Albanians Swear To End A Family Feud

Press, Volume XCVI, Issue 28372, 3 September 1957, Page 13

Albanians Swear To End A Family Feud

(Rec. 11 p.m.) PERTH, Sept. 2. A convicted murderer serving a life sentence and a paroled man who has served part of a 10-year sentence for manslaughter, faced each other at Perth’s Mohammedan mosque today while their families swore on the Koran to end a feud which has brought •bout the death of two men. Mehmet Ali, an Albanian serving a life sentence for the murder of Seit Ramadan last December, was brought from Fremantle Gaol for the ceremony. Suleman Ramadan, who killed Zylfi Ali in • knife fight in a hotel in April 1953, and who was sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment on a manslaughter charge, was also there. Mehmet and Suleman each stood alongside their brothers as a priest knelt in the arch of the mosque, faced far-away Mecca, and prayed to Allah. Two members of Western Australia’s Parliament? Sir Charles Latham and Mr James Mann, who had helped bring the families together, made short speeches on the desirability of peace and harmony.

After swearing on the Koran the Albanians signed a document, which read: “We solemnly and sincerely swear that the quarrel •nd feud that has existed between our families and each of us indi vidually will cease and that we will live in peace from now onward, and will abide by the laws •nd customs of the State of Western Australia, in which we live.” One copy of the document is to he held at the mosque, and the Ali and Ramadan families will each retain a copy. . The feud between the families “•d split the prosperous town of

York, about 60 miles east of Perth, where the two families have market gardens. A group of about 15 Albanian market gardeners in the York district, many of them with wives and children, had earlier told Mr Mann of their alarm at the continuance of the feud. Mr Mann called the group together in a meeting at York about a fortnight ago and put the peace plan to them. Amiable Mr Nevrus Sherif, who came from Northam to York last December to drive a truck for Myrteza Ali, addressed the Albanians in their native language. He advocated a trial of Mr Mann’s scheme.

Last Thursday the Western Australian Deputy-Premier, Mr J. T Tonkin, gave permission to bring Mehmet Ali from gaol for the ceremony, and the Police Minister (Mr J. Brady) agreed to attend. Mr Mann undertook to guarantee the prisoner’s custody. Mehmet Ali, dressed neatly in a blue suit, arrived at the mosque, while outside the high stone walls waited Myrteza Ali, last of the Ali brothers, and several other Albanians. About 70 yards away stood Suleman Ramadan and his brother. For a while it seemed that the scheme would fail at the outset. The Ramadan brothers said they objected to Ali being present because, though Suleman Ramadan had stabbed Zylfi Ali to death “in anger,” Mehmet Ali had killed Seit Ramadan in “cold blood.” They were told: “Murder is murder in God’s eyes whether it’s done in hot blood or cold.” The Ramadan brothers agreed and entered the mosque? and the ceremony took place.