Religion in Albania

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The majority of Albanians today are either Atheists or Agnostics. According to the official US Government Report ^[1]: "No reliable data were available on active participation in formal religious services, but estimates ranged from 25 to 40 percent.", thus leaving 60 to 75 percent of the population non-religious.^[2][3][4]

Albania does not have a history of religious extremism and Albanians take pride in the harmony that exists in their society across religious traditions and practice. Religious pragmatism continued as a distinctive trait of Albanian society. Interreligious marriage has been very common throughout the centuries, and in some places even the rule. There is a strong unifying cultural identity, where Muslims and Christians see themselves as Albanian before anything else. This has been solidified historically by the common experience of struggling to protect their culture in the face of various outside conquerors. A Roman Catholic intellectual and poet, Pashko Vasa (1825-1892), made the trenchant remark, later co-opted by the totalitarian state, that "Churches and mosques you shall not heed / The religion of Albanians is Albanism" (Gheg Albanian: "Mos shikoni kisha e xhamia / Feja e shqyptarit âsht shqyptaria").

Contents 1 History 1.1 Monarchy 1.2 Totalitarian regime 2 Current status of religious freedom 2.1 Constitution 2.2 Foreign missionaries 2.3 Incidents 3 References 4 See also

[edit] History

[edit] Monarchy

The latest religious census dates from 1939, a time in which Albania had the first post-Ottoman regime. According to those estimates roughly 70% of the population were perceived as Muslim, 20% belonging to the Albanian Orthodox Church and 10% to the Catholic Church. Some families had double religious identities, Muslim to the outside world and Christian at home. In addition 20% of total Muslim population were followers of the Shia Bektashi order.

[edit] Totalitarian regime

The Agrarian Reform Law of August 1945 nationalized most property of religious institutions, including the estates of monasteries, orders, and dioceses. By May 1967, religious institutions had relinquished 2,169 churches, mosques, cloisters, and shrines in Albania, many of which were converted into cultural centers for young people. Many Muslim imams and Orthodox priests renounced their "parasitic" past. More than 200 clerics of various faiths were imprisoned, others were forced to seek work in either industry or agriculture. As the literary monthly "Nëndori" reported the event, the youth had thus "created the first Atheist nation in the world."

From year 1967 to the end of the totalitarian regime, religious practices were banned in Albania and the country was proclaimed officially Atheist, marking an event that happened for the first time in world history. Albanians born during the regime were never taught religion, so they grew up to become either Atheists or Agnostics.

[edit] Current status of religious freedom

[edit] Constitution

The Constitution provides for freedom of religion, and the Government generally respects this right in practice. According to the 1998 Constitution, there is no official religion and all religions are equal; however, the predominant religious communities (Bektashi, Sunni Muslim, Orthodox and Roman Catholic Christians) enjoy a greater degree of official recognition (e.g., national holidays) and social status based on their historical presence in the country. All registered religious groups have the right to hold bank accounts and to own property and buildings. No restriction is imposed on families regarding the way they raise their children with respect to religious practices. The generally amicable relationship among religions in society contributed to religious freedom.

According to official figures, there are 14 religious schools in the country, with approximately 2,600 total students.^{[citation needed]} The Ministry of Education has the right to approve the curricula of religious schools to ensure their compliance with national education standards, and the State Committee on Cults oversees implementation. There are also 68 vocational training centers administered by religious communities.

Government policy and practice contributed to the generally free practice of religion. The government is secular and the Ministry of Education asserts that public schools in the country are secular and that the law prohibits ideological and religious indoctrination. Religion is not taught in public schools.

[edit] Foreign missionaries

Foreign religious missionaries who have come to Albania since 1991 include Catholics, Evangelicals and Mormons who come mainly from the USA, Muslims from Arab countries and Turkey, Bahá'ís, Jehovah's Witnesses, Hindus, and many others freely carry out religious activities. According to the State Committee on Cults, as of 2002 there were 31 Christian Societies representing more than 45 different organizations, about 17 different Islamic Societies and Groups and 500 to 600 other Christian and Bahá'í missionaries. The largest foreign missionary groups were American, British, Italian, Arab and Greek.

[edit] Incidents

While there is no law restricting the demonstration of religious affiliation in public schools, there have been instances when students were not allowed to do so in practice. In December 2003, a male Muslim student was prohibited from having his diploma photograph taken because he had a beard. The student was eventually permitted to graduate through the intervention of the Office of the People's Advocate (a government institution tasked with investigating citizens' charges of human rights violations and protecting their fundamental freedoms).^{[citation needed]}

In 2002, some Bektashi communities outside of Tirana experienced intimidation, vandalism, and threats of violence. Subsequently, the Albanian authorities discovered those responsible (non-Albanian citizens) and expelled them for immigration violations. There were no new reports of vandalism during the period covered by this report. Bektashi leaders believe that foreign religious influences seeking to undermine the country's efforts to maintain religious tolerance and freedom were at the root of these incidents. Other religious leaders have expressed similar concerns about the potentially divisive role played by non-citizen religious extremists. [5]

In October 2003, police arrested Kastriot Myftari, author of the book "Albanian National Islamism" on charges of inciting religious hatred. The book contained the author's opinions on Islam and how the religion has impacted Albanian life. According to the prosecutor's office, several statements in the book demeaned Islam. The prosecutor had asked the court for 6 months imprisonment for the author. In June, the court acquitted Myftari of all charges. [6]

After the General Secretary of the Islamic Community of Albania, Sali Tivari, was shot and killed at the Community's headquarters in January 2003, the General Prosecutor's Office returned the case to the authorities for further investigation. The case remained unsolved by the end of the period covered by this report. [7]

During year 2004 representatives of the Orthodox Church expressed concerns that churches, crosses, and other buildings were targets of vandalism. [8]

In November 2005 a speech from Albania's president in London, aroused public protests from Muslim organizations that accused the president of insulting Islam.^{[citation needed]}

Early in 2005, some elements of the media repeatedly attacked the Jehovah's Witnesses community, alleging their influence in a recent series of juvenile suicides. These accusations led to increased incidents of intimidation and threats of violence against Jehovah's Witnesses. Other religious communities expressed similar problems after the media attack on the Jehovah's Witnesses community. Additionally, the media also alleged that the death of two Muslim men while preparing explosives was related to their membership in the Islamic community. [9]

[edit] References

This article contains material from the Library of Congress Country Studies, which are United States government publications in the public domain.

[edit] See also

Albanian Orthodox Church Islam in Albania Roman Catholicism in Albania Hinduism in Albania

State atheism Antireligion Atheism History of Atheism