One of the streets of Staten Island, New York City was inaugurated with the name of the founder of the Albanian state, “Ismail Qemali”.
The good news was published by the chairman of the board of Albanian schools in New York, Qemal Zylo, on Facebook.
He stated that they should keep the legacy of the ancestors in their hearts, as the homeland and the Albanian language have been preserved by the blood shed by martyrs.
Therefore, a festive event was held on June 3rd by the Albanian community in Staten Island, New York City, to celebrate the historic moment.
Ismail Qemali served as the first prime minister of Albania, from December 1912 until his resignation in January 1914.
Born in Vlora to an Albanian noble family, Qemali developed early interest in languages and mastered Ottoman Turkish, Greek, Italian and French in Ioannina and later studied law in Istanbul.
He traveled across Europe and returned to Albania after the Young Turk Revolution, playing a major role in the Albanian revolt of 1912.
The principal author of the Declaration of Independence, Qemali was elected leader of the Provisional Government of Albania by the All-Albanian Congress in November 1912. He became prime minister and foreign minister of Albania.
Qemali temporarily allied with the Ottoman Empire and jointly plotted to attack Serbia in return for gaining Kosovo from the Ottomans. However, their plan got leaked and International Control Commission occupied Vlora, which resulted in Kemal’s resignation. Afterward, he lived in exile in Italy where he died in 1919. He is often called “Father of the Nation”.
