Affirmation of a fighter against Montenegro: Former consul in New York attended the opening of Ali-paša Šabanagića Street in that city

The move of the former Montenegrin consul in New York Adel Omeragić - that by his presence at the street opening ceremony Ali-pasha Šabanagić in that American city, affirms the personality of the military leader who throughout history did everything to prevent Plav and Gusinje from becoming part of the Montenegrin state - to put it mildly, it seems strange and difficult to explain.

This was told to "Vijesti" by a historian. Nikola Zecevic, commenting on Omeragic's post on social media last week, in which he stated that the opening of Ali Pasha Street in New York was "a great honor for Montenegro."

Omeragić, who announced the day before yesterday that he had resigned from his position as Montenegrin consul in New York, and that he would continue his political engagement as a Bosniak Party (BS) MP, wrote on Facebook on February 22 that "in the heart" of the New York neighborhood of Astoria, Ali-paša Šabanagića Gusinjski Street was officially opened, which, according to him, represents a symbol of the permanent connection between our diaspora and the homeland of Montenegro.

"I had the honor of attending this ceremony together with my colleagues, where great recognition was given to Montenegro, especially Gusinje and Plav, whose people have built bridges of friendship, work and unity in the United States for decades. The name of Ali-paša Šabanagić remains permanently inscribed in one of the most vibrant communities in New York - as a reminder of our roots, identity and the contribution of the Plav-Gusinje community to American society," the announcement reads.

He stated that they are "proud of our people in the diaspora, of their perseverance and successes, and of the fact that the name of a great man from our history is today on the map of New York."

Omeragić did not respond to a question from "Vijesti" whether he thought it was correct for a civil servant to attend the opening of a street to a man who had fought against Montenegro on several occasions, while the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which he heads, Ervin Ibrahimovic (Bosniak Party), remained silent on the editorial question of whether the position of the previous consul was also the official position of the Ministry.

Zečević: Šabanagić was a pro-Ottoman champion

Zečević told the newspaper that Ali-beg Šabanagić, also known as Ali-paša Gusinjski, led armed resistance to the implementation of the decisions of the Berlin Congress of 1878, according to which Plav and Gusinje were to become part of Montenegro. He states that the peak of this resistance was manifested during the Battle of Novšić (Nokšić) in December 1879, when Ali-paša's pro-Ottoman forces defeated Montenegrin troops under the command of the duke Marko Miljanov, which sought to establish control over the Plav-Gusinj region.

"The clashes continued a month later, in Murina, after which the Montenegrin forces withdrew. The outcome of this resistance was a political dilemma - instead of Plav and Gusinje, Montenegro only received Ulcinj in November 1880, as compensation, while Plav and Gusinje remained part of the Ottoman Empire, namely the Peć Sandžak, which was then entrusted to the administration - precisely Šabanagić," he explains.

The Great War, which Montenegro fought with the Ottoman Empire from 1876 to 1878, preceded the Berlin Congress, at which the formal independence of Montenegro was recognized, and the state received significant territorial expansion - it included Nikšić, Kolašin, Spuž, Podgorica, Žabljak, Bar... Plav and Gusinje became part of Montenegro in 1912, after the end of the First Balkan War.

Zečević recalls that Šabanagić was one of the most important figures in the Prizren League, especially within the so-called Gusinjska Kaza.

"His opposition to the Montenegrin advance was not limited to the crisis caused by the decisions of the Berlin Congress - he had clashed with the Montenegrin army before, during the Second World War." Omer Pasha "military year 1862," says the interviewee.

In 1862, Omer Pasha Latas led a comprehensive Turkish offensive against Montenegro, due to Cetinje's support for the Herzegovinian rebels.

The historian points out that Šabanagić's opposition to the annexation of Plav and Gusinje to Montenegro fit into the early programmatic orientation of the League of Prizren, whose initial goal, according to Zečević, was to preserve the territorial integrity of the Ottoman Empire, while trying to prevent the annexation of areas with a predominantly Muslim population to surrounding Christian states.

