The Senate of the University of Tetova, in the meeting held on February 27, 2023, led by the President of the Senate, Prof. Dr. Vullnet Ameti has unanimously approved the proposal that November 22 – Albanian Alphabet Day to be declared a public holiday in the Republic of Albania and the Republic of Kosovo.
After the approval of the aforementioned proposal, the University of Tetova through an official request addressed to the institutions of the Republic of Kosovo and the institutions of the Republic of Albania (Presidencies, Assemblies, Governments, Academies of Sciences and Arts, as well as embassies of the respective countries), that this date of national importance should be formalized as a public holiday in these two states.
The request states: “Taking into account the national importance of the Albanian Alphabet Day, when in a difficult historical period, in the city of Bitola, in 1908, the most eminent patriots of the national issue from all ethnic areas were gathered; the undeniable fact that the Congress of Manastir is the greatest national monument for all Albanians wherever they are, a congress in which the foundations of Albanian writing were laid; that the approach and perception of the importance of the national issue changed; its role in preserving the Albanian identity, precisely thanks to the unified Albanian writing; The Senate of the University of Tetova has unanimously approved the proposal that November 22 – Albanian Alphabet Day to be declared a public holiday in the Republic of Albania and the Republic of Kosovo”.
Furthermore, in the aforementioned request, addressed to the institutions and authorities of Albania and Kosovo, it is emphasized that with this act (the declaration of the Day of the Albanian Alphabet – a state holiday) your governments would testify to a comprehensive national awareness and would honor the precious and colossal work of our forefathers, who did not spare their contribution, with the sole purpose that, generation after generation our people should enjoy a linguistic unification and Albanian letters should be well established in our national foundations.
University of Tetova points out that the preservation and strengthening of the Albanian identity in Albania was done with the opening of the University of Tirana, in Kosovo with the foundation of the University of Pristina, and in North Macedonia with the foundation of the University of Tetova in 1994. In conclusion of this official letter, the leaders of this institution bring to attention the circumstances in which the University of Tetova was founded, which were as complex as the circumstances of holding the Congress of Manastir. “Aware of the role that our University has in the advancement of historical processes, the debate that takes place in this arena of Albanian intellectuals in our country and not only, where educational, scientific and cultural diversity is interwoven, the above-mentioned request aims to shape our nationwide vision. We remain hopeful that you will consider the Proposal of the Senate of the University of Tetova, and you will approve it the same” – it is emphasized in the request of the Senate of the University of Tetova.
The same proposal was sent to the Government of Kosovo and the Government of Albania in the past, namely in March 2014, as well as in December 2020.
