Mullah Mullah (; ) is an honorific title for Shia and Sunni Muslim clergy or a Muslim mosque leader. The term is also sometimes used for a person who has higher education in Islamic theology and sharia law. The title has also been used in some Miz ...

Jakup Kardović (or Kadrović; sq, Jakup Kadria; ''

nom de guerre A pseudonym (; ) or alias () is a fictitious name that a person or group assumes for a particular purpose, which differs from their original or true name (orthonym). This also differs from a new name that entirely or legally replaces an individua ...

'': ''Kombi'') (10 March 1869 – 11 February 1945) was an

Albanian Albanian may refer to: *Pertaining to Albania in Southeast Europe; in particular: **Albanians, an ethnic group native to the Balkans **Albanian language **Albanian culture **Demographics of Albania, includes other ethnic groups within the country ...

Muslim cleric and during WWII a commander of a detachment of the Muslim militia in Rožaje, his native region. In November 1941, Kardović distinguished himself during the

Battle for Novi Pazar The Battle of Novi Pazar was a battle fought between November and December 1941 during World War II, between the Chetniks and Albanian forces under Axis command in the city of Novi Pazar, Sandžak, in the German occupied Kingdom of Yugoslavia. D ...

, when he defended the city against the attacking

Chetniks The Chetniks ( sh-Cyrl-Latn, Четници, Četnici, ; sl, Četniki), formally the Chetnik Detachments of the Yugoslav Army, and also the Yugoslav Army in the Homeland and the Ravna Gora Movement, was a Yugoslav royalist and Serbian nationa ...

During World War II

Mullah Jakup was born in the village of Biševo, which is some 4-5 kilometers close to the city of Rožaje. He belonged to a group of notable Albanians from Sandžak. In WWII he joined the Sandžak Muslim militia. In November 1941, Kardović participated in the

when the

alongside the Partisans attempted to capture the city of Novi Pazar. Together with forces of

Džemail Koničanin Džemail Koničanin ''Džemo'' (1910—1944) was an Albanian military commander of the detachment of Sandžak Muslim militia established in Tutin during the Second World War. In October 1941, frequent clashes happen between Chetniks and Albanian ...

and Bilall Dreshaj as well as some volunteers led by

Shaban Polluzha Shaban Mustafë Kastrati (1871 – 21 February 1945), known as Shaban Polluzha, was a Kosovo Albanian military leader active in Drenica during World War II. He was a collaborationist, serving in the Royal Albanian gendarmerie and as a commander ...

, his forces attacked the rear flanks of the Chetniks which caused them to retreat, ensuring the successful defence of the city and contributing to the victory of the defending forces Yugoslav Partisan historians have a generally negative attitude towards Kardoić, who was executed by them after WWII. The Yugoslav Partisans claim that the Axis forces rewarded Jakup for the actions he undertook with Adem Kurtagić and Šefko Bećiragić, when all Orthodox villages were burnt and their population massacred. During one night, they killed 17 members of Bulatović family in Bjela Crkva and 16 members of Beloica family from Bukovica. Mirko Ćuković (1064) claims that armed bands from the city killed dozens of Serbs in Novi Pazar in only a couple of hours. Dreshaj's men carried severed heads stuck on the bayonets of their rifles and threw them in the garbage. To prevent further killings, Mulla Jakub proposed to imprison all Serbs older than 18 years. Ahmetović accepted this proposal with the intention to use imprisoned Serbs as hostages in the future negotiations with Chetniks. On 3 February 1944 the units of the Muslim militia under command of Mullah Jakup and also Bilall Dreshaj, Sinan Salković and Faik Bahtijarević attacked villages around Kolašin. They were supported by Balli Kombëtar forces from Drenica. On the other hand Albanian sources stress that after the Battle of Novi Pazar Kardović personally protected from revenge killings 420 Serbs whose families had links to Chetniks. At the end of the Second World War, Kardović was executed by the Yugoslav partisans. He was executed without trial and without the ability to defend himself before court at the age of 75. His funeral was attended by many locals of Rožaje.

Post-Yugoslav re-evaluation

For local Muslims in Sandžak, the image of Kardović was very different from his portrayal in official Yugoslav history. After the end of Yugoslavia, local attitudes started to be articulated more openly, even more so after the independence of Montenegro (2006) where Rožaje is located. The Bosniak Cultural Community organized a commemorative manifestation in honor of Kardović on 2 June 2013, the ''International Scientific conference "Mullah Jakub Kardović"''. Even if there was an initiative to name the city square after Jakup Kardović, it did not happen, and today the city square does not bear his name. On 29 June 2022, he was ordained by the President of Albania, "Knight of the Order of Skanderbeg" sq, Kalorës i Udhërit të Skënderbeut "for his contribution for the defense from assimilation and elimination of the Albanian in the Serbo-Croat-Slovene Kingdom, for the defense of Albanian territories and for the defense of the Albanian and Bosniak population who were at risk of ethnic cleansing by the Chetnik bands".

References

Sources

External links

ULOGA MULLA JAKUPA EF. KARDOVIĆA U ODBRANI JEDINSTVENOG SANDŽAKA, Prof. dr. Šefket Krcić, 04. June 2013.

Mula Jakup Ef Kardović "NEDOVRŠENA PRIČA" (youtube clip from the movie)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kardovic, Jakup 1869 births 1945 deaths People from Rožaje Executed Albanian collaborators with Fascist Italy Executed Albanian collaborators with Nazi Germany Yugoslav military personnel killed in World War II Sandžak Muslim militia Executed military personnel Executed Yugoslav collaborators with Fascist Italy Executed Yugoslav collaborators with Nazi Germany People killed by Yugoslav Partisans