Farewell, my friend
Following a serious illness, Behlul Beqaj, doctor of political sciences, university professor, writer, and analyst, has passed away…
Behlul Beqaj was a voice of reason in the Kosovan and regional public. He was a brave, credible, and honest interpreter of the Kosovo reality. A trustworthy man, who respected other people’s opinions.
I’ve known Behlul Beqaj for more than four decades and I know that he experienced all the trials of Kosovo firsthand. From that senseless ideological-political differentiation (when he lost his job) in the late eighties, through pre-war and wartime events (when he lost his home), to recent times when he refused to be part of the political life in teams that did not satisfy his (high) moral standards.
He did not tolerate injustice, stupidity, arrogant leaders, crooks… He was cheerful, witty, and a well-mannered cynic. He was never angry, not even when he was going through the hardest times. Never overzealous. Always calm. Always benevolent. Ready to help in times of need – a rare thing in the nationally conflicted Kosovo.
Early in his career, he was part of a team of young, educated, European individuals who shook the deep-rooted one-party Kosovo system. Even at the time, many did not understand him. Those times or later ones did not give much chance to reason. He was aware that „better times“ should be fought for. He fought through hundreds of works that are an important contribution to democratization in the troubled Balkans.
Behlul Beqaj walked with his head high through all the adversities and evils that shook Kosovo. He did not keep quiet. He did not give in. And when, like everyone else, he would make a mistake – he would readily admit so.
He was a sharp critic, firm in defending the truth. At the end of his career, he was a reliable witness of the times, an esteemed professor, and a man who was as pure as the driven snow.
„Charges from the past are coming in,“ he told me with a smile when I asked him about his health the last time we spoke.
For the last four years, the two of us have had a regular „correspondence“ through Kossev, as part of the „Pristinska veza“ section. Both of us believed that in the spirit of old friendships from Pristina, we were helping to restore relations. I know that his texts broke stereotypes and misconceptions about Kosovo.
Knowing and working with Behlul Beqaj was a tremendous pleasure.
Preuzimanje i objavljivanje tekstova sa portala KoSSev nije dozvoljeno bez navođenja izvora. Hvala na poštovanju etike novinarske profesije.