The League of Prizren was an Albanian political and national organization that operated from June 1878 to April 1881. It was founded as a direct reaction to the decisions of the Congress of Berlin with the aim of preventing the division of Albanian-populated territories between neighboring states and to fight for the unification of the four Ottoman vilayets into a single autonomous Albanian unit within the Ottoman Empire.

Although initially supported by the Turkish authorities, the movement was suppressed by force in 1881, after the demands escalated into an open struggle for independence.

Zečević estimates that Ali Pasha is probably most accurately understood as a local pro-Ottoman leader and military organizer, "who defended his own homeland, the local Muslim population, as well as the political order in which he operated."

"Viewed from that angle, there is no doubt that Šabanagić represents a significant historical figure for the Plav-Gusinj region. However, the fact that he consistently and persistently acted against the inclusion of that area into Montenegro makes it difficult to treat him, without serious reservations, as some kind of homeland symbol of Montenegro," he underlines.

In this sense, Zečević points out that Omeragić "undoubtedly has every right" to, as a private person, affirm Šabanagić's hometown significance.

"However, if he does so in his capacity as a Montenegrin consul, or rather a representative of the state, then a legitimate question arises as to the political and symbolic appropriateness of affirming a personality who historically did everything to ensure that Plav and Gusinje never became part of Montenegro and who openly opposed this possibility and ultimately opposed it with weapons. To put it mildly, such an action seems strange and difficult to explain," he pointed out.

Omeragić "changes the way of serving the state"

Omeragić announced the day before yesterday that he had resigned from his position as Montenegrin consul in New York, and that he would continue his political engagement as a BS MP.

The party's parliamentary seat remained vacant after the resignation. Admir Adrović at the end of last year.

"Serving the state of Montenegro and its citizens is an honor - regardless of the position from which we do so. The period I spent in New York as the Consul of Montenegro further convinced me of how important it is to strongly and dignifiedly represent the interests of our state and our people, at home and abroad," Omeragić wrote in a Facebook post.

He thanked the Minister of Foreign Affairs and leader of the Bosnian Serb Party, Ervin Ibrahimović, for the trust and opportunity to be part of Montenegro's diplomatic team, saying that "he carries this trust as an obligation to continue to work in a principled, responsible and dedicated manner."

"I also thank our diaspora in New York and across the United States for their open and constructive cooperation. Their commitment to preserving ties with Montenegro, as well as their willingness to contribute to its development, represent a strong pillar of our country. It has been a pleasure to work together to strengthen those ties and improve communication," he added.

Omeragić said that he is determined to be "a strong voice for the policy of equality, multiethnic harmony and Montenegro's European path" in parliament.

"I am not changing my service to the state - I am changing the way I will serve it. It is a special honor for me that as an MP... I will be where decisions are made that determine people's lives and the direction of the state... I am entering this mandate without calculations and with one goal: to be accessible, principled and uncompromisingly committed to equality, dialogue and Montenegro's European path," he said.

"Vijesti" wrote at the end of January that Omeragić would return to the country at the request of BS, in order to fill the party's vacant parliamentary seat. A BS editorial source claimed at the time that due to alleged factions in the party, Ibrahimović wanted Omeragić to fill the vacant seat after Adrović's resignation, and not Irfan Husovic, which was next on the list.

Bosniak Diaspora Initiative of New York

Ali-paša Šabanagić received a street in New York thanks to the initiative of the Bosniak diaspora there.

The initiative was launched by the "Bosnian Women of New York" on behalf of the organization "Collective Work of Sisters", whose executive director is Zara Kandić.

In mid-January, Kandić told the "CGDiaspora" portal that the process from launching the initiative to its adoption took eight months.

"The process required a lot of patience, conversations and paperwork, but nothing was in vain. Today, after everything, I feel gratitude, pride and great responsibility because this is not the end, but the beginning," said Kandić.