Islamism in Albania

Islamism in Albania

Albanian people's contacts with Islamic world are relatively later than those of the greater part of European peoples. Islamism appeared first in the old continent by the end of the first millennium (9th and 10th centuries). From the contacts of the Spanish with the Arabs and their culture the epos of Cid emerged in which the main conflict is that of Hispanic knights with Moors (Arabs). The national epopee of French people "The Roland's Song", in which the conflict develops between the Moors (Arabs) and the natives, originated from the contact of Franks with Arabs. Some centuries later the Arabs would be present in Shakespeare's tragedies (Othello, "the black Moor", in the homonymous tragedy).

By this time (the end of Byzantine period and threshold of Ottoman invasion) the Arabs first appear in traditional Albanian culture fixed in the ballad of a brother who rises from his deathbed to defend his sister's honour from "a black alien" (or a "black Moor") coming out of the sea. Historically, cross-border conflicts between Christian Albanians and pilgrims as propagators of Islamism date from the 13th and the 14th centuries. The first missionaries of the new religion arrived in Albanian space under the name of Orthodoxy. One of these missionaries who brought Bektashiism in Albania is known by name of "St. Spiridoni" and corresponds to the figure of Hajji Bektash Veli. Before Ottoman imperial armies occupied the country, the concealment behind Orthodoxy made the acceptance of Islamism easier (initially in the form of Bektashiism). This first period represents the stage of a peaceful selective Islamism. Islamism in Albania was presented as an unoriginal, "European" Islamism. With the Ottoman occupation, the phase of Islamization with coercive measures through implementing a privileged system of taxes and duties on Moslems begins as opposed to a disadvantageous system to non-Moslems (those who changed their religion were excluded from economic impositions, recruitment in the army, etc.).

From the 15th and the 16th centuries onwards, important cult institutions of Islam (mosques, shrines, and tekkiehs) were set up in the main cities of Albania. Islamism spread mostly in Central Albania. At the initial phase, most Albanians were holding Islam faith formally, and actually exercised Christian rites. This phase bears evidence of underground (some literally under the ground) churches. The holding of two religions and two names (crypto-Christianity, i.e., Christianity concealed or covered under an outer Islamism) continued until the 20th century.

In the 18th and the 19th centuries Islamism had a religious and cultural bloom in Albania. This period is marked by the Albanian literature using Arab alphabet, known as the "literature of doggerelists", which the scholars compare to the "alhamiado" literature that had previously evolved in Spain. Islamism left its traces in the customary life of Albanians through introducing certain laws of Sharia. But Sharia never became a prevailing customary code of Albanians. The acceptance of Islam by Albanians can be explained with the role this religion seems to have played for the differentiation of Albanians from Slavs (Kosova region) and Greeks (Çamëria region), who, after the 18th century in particular, had begun an assimilating policy towards Albanian people. A majority of Sunnah Moslems and a minority of Bektashi order have marked Islam faith in Albania

In the circumstances of an independent Albanian state after the World War I, the Sunnah Moslems were reorganized in 1921 into a national Moslem alliance. In 1923, the Sunnah community would separate itself from the Caliphate of Istanbul by electing Tirana's mufti as its chairman. In these years, a reformatory zeal appears in Albanian Islam resulting in polygamy being formally forbidden, Albanian translations of Koran beginning to appear and the Moslem MPs requesting for women to lead a social life just as that of men, which was not to materialize until 1937, when the law banning women from wearing veils was passed. In 1923, there appears the magazine "Zani i Naltë" which was marked by noticeable patriotic and reformatory feelings. A congress of Sunnah Moslems was held in 1929 taking decisions on exclusively using Albanian language in services, reducing the number of mosques to keep only the chief ones, unifying the medressehs, etc. There is room to believe that Zogu might have had an implication in this reform with his goals to unite and Occidentalize Albania so as to eliminate once and for good the image of an Islamic country. It is said that Attatürk, the greatest reformer of those times, might have become jealous of the reformist spirit of Zogu, as he didn't like the latter to outshine him in this respect.

Bektashiism derives from a mystical doctrine of Turkoman fathers of the 11th and the 12th centuries in the Caspian Sea and was founded by Hajji Bektashi under the influence of the Persian mystic Ahmet Jasevi to be strengthened as a Moslem sect in Turkey after its being linked with janissary corps (who were of Christian descent). Bektashiism worships Ali as much as Mohammed. Because of the conflict with Moslemism itself, Bekatshiism developed some religious tolerance towards Christian faith having in common with it even some interface in religious practices. They preached equality between man and woman; they would drink liquors and other drinks that were quite loathsome to Islam. As to this tolerant attitude of Bekashiism and the patriotic role many Bektashi have played, many domestic and foreign researchers and politicians of all times have maintained that Bektashiism could have well been an appropriate religion for Albanians. One among them is the great national poet Naim Frashëri. In Albania, Bektashiism appeared at the end of the 12th century and the beginning of the 13th century. In 1925, when Attatürk undertook severe government laicizing reforms for the creation of a modern Turkey, Albania became the country of the World Headship of Bektashiism remaining such to our present days. Very few might know that Albania is the world headquarters of a religion. It is interesting to note that even during the period of atheism there were no claims from any other country where there are Bektashi believers to assume the role of headship. The Bektashi community of Albania was declared independent in 1921. Many Bektashi tekkiehs became centres of resistance against Italians and Germans such as Father Fejzo and Father Faja, and it should be taken into account that it was 6 000 Bektashi being organized during the war.

The History of Evangelical Protestant Church in Albania originates on October 18, 1873, when Messrs. Byrd, Jenny and Marsh settled as missionaries in the city of Manastir. These noble missionaries created the first Evangelical Community. Among the first members of Manastiri's Evangelical Community was Gjerasim Qiriazi, who after receiving his education in Bulgaria with the help of these missionaries, came back to Albania in May 1883 encountering many hardships and sufferings. He cast his eyes on the city of Korçë and in the Albanian School of that city he made his first preaching on May 3, 1890, and being a patriotic missionary, he set himself the goal of awakening his people. He considered it a patriotic duty to proclaim the Word of Christ. Gjerasim and his sister Sevasti opened the girls' school on October 23, 1891. There were three girls in all. Afterwards, resisting the fight the Patriarchate waged against the school, the number of girls was increasing. Many girls graduated from Qiriazi's school. On November 14, 1892, the "Evangelical Brotherhood" community was founded, part of which were Gjerasim, Gergj and Sevasti Qiriazi, Grigor Cilka, Herakli Bogdani, V. Pasha from Pogradec, Fanka Evthimi and probably P. N. Luarasi. This Evangelical association ran its own press organ called "Brotherhood Paper", whose first issue was published in Korçë in November 1892.

With thanks of www.seda.org.al , Sustainable Economic Development Agency-SEDA, Albania