The Impact of the Moral and Legal Foundations of the Albanian Society across Europe and Beyond

Abstract

Kanun of Lekë Dukagjini is an Albanian customary law that has a multifaceted influence in our society and beyond. Mostly it is conceived as a ‘traditional law’ towards the word of trust and trustworthy behavior by others. We make an argument and we give an evidence that there is no other moral and legal variant of customary law that can be followed, trusted and compared with any of the most democratic and righteous law or laws anywhere in the world. With this we want to show that trust, faith and sincerity among people can build the strongest moral and legal foundations for the society. Kanun of Lekë Dukagjini is a traditional law that as its main pillar has the solemn oath (spoken word), so-called Besa in Albanian. Besa is this type of trust that still binds Albanians together everywhere they live, but also binds Albanians with the others. In this case, this shows that Albanians are pro-US stance and Pro-European as far as tolerance, trust and support for the less fortunate people is concerned. By this we’d like to say that it’s the fortune that Albanians had and still retain to some extent this customary law even nowadays. More evidence we give in this regard is that no Albanian Jews were turned over to the Germans just because of the solemn oath (spoken word) or Besa that derives from the Kanun of Lekë Dukagjini, a customary law of Albanians.

Keywords: solemn oath (spoken word – Besa), Kanun of Lekë Dukagjini, customary law, Albanian Jews, pro-US stance and Pro-European Albanians, moral and legal foundations of Albanians, etc.