him. Engel had been born and raised in the Bronx slums and knew Albanians but little about Kosovo. But he listened attentively to his visitor and promised to learn more. Harry promised to keep him informed. Like Harry, Eliot Engel was relatively young. 42, newly elected to the US Congress; he was still learning the ways of Washington and his political influence was minimal.
In many ways, that meeting might have seemed like a waste of time, considering that Albanians had powerful friends in the capital like Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole, Senators Al D'Amato and Larry Pressler, and famous congressmen like Tom Lantos and experienced congressmen like William S. Broomfield. But from that meeting began a new friendship that only grew and bore fruit for decades. Engel would soon become one of the most informed and imaginative congressmen in the US Congress. Not only did he have the vision to establish the Albanian Affairs Caucus in Congress, but he learned how to cross the most difficult border in the world, that between the US legislature and the executive, opening doors to Albanians in many US federal government institutions and agencies. His personal connections with Presidents Bill Clinton and George W Bush had great historical importance for Kosovo, Albania, and Albanians in the Balkans. No ambassador or lobbying firm in Washington could have done what he has done in these years. Every Albanian state delegation from Albanian lands in Washington has been received, oriented, advised, assisted and promoted by Engel's Office in the American capital, without any interest or reward. In 1991, Harry founded the newspaper "Illyria", which for years bombarded political and diplomatic circles in Washington with an information campaign about Kosovo and Albanians. In 1996, the Albanian-American National Council was founded.
Together with Congressman Engel's office, these three institutions coordinate their actions in service of the Albanian cause in Washington. I have described his long history of cooperation with Albanians in a book dedicated to his life. He made many personal friends in this community from the Bitici brothers to Vehbi Bajrami (publisher of the newspaper “Illyria” (since 2006), and many others with connections that transcended politics and were family and social. Engel was a friend who had humor, humanity, and understanding. When he became chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee in the House of Representatives, Engel became one of the most powerful figures in American foreign policy at a crucial time when American interest and attention were moving away from the Balkans and the traditional positions to which Albanians were accustomed. Once again, he found himself at the right time, in the right place for us. A great lesson of this story is the value of modest beginnings in advocacy in the service of a cause. Trying to connect with dominant figures in politics is reasonable.
They are the ones who can make the big changes. But we should not forget those who have just started their path: the future leaders of the coming generations. Nearly 37 years ago, Harry Bajraktari did not start by making strategic calculations when he knocked on the door of the newly elected congressman. But that sincere act without prejudice about the age and name of the young congressman laid the foundations of one of the most fruitful collaborations in the history of the Albanian community in America. Get to know the people who represent you at the lowest levels, get to know the new politicians, those who still seem insignificant and unknown. Often, early influences and experiences in life remain indelible. Even better if you belong to close generations. It is an opportunity for both parties to learn and educate each other. Especially when you know that you are working for a just cause and with a pure heart, advocacy is not a job, but a way to fill your life and soul.
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