"Not all of us can do great things, but we can do small things with great love" , with these words of Mother Teresa, Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama announced his intention to establish a sovereign state for the Bektash Order in Tirana.
Before the UN, Rama explained that the sovereign enclave, which will be created on the example of the Vatican, will be a "new center of tolerance and peaceful coexistence". The Bektashi Order was established in the 13th century during the Ottoman Empire and has been headquartered in Albania since 1929. Albanian authorities plan to turn 27 acres of land in the eastern part of Tirana into a micro-state called the Sovereign State of the Bektashi Order, which will have own borders, passports and administration.
The solution is surprising
For Bektashi leader Edmond Brahimai, who is known to his followers as Baba Mondi, this is a "extraordinary initiative" that will usher in a new era for global religious tolerance and the promotion of peace. "The Bektashi Order, which is known for its message of peace, tolerance and religious harmony, will be given sovereignty similar to that of the Vatican, which will allow us to rule autonomously from a religious and administrative point of view," the Bektashi said in a statement. .
As is often the case in Albania, the public was completely ignorant of the details surrounding Rama's plan. For most of them, the decision was unexpected. Beshnik Sinani, a research fellow at the Center for Muslim Theology at the University of Tübingen and co-founder of the Tirana-based Konak Institute, says the idea is an "unprecedented case of modern religious engineering." "Currently, the Albanian government has not offered a single convincing argument to justify such a step,", the expert believes.
Will the decision change the religious balance in Albania?
Albert Rakipi, president of the Albanian Institute for International Studies, says this is not just a coincidence for the government to decide on. According to him, a number of important aspects related to external sovereignty are still to be clarified. "It is not about creating a state in the classical sense of the word - with a certain population, with a certain territory, with relevant institutions such as army, police, bureaucracy, courts, tax office and other details related to internal sovereignty," he says.
According to the Albanian constitution, "The Republic of Albania is a single and indivisible state". To change this would require a constitutional amendment, which would need to be approved by a majority of 94 votes or two-thirds of all MPs in parliament.
Albania has long been considered a country of religious harmony and tolerance. Mosques and churches are often located in close proximity to each other, and intermarriage is well accepted in Albanian society. According to the 2023 census, about 50% of Albania's 2.4 million inhabitants are Muslim. Most of them are Sunni, with about 10% of Muslims belonging to the Bektashi community. The majority of the rest of the population are Roman Catholics and Orthodox Christians.
Rakipi does not believe the new plan will have an adverse impact on the religious balance in Albania, as the Bektashi community has historically served as a bridge of unity and cooperation between Muslims and Christians. "I think this is a good initiative, especially to promote tolerance, a culture of cooperation and coexistence, in the context of dramatic events such as the conflict in the Middle East,", he says.
According to critics, this is a "dangerous precedent"
Unlike Rakipi, the Association of the Muslim Community of Albania says it finds the decision a "dangerous precedent" and emphasizes that she alone officially represents Islam in Albania. "This initiative, which we learned about from the media, was not discussed with the religious communities, who also have their own institution for such cases - the Interreligious Council of Albania.
Beshnik Sinani believes that the plan will affect relations between religions in Albania, as according to him there is currently no situation in the country that would justify such a decision. "Therefore, the claim that this supposed Bektashi state will positively affect the climate of tolerance in the region is baseless," he says. "If implemented, it is likely to violate historical arrangements for relations between religion and state in Albania."
A number of experts fear that this move could lead to the country being declared an "Islamic State". Albert Rakippi does not think there is such a danger. "Not all Muslim-populated countries are Islamic. In an Islamic state, the organizing ideology