From:   David Brasier 
Sent:   11 September 2006 10:12
To : Sunday Times article dated 23 July 2006 "The Land That Time Forgot" by AA Gill

Dear Sirs,

I refer to the above mentioned article, which was published in the 23 July 2006 edition of The Sunday Times. A copy of this article was sent to me by a dear and longtime friend, who is a member of the Albanian Royal House of Zogu, and a personal friend of the Albanian Prime Minister.

The article has prompted me, as both a friend and associate of the Royal House of Zogu, and of the Albanian people, to write this letter to you. After reading the article, I was left with a sense of bewilderment, horror, disgust and contempt for your newspaper, and for the author. It appears to me, that AA Gill really knows nothing about political sensitivity, or decorum, or indeed anything about Albania, it's people and the Royal House of Zogu. The article defames the character of the late King Zog I, in such a way, that His Late Majesty is made to look like a Ruritanian megalomaniac. This is totally unfare to King Zog's memory, and to the great works he planned, and carried out in the name, and for the benefit of his people, (whom incidentally are comprised of various ethnic and religious groups; the predominant groupd being Albanians and Greeks, similarly the predominant faiths are Islam and Christianity (Roman Catholicism)). After he was elected king, by the Albanian Parliament, at the behest of his people, King Zog immediately set about providing roads, schools, hospitals, communications etc. for the benefit of the nation, often at personal financial cost. His Majesty only had a period of opportunity spanning ten years in which to promulgate such beneficial reforms, before having his country snatched away from him by the Fascist government of Mussolini - a man whom even the West believed was sincere towards Albania.

After the Second World War,  Albanian and her people were subjected to the strangulating, backward and insular communist government of Enver Hoxha. This lasted over 50 years, and completely undid everything that King Zog I had striven for in order to bring his country into the (then) 20th. century. All the westernising reforms were reversed, and Albania became the personal territory of Enver Hoxha. No one was allowed to enter or leave the country. Fear and suspicion was promoted. Diplomatic ties with the outside world were severed, except for maintaining diplomatic relations with Maoist China. Now that Albania is finally free from communism and imperialist rule ( namely the Ottoman Empire and the Italian Empire under Mussolini ), journalists like AA Gill should give such fledgling nations a chance by promoting their good qualities. This will improve the standing of such nations in the world, and help paint a better picture, which will then encourage tourism and trade, resulting in a stronger economy, and ultimately benefitting the nations' inhabitants.

I understand that this article is the subject to a legal complaint, and so it should be. I believe that the author of this racist, defamatory article should apologise to the Royal House of Zogu and also to the Albanian people. I might add, that in the current climate, in which global governments are attempting to promote anti-racist and anti-religious fervour , in order to regain a modicum of peace and stability, I have sent a copy of this article to Mr. Kofi Anan at the headquarters of the United Nations in New York.

Yours faithfully

David J. Brasier, BSc (Hons), Dip TP, MRTPI, Associate of the Royal House of Zogu and Friend of the Albanian People.