The Leonard Lopate Show

there is no data to support mr. Velijas Muslim population (50%). Last poll taken shows that Albanian population is 73%. Actually Albanian Muslims are moderate and that is the reason why we are pro USA and not because is not Muslim enough

Berisha is not a friend of the media, however, it is a blatant lie to say that he called his dissenters "Jews" and "faggots"!!

Furthermore, the "Jew" has no negative connotation in Albania, for we had only a handful of Jews living in Albania! It's like calling somebody in America an Argentine,or an Maltese!!!!

You should check your facts a tad better when it comes to wee countries like Albania, there at WNYC!

Dear broadcaster!

I find extremely unbelievable that you have called in your radio a Christian missionary like Erion Velija who wrongly claims that Albanians are 50% Muslims.

This promotion of missionary puppets that you do is really immoral. Immoral!

Olsi

Mr L Lopate, If you want to show to the americans the % of the moslems or other religions you should discuss it with the clerics not with the evangelist missionaries and their recruts like E Veliaj.

E Veliaj has no supports from the vast population. We the people of albania live in Peace and harmony but there are certain stereotypes like you host in this program who meddles and segregates it.

Thank God we are moslems as majority, that is why we have Peace. In God we Trust, and He, the Almighty has our Faith. We are moslems 95% all over our ethnic lands.

Dear broadcaster,

The claims of Mr. velija are really unbelieveable. He claims that the Albanian oppossition accusses him and Edi Rama's gang as being jews? This is crazy. Unbelievable!

I challenge Mr. Velija to prove this. but he is lying. Yes, in the Albanian Yellow Press there are some people who accusse Soros for standing behind puppets like Mr. Velija and Edi Rama, and pump them with Soros money. But these people are not the Albanian position. On the contrary Mr. berisha is trying to close down the SOT newspaper because they attack Berisha as well.

Mr. Velija who is in the US for taking money should not lie this much. Simply he becomes funny and unbelieveable. These lies he can produce if he goes in the fondamentalist Stephan Center in Tirana where he preaches the Holy Ghost but not to serious politicians.

I think that the Jewish groups of America should take note of Velija's lies and distance themselves from this little liar.

It is striking the fact that the interviewer tries to get informed about albanian history and politics from an ambicious puppet like Veliaj. He was just a little kid when Albania changed regime from dictatorship to democracy. His family was traditionally connected with, and loyal to, the old communist regime and his political activity against Berisha is ignited by family discontent toward Berisha government. As a matter of fact, Berisha was not the doctor of Politbyro (even this term is not original), he has never been. This is an old and untrue argument used by his political adversaries. Also, the statement that he tried to opress the student movement for democracy, it is nothing but a true lie. I was one of those students, and at that time Veliaj was watching Nils Holgersonin in TV. It is a just ridiculous to refer him as a liable source of information about what happened during those times. He and his commrades would try to throw mud on and downgrade the movement for democracy in Albania. It is his mission. It is Albania's unfortune to still generate pseudo-leaders that more than anything are hypocrites and able to hide their agenda and character.

The thing that bothers me most is that you guys take Veliaj very seriously, when most of what he says are lies and propaganda. He inclines to the left and his old (Mjaft) and new organization (G99) are sponsored by George Soros. This probably is OK with you guys, but still, it is far of jorunalism fairness.

Some questions from interviewer just show how detorated and how affected by Veliaj's opinion are their views about albania politics and journalism. Even Veliaj can not believe the interviewer's naivity! The first one was the question about their adversaries calling Veliaj and Edi Rama, jews and fagots. Veliaj is even frightened from the lies he has said and tries to make some damage control.

Secondly, You asked Veliaj whether the history of implications of prime minister being involved in weapons trafficking. That is hilarious! Not only the story was covered by media in Albania, but the implication of prime minister family was a joke. Even the report in NYTimes, if you ever read that article, just refers to the source, who himself explained in Albania media that the allegations were his fantasy!

Veliaj is one of the worse things that might happen to Albania in the future. Please, don't be so ignorant when you report, it is translated to lasting suffering of million of alabanian people, unfortunely. Don't promote such puppets.

I would have liked to say that Mr. Velija is just an idiot with an opinion, but that would be far from the truth. Mr. Velija iis much more than that. While i am by no means a supporter of Mr. Berisha and see him as one of the main problems in Albania, I still detest some of the the positions and statements that Mr. Velija has made about the % of the muslim population in Albania, the statement that Albania is not muslim enough and the claims about Berisha's position during the democratic movement of 1990-1991. The statement that Berisha is calling people like Mr. Veliaj "jews" and "faggots" is also ridiculous. While "jew" was never a derogatory word in Albania, "faggot" still is, but the times have long gone, when that word was used in the context that Mr. Velija is putting it.

What made me write this comment is that while Albania needs change, Mr. Velija is not part of the solution, but part of the problem. He is part of the people who continue to lie, twist and misrepresent the facts and is damaging the true image of Albania.

The fact that all the comment here are one sided, must show something to the broadcaster, producer or whomever prepared this interview and picked Mr. Velija as a representative of "the truth about Albania today"

There is no such sayings from Mr Berisha (albanian pm) that Mr Veliaj and opposition leader Edi Rama are jews and faggots. This is a big and dirty lie. Shame!

Before he talks about albanian politics, he must show how he and his crew spend the vast amount of money which was given to him and his so-called youth organization from foreign donators including George Soros.

Listening to Veliaj it's e given that he comes from the school of George Soros.It's so typical of these kind of people to lie whithout having any regrets just to achieve what he whants.THE END JUSTIFY THE MEANS- it's the moto.

The problem of albania it's people like Veliaj, people without a backbone or any patriotism on them.People that will sell their country for their personal gain.They always play the tune of somebody else.Like his partner Rama that has sad the day that Albania joined NATO.

This is a very interesting interview, and it's necessary for young people like Veliaj to standup and have their voice heard and demand CHANGE, we need an Obama-like movement in Albania and get rid of all the corrupt old-era politicians. the most important thing is that common citizens have to start taking action and asking for real results from the leadership and if that doesn't happen, we need to vote them out.

the 50% Muslim population is not a very inaccurate number, since a lot of Muslim albanians don't know their religion at all, and many of them have abandoned Islam. I personally think Islam is the best thing that happened to Albania...