To Phil Thanks for the links!
To Guido. I just read some news about a survey being done on the American constitution because of independence day. It says a shocking 63 percent of the people has doubts about the press freedom. According to them there should be some restrictions. SCARY! Is freedom really making people so unaware of what it is like to be oppressed???

What do you think of these tendencies?

Zoja

Kosovo Library Ban Lifted

By Jim Heintz
Associated Press Writer
Saturday, July 3, 1999; 2:43 a.m. EDT

PRISTINA, Yugoslavia (AP) -- The new director of Kosovo's National
and University Library walks the halls carefully -- not because of the
library's rule of silence, but for fear of setting off booby traps.

``Yes, of course I'm very worried,'' Mehmet Gerguri says, but a few
minutes later he begins prowling through unexplored rooms, warning those
who follow not to touch any books, no matter how enticing they might
look.

Gerguri's fear of finding instruments of death in an institute of learning isn't
unreasonable: The Yugoslav army used the library as a headquarters
during this spring's war, apparently believing NATO would not risk
international disgrace by bombing a cultural institution.

But Gerguri's eagerness to explore, despite the prospect of booby traps
laid by a vengeful withdrawing army, also has a reason: Albanians had
been barred from entering the library since 1990, part of the Serbian
crackdown when the province's autonomy was revoked.

As Kosovo's people still suffer with their memories of ethnic massacres,
reclaiming cultural institutions such as the library are small but meaningful
moves, helping them find hope amid trauma.

Gerguri said his love of books sustained him during the years of increasing
oppression. He was among the ethnic Albanian staff fired from the library
in 1990. From then until this week he had no job, but devoted himself to
collecting books with hopes of someday donating them.

``I did nothing for a job, but I always worked for the library,'' said
Gerguri.

The self-styled parallel Kosovo government named him director in 1997,
but he claimed the post only this week.

Nehat Krasniqi, a specialist in antique manuscripts, shook his head both in
awe at being back and in dismay at the abuse the books have suffered.

``It's nine years that I've been away from these books,'' Krasniqi said.

If the army left no booby traps -- and there are still suspicions because the
keys to some rooms can't be found -- it left clear signs of spite. Books lie
on damp floors in huge piles as if armloads were dropped from shoulder
height. Atop one pile were copies of Gerguri's own doctoral dissertation.

The drawers of the card catalog that had been in the library's rotunda
were strewn in a jumble in a remote basement room. Hacked-off wires
protrude from walls, the remains of equipment that apparently was stolen.

The antique books that Krasniqi longed to see again were stacked in
direct line with a southern window, exposed to full, paper-wrecking
sunlight.

At least those books are still there. During the ban, witnesses saw
truckloads of books being hauled to a paper-recycling plant, said Gerguri,
who estimates that as many as 100,000 of the 600,000 books have been
destroyed.

The library also holds eerie traces of another war. About 40 families of
Serbs who fled the war in Croatia were given shelter in some of the
library's chambers. They left behind signs of anger and resentment: bullets
and a military knife, lock-picking equipment and, in one room, a sink
spigot that appeared to have been on for days.

Even when Albanians could use the library, its architecture inspired ethnic
tension. Many Serbs called its white-domed skylights a nettling echo of
the traditional white caps worn by many ethnic Albanians.

But Gerguri said he sees other meanings in the skylights he hopes will be a
metaphoric guide as Kosovo rebuilds.

``They bring light to every corner,'' he said. ``Nowhere can you be in the
dark.''

TO KISSIE.
Boy oh boy we like this were on to you.So sweety stop pretending you just gave yourself away completely.

Emina

PHIL
Is there anyway i can e mail you personally?I have something inportant to tell you, but in private please?

Emina

Emina, you can e-mail me at [email protected] or [email protected] phil