In the village of Idrizaj of Gjilan, Mulla Idris Gjilani was born, a cleric, one of the main organizers and leaders of the resistance against the restoration of Yugoslav power in Kosovo at the end of World War II. He completed the madrasa in Gjilan (1926) and served in Pidik, Hogoshti, Malishta and Gjilan mosques. In 1938, he was elected chief imam of Gjilan. He collaborated with the magazine for Islamic culture and science, “Gllasnik” (“The Voice”) of Sarajevo, and secretly taught in the Albanian language. He was engaged in political activity. Mulla Idris Gjilani was the most influential personality in the ranks of Albanians in Anamorava, Karadak and Hashani of Eastern Kosovo. In August 1943, commander of the volunteer forces for the sub-prefecture of Gjilan, he fought against Serbian and Bulgarian units in Veleglavë (June 28), Kike (July 26), Bujanoc (October 18) and Presheve (September 19) (1944). In November 1944, he was among the initiators of the resistance against the establishment of the Yugoslav communist power, and in the Founding Assembly of the Supreme Headquarters of Kosovo, which was held on December 1, 1944, in Tërpeza of Vitia, he represented the commanders of the Eastern Kosovo detachments. On 19-20 December 1944, he was in charge of the Albanian forces that fought against the Macedonian XVII Brigade. After meetings with the leaders of the partisan forces from Albania and Kosovo and their promises that after the calming of the situation, Kosovo and the Albanian provinces of Yugoslavia would join Albania, he withdrew from the war and lived illegally for 5 years. He was discovered by the UDB (Yugoslav State Security), arrested and killed in 1949. (In the photo: Mulla Idris Gjilani)
Text: Albanian encyclopedic dictionary – Vol. 1 , Academy of Sciences of Albania, “Kristalina-KH”, Tirana, 2008, page 839.
Photo: © https://sq.wikipedia.org/wiki/Idriz_Gjilani
Graphic processing: AHCF
