Chameria Human Rights Association

Note: this page is about the association in the US, for the Cham Albanian association in Albania, see the National Political Association "Çamëria"

The Chameria Human Rights Association (Albanian: Shoqëria për të drejtat e Njeriut, Çamëria) is a non-governmental organization, based in Washington, DC, United States, which protects and lobbies for the rights of Cham Albanians.

Chams in the United States

Muslim Cham Albanians were expelled from Greece in 1944, and were forcefully sent to Albania. But, many Chams were persecuted also by the Albanian Communist regime,[1] forcing them to leave. The majority of Cham Albanians that left Albania and Greece, migrated to the United States.[2] They were mainly concentrated in Chicago, as well as Boston and New York.[3] They managed to retain their tradition and language,[2] and published the first Cham Albanian newspaper, in 1966, named "Chameria - motherland" (Albanian: Çamëria - Vatra amtare), edited by Bilal Xhaferri.[3]

Chameria Human Rights Association

In such situation, where Cham Albanians in the United States are the fourth most numerous population of Chams, after Albania, Turkey and Greece,[2] there was created the Chameria Human Rights Association. It describes as its mission: the right of return of Cham Albanians "to their homes in Greece and live there in peace and prosperity with their Greek brothers"; the Property Rights; Other Legal Rights "ensuring to the Cham people all other legal and minority rights deriving from the Greek Constitution and Laws, the Treaties and laws of the European Union, and other rights originating from international treaties and conventions to which Greece is a party"; and the conservation and propagation of the rich history, culture, language, and other cultural aspects of the Cham people.[4]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Vickers, Miranda. The Cham Issue - Albanian National & Property Claims in Greece. Paper prepared for the British MoD, Defence Academy, 2002.ISBN 1-903584-76-0
  2. 1 2 3 Vickers, Miranda. The Cham Issue - Where to Now? Paper prepared for the British MoD, Defence Academy, 2002.
  3. 1 2 Sali Bollati, president of Chameria association, interview on newspaper "Illyria", June 2005
  4. ↑ Chameria Human Rights Association mission (http://www.chameriaassociation.org/enmis.html)
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