Hafëz Ibrahim Dalliu, an activist of the national and democratic movement, Muslim cleric, publicist, writer of artistic literature, passed away. He was born in Tirana, in 1878. He studied at Madrasah in his hometown. He continued his higher theological studies in Istanbul. He served in his homeland as a cleric (hafez) and teacher. He taught at the first Albanian-language school in Tirana in 1898. He founded and directed the first Albanian school for girls in Tirana in 1908 and taught Albanian language at the Normal School in Elbasan in 1909. Ibrahim Dalliu was one of the founders and leaders of the patriotic cultural club “Bashkimi” in Tirana and represented it at the Congress of Monastir in 1908. He participated in the Congress of Elbasan in 1909 and joined the anti-Ottoman insurgency of Sarisalltik in 1911, becoming one of its leaders. He participated in the National Assembly of Vlorë in 1912. After the Declaration of Independence, he engaged in extensive political and social activities. During the period of 1920–1924, he participated in the democratic movement. He was active in the formation of the opposition association “Xhoka” in the parliamentary elections of 1923, founded and directed the newspaper “Dajti”, and published historical and literary books such as “Patriotizma në Tiranë” (Patriotism in Tirana) (1930, reprinted in 1995) and “Dokrrat e Hinit” (1922). He was a thorough researcher in theological sciences. As a knowledgeable person in Islamic faith, he published several books in this field, such as “E lemja dhe jeta e Profetit Alejselam” (1934) and “Libri i së falmes” (1942). He translated several works from Turkish and Arabic. Due to his nationalist, democratic, and political-social activities, Ibrahim Dalliu was exiled, imprisoned, and mistreated during the Ottoman rule, Italian occupation, monarchy of Ahmet Zogu, and the dictatorship of Enver Hoxha. (In the photo: Ibrahim Dalliu)
Text: Albanian encyclopedic dictionary – Vol. 1 , Academy of Sciences of Albania, “Kristalina-KH”, Tirana, 2008, page 413.
Photo: © https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ibrahim_Dalliu
Graphic processing: AHCF
