At the end of September, in an interview with the “New York Times“, Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama announced that a “sovereign enclave in the style of the Vatican“ would be built in Tirana, which would belong to the Bektashi community (a Muslim Sufi order) and would promote moderation, tolerance and peaceful coexistence. He later announced this from the UN rostrum. The news quickly spread through the Albanian media and caused mixed reactions, and the comments on the topic do not subside, writes BTA.
Who are the Bektashi?
The Bektashi Order arose in the Ottoman Empire in the 13th century, but the Bektashi gained political importance in the 15th century, when the order dominated the Janissary corps, recalls the Associated Press. After the founding of the Republic of Turkey, its leader Kemal Ataturk banned religious institutions that were not part of the Directorate of Religious Affairs, and the Bektashi community moved to Albania, where it interfered in politics. One of its members, Ismail Kemali, declared Albania's independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1912.
Albania's 2.4 million people are about 50 percent Muslim, with the rest made up of Catholics, Orthodox Christians and other smaller religious communities, the AP notes. Bektashi Muslims represent about 10 percent of the country's Muslims according to the latest census.
The Grand Elder (chief spiritual leader) of the Bektashi Order, Dede Edmond Brahaj, also known as Baba Mondi, issued an official statement saying he fully supports the initiative to create what Albanian media is calling a “Bektashi state“.
He said the initiative is “a decisive step towards protecting the Bektashi Order's centuries-old tradition of spiritual moderation and religious participation“. In an interview with the “New York Times“, quoted by the World Bektashi Order and Albanian media, Baba Mondi added that “at a time when extremism and intolerance are on the rise, this initiative ensures that our values of peace and tolerance can flourish globally“.
According to a statement by the World Bektashi Order, quoted by Euronews Albania, this initiative aims to recognize the Bektashi Order as an independent and self-governing state. “This initiative is not related to self-determination, nor do we seek political influence or power“, the order stated. Albanian media have reported on the functioning of a "state within a state", but the order has stressed that the new state will have no other purpose than spiritual leadership.
“The Bektashi Order, known for its message of peace, tolerance and religious harmony, will be granted sovereignty similar to the Vatican, allowing it to autonomously manage religious and administrative matters. The move will allow the order to strengthen its role in promoting global interfaith dialogue and countering the rise of violent extremism around the world. The sovereignty will guarantee the protection and independence of the Bektashi Order's religious practices and the international promotion of these values,” the order said in a statement. The World Bektashi Order added that the creation of a fully sovereign entity (i.e., a Bektashi state) would guarantee official recognition of the Bektashi religious community around the world and create a platform for the order to spread its message of peace and tolerance more effectively, serving as a “global voice of moderate Islam“.
Where should the “Bektashi state“ be built?
According to information from Euronews Albania, the territory on which the proposed new Islamic state will be built is a complex in a residential area east of Tirana. The complex is only a quarter of the size of the Vatican, currently the smallest state in the world, ruled by the Pope, an absolute monarch, the media outlet notes. A team of international legal experts is drafting legislation that will define the sovereign status of the new state in Albania, which will then have to be approved by the Albanian parliament.
What do they say in Albania about it?
„Initiative without consultation“ called the idea of a Bektashi state by the Muslim Community of Albania. This institution expressed concern about public statements about „modern Islam”, “Albanian Islam“ or an Islamic state within the borders of Albania, pointing out that the Muslim Community of Albania is „the sole and official representative of the Islamic faith in Albania“.
“These terms have nothing to do with Islam as a religion, which is a universal religion and is based on the Quran and the Prophetic Tradition and respects the constitutions and laws of each country of which it is a part. The Muslim Community in Albania is the institution under whose umbrella all derivative currents have been and will continue to be represented“, the statement of the Muslim Community in Albania states. The leader of the main opposition party, the Democratic Party of Albania, Sali Berisha, and the chairman of the opposition Freedom Party, Ilir Meta, spoke out against the creation of a Bektashi state in Tirana.
