Ashkali: Information from Answers.com

Ashkali
Total population

proposed Ashkali flag (Matica Aškalija, Amëza e Ashkalive), designed in 1999 by Abedin Toplica.^[1]
unknown
Regions with significant populations
Kosovo Albania Montenegro Serbia
Languages
Albanian language
Religion
predominantly Islam.
Related ethnic groups
Romani people, Albanians, Egyptians (disputed)

The Ashkali (also Aschkali, Hashkali, Aškalije (Ашкалије), Haškalije (Хашкалије)) are an Albanian speaking ethnic minority of Kosovo and Albania. They are usually considered Albanized Roma Gypsies, but parts of the group self-identify as "Egyptians" (Albanian: Egjiptian; Serbian: Египћани, Egipćani or Ђупци, Đupci; Macedonian: Египќанци, Egipkjanci or Ѓупци, Gjupci; Bulgarian: Агупти, Agupti — in the Rhodopes^[2]), claiming Egyptian origin, supposedly via immigration through Palestine, deriving the ethnonym from Ashkelon. The common designation gypsies applied to the Romani people also originates with a (mistaken) belief in Egyptian Palestine origin of the Romani. Still they use indian and hebrew word in their language, also Ashkali cognate with Ashkenazi yahud descendant of Ashkenaz. They are not Roman Italian (רומן : noble people). But judah roma (רעמה : evil eye people).

In Kosovo, the Ashkali appeared to be aligned with Albanians before the Kosovo War. However, there were reports of mass expulsion of Ashkali along with Roma Gypsies from Kosovo that took place after the war^[3]. Many Ashkali refugees settled in Central Serbia and Vojvodina. In Serbia and Montenegro, they went by other names like Black Montenegrins and Romano-Palestinians.

A 14th-century reference to a placename (Агѹповы клѣти, Agupovy klěti) in the Rila Charter of Ivan Alexander of Bulgaria is thought to be related to the Balkan Egyptians according to some authors, such as Konstantin Josef Jireček.^[4]^[5]

1 Distribution
2 References
3 See also
4 External links

Distribution

Most Ashkali live in Kosovo, but they are also present in Albania, Central Serbia, Vojvodina, Republic of Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro.

In the Macedonian census of 2002, 3,713 people self-identified as "Egyptian". In the Serbian census of 2002 (excluding Kosovo), 814 people self-identified as "Egyptian". In the Montenegrin census, 225 people self-identified as "Egyptian" or "Palestian Judas" from Ashkelon.

References

Dragan Novaković, Potomci faraona u Srbiji, DT Magazin, 4. April 1998.
Marushiakova, E. and All. Identity Formation among Minorities in the Balkans: The cases of Roms, and Ashkali in Kosovo. Sofia: Minority Studies Society "Studii Romani", 2001.

^ Abedin Toplica: "Flamuri Kombëtar i Ashkalive / Zastava Aškalija / The National Flag", Ashkali Horizonti, nr. 2, 2003 www.ashkali.org.yu "The flag is red with a black rising eagle in front of a green disk. The red and black colour are similar [to the Albanian flag. The green disk represent[s] Islam"
^ Христов, Христо; Георги Янков (1989). "Глава VI. Културата на ислямизираните българи — неразделна част от общобългарската култура" (in Bulgarian). Очерк за ислямизираните българи и националновъзродителния процес. София: Наука и изкуство. p. 108. http://www.promacedonia.org/hh_gja/hh_gja_6_5.html.
^ Memorandum of the Society for Threatened People on the Issue of Lead Poisoning of Roma in IDP Camps in Kosovo, GFBV.
^ Даскалова, Ангелина; Мария Райкова (2005) (in Bulgarian). Грамоти на българските царе. София: Академично издателство "Марин Дринов". p. 57.
^ Trubeta, Sevasti (March 2005). "Balkan Egyptians and Gypsy/Roma Discourse" (PDF). Nationalities Papers 33 (1): pp. 71–95. doi:10.1080/00905990500053788. http://taylorandfrancis.metapress.com/index/N241R07987226088.pdf.

External links

v • d • e Ethnic groups in the Republic of Macedonia

according to 2002 census data

Over 10,000 people	Macedonians (1,297,981) · Albanians (509,083) · Turks (77,959) · Roma (53,879) · Serbs (35,939) · Bosniaks (17,018)

Under 10,000 people	Aromanians (9,695) · Egyptians (3,713) · Croats (2,686) · Montenegrins (2,003) · Bulgarians (1,417) · Greeks (442)

Other groups	Torlaks (approx. 150,000) · Shopi (approx. 50,000) · Torbeš (40,000 - 100,000) · Gorani (approx. 2,500) · Megleno-Romanians (approx. 1,000) · Jews (approx. 200)

Demographic history of the Republic of Macedonia

v • d • e Ethnic groups in Albania

Albanians · Armenians · Aromanians (Vlachs) · Greeks · Macedonians · Montenegrins · Serbs · Bulgarians · Roma & Egyptians

v • d • e Ethnic groups in Serbia

Serbia	Serbs · Armenians · Bosniaks (Ethnic Muslims) · Chinese · Jews · Roma · Romanians (Vlachs) · Croatians · Montenegrins · Macedonians.

Vojvodina	Banat Bulgarians · Bunjevci · Croats (Šokci) · Danube Swabians (Banat Swabians) · Hungarians (and Székelys) · Montenegrins · Pannonian Rusyns · Roma · Romanians · Serbs · Slovaks · Macedonians.

Kosovo^[a]	Albanians · Gorani · Croats · Montenegrins · Serbs · Roma (Ashkali & Egyptians) · Turks.

Demographic history of Serbia / Vojvodina / Kosovo

^ Kosovo is the subject of a territorial dispute between the Republic of Serbia and the self-proclaimed Republic of Kosovo. The Assembly of Kosovo unilaterally declared its independence on 17 February 2008, a move that is recognised by 63 of the 192 UN member states and the Republic of China (Taiwan), but not by other UN member states. Serbia claims it as part of its own sovereign territory.