The Prime Minister of Albania in September announced a ‘Muslim Vatican’ that would be created in the country and promised a more progressive and tolerant look at the religion.
What Is The Albanian Govt Proposing?
On 22 September 2024, the Prime Minister of Albania, Edi Ram announced the creation of a ‘Muslim Vatican’ while speaking at the United Nations (UN) General Assembly.
According to the Albanian PM, the Tirana-based Bektashi Muslims, an Islamic Sufi order, will become a sovereign state to encourage tolerance, progressive values, and peaceful coexistence.
Speaking at the UN Edi Rama declared that he wants to give statehood to a 27-acre site and make it into a Muslim Vatican. This would essentially make the site the world’s smallest country.
As per reports, the Albanian PM said, “She (Mother Teresa) told us that not all of us can do big things, but we can all do small things with big love.”
He further added, “That is our inspiration in supporting the transformation of the World Bektashi Order into a sovereign state in our capital, Tirana, as a new centre of moderation, tolerance and peaceful coexistence.”
Albania currently has a population of 2.4 million, with around 50% Muslim people and the rest a mix of Catholics, Orthodox Christians, and other smaller communities.
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Bektashi Muslims reportedly make up 10% of the Muslims in the country.
The Betakshi Order, a sub-division of Sufism, was founded in the Ottoman Empire in the thirteenth century. Its headquarters, the Bektashi World Center has existed in Albania since 1929.
Now, the Albanian government plans to turn those 27 acres of land in eastern Tirana, Albania’s capital, into the Sovereign State of the Bektashi Order, a microstate having its administration, passport, and border.
While the legalities of the order getting sovereignty are still not clear, the Bektashi Order in a statement said, “Such a historic step aims at recognizing the Beltashi Order as a sovereign, self-governing state, committed to supporting its century-old culture of moderation and spiritual involvement.”
The Order claims that the Bektashi Order will govern its religious and administrative issues independently of Albania and have a sovereign identity similar to the Vatican, the Roman Catholic Church headquarters in Europe, which seems to be the inspiration behind this ‘Muslim Vatican’.
However, reports also clarify that there will be a significant difference between these two Vaticans.
Where the Vatican in Europe is the overall authority over the entire Catholic community worldwide, the same would not be the case for the Albanian centre. The Albanian Muslim Vatican would only represent the Bektashi order and not the entire Muslim religion.
The leader of the Bektashi, Edmond Brahimaj, also known as Baba Mondi, also spoke about his plans with this new sovereign state.
A New York Times report claimed that the Muslim state will have a more relaxed and progressive approach such as letting women wear what they want, no imposition of lifestyle rules, permission for alcohol and more. People from all faiths will also be welcome to visit.
Currently, a team of legal experts, including international lawyers, is drafting legislation that will define the status of the new sovereign state in Albania. The legislation will need to be approved by the Parliament before getting full status.
Image Credits: Google Images
Sources: The Print, New York Times, Euronews
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This post is tagged under: Albanian Govt, Albania, Albania Muslim vatican, Albania New Muslim State, New Muslim State, Bektashi Muslims, Bektashi vatican, religion, religious harmony, tolerance, Religious Tolerance, albania Prime Minister, albania Prime Minister Edi Rama, Edi Rama
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