Berisha told his supporters from the window of his apartment in Tirana, where he is under house arrest, that the creation of such a state does not serve the believers, but Edi Rama himself. He added that through this project, the Albanian Prime Minister is trying to distract citizens from the cases of slander, which in his words "explode every day" in Albania and to cover up "his appalling connections with crime and to mask the large-scale thefts by Albanians".
Meta said that the decision to create a sovereign Bektashi state within Albania was taken without prior consultations, unilaterally, and that it contradicts the country's constitution, which states that "The Republic of Albania is a sovereign and indivisible state". He said that the Albanian Prime Minister's idea is made for electoral purposes, as it comes just a few months before the parliamentary elections in 2025.
Pastor Paulin Vilayeti told Euronews Albania that the creation of a sovereign Bektashi state sets a “dangerous precedent“, as according to him, other confessions and sects could also demand their own state. Psychologist Edlira Durmishi told the same media outlet that numerous discussions should be held regarding the creation of such a state. According to her, the way in which the Albanian Prime Minister announces this initiative – without initially informing and consulting with interested parties and by presenting it as a fait accompli, raises the question of whether there is “something bigger“ behind this issue.
In response to the EU mission in Tirana to Euronews Albania, it is stated that in general the EU supports tolerance and interreligious dialogue, but does not have the competence to regulate religious issues. “We have no comments at this stage. Freedom of thought, conscience and religion is enshrined in Article 10 of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights. In general, the EU supports interreligious tolerance and dialogue. The EU has no competence to regulate religious matters”, the reaction says.
What was the response in the world media after the idea of a Muslim state within Albania?
After it was initially reported on the pages of a foreign, not an Albanian, publication, the idea of creating an Islamic state within Albania - a country that prides itself on its religious harmony - received a wide response in the world media.
The latest article, dedicated to the “unexpected” The announcement of its creation was made by the English magazine “The Economist“, quoted by Euronews Albania. In the article, which came out a few days ago, the Bektashi state is described as “the Muslim Vatican“, and Bektashism itself – “the liberal side of Islam“. The idea of liberalism “The Economist“ recreates as an imaginary situation in which the host, a Muslim cleric, can welcome his guest with a glass of rakia and tell him about the principles of his faith while smoking a thick cigar.
The publication quotes Baba Mondi, who says that he is “a friend of everyone, including Israel, whose president he met only last month – hospitality that would be unlikely to be offered in Tehran or Mecca, say.
Albania is the only Nazi-occupied country that had more Jews during World War II than at its beginning, the magazine also notes. To illustrate the religious harmony in Albania, the article also points out that the Muslim-majority country celebrates Mother Teresa Day - a Catholic nun with Albanian roots. “Economist“ It also writes that “Other Muslim interests are trying to gain ground in the Balkans“, mentioning Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's visit to Tirana a week ago, during which he inaugurated a mosque with a capacity for 8,000 people.
How did the Albanian Prime Minister defend his announced idea for such a state?
After the Bektashi state became a hot topic in Albanian society, and was widely commented on outside of it, the Albanian Prime Minister defended his announced idea for the creation of such a sovereign Bektashi entity, writing on social networks that “hell's ignorance and brutal carelessness“ reinforce his belief that the time has come for this idea to be realized.
According to Rama, this step is not only in full accordance with the national interest of Albania, but also in service of the need for continuous investments in “preserving and enriching the priceless treasure of religious tolerance and harmony, where Bektashism has its irreplaceable merit and role alongside the other three religions“. “We have all the time we need to speak wisely and calmly“, concluded Rama. Precisely because some people in Europe have a problem with the word “Muslim“, this (the duty – ed. note) is something that must be done“, says Rama, quoted in the “Economist“ article published a few days ago. However, whether this idea of the Albanian Prime Minister will be realized, given the circumstances surrounding its announcement and the contradictory opinions that have emerged about it, remains to be seen.