Sali Nivica | |
---|---|
Born |
Sali Asllani May 15, 1890 Rexhin, Vilayet of Yannina, Ottoman Empire |
Died | January 10, 1920 Shkodër, Principality of Albania |
(aged 29)
Nationality | Albanian |
Other names | Sali Nivitza |
Occupation | Journalist, teacher, politician |
Known for | Committee for the National Defence of Kosovo Populli newspaper |
Sali Nivica or Sali Nivitza (May 15, 1890 – January 10, 1920) was a politician, a patriot, an Albanian journalist and a teacher. For his patriotic activity he received the highest Albanian award, 'Honour of the Nation' as well as that of 'Teacher of the People'.
Nivica was born in Rexhin village in the southern Ottoman Albania, today's Tepelenë District.
Nivica went to school in Monastir (1904-1907) where he was inspired by the rebel Bajo Topulli. After that he went in Yannina where he joined the Greek-language Zosimea school (1907–09). He went in Durrës to teach there for a short time (1909–10). During this time he was increasingly caught up by the Albanian nationalist movement. During 1911–12 he was involved with anti-Ottoman activities and uprisings in southern Albania. For that he would be arrested and imprisoned in Istambul. However, he was soon released with the intervention of Ismail Bey Vlora and managed to arrange himself to teach Albanian at the Robert College.
Nivica returned to Albania after independence and together with Mustafa Hilmi Leskoviku (1887–1915), also known as Muço Qulli, he funded the newspaper Populli ("The people") in Vlorë (1914) and shortly moved to Shkodër. The end of World War I would find him there.
Nivica was a member of the National Literature Organization, and the Committee for the National Defence of Kosovo (CNDS) until his death. He continued as the editor-in-chief of the Albanian patriotic newspaper Populli restarted in early 1919. It was published in Shkodër, with strong nationalistic notes supporting the Committee for the National Defence of Kosovo. The first issue came out on January 18, 1919, with the slogan "Për lavdinë e Atdheut" (English: "For the glory of the nation"). It served somehow as a de facto journal of the Committee. During all its activity the newspaper propagandized Albanian ethnic unity, the Albanian national cause, and called for the liberation of Kosovo from the Serbs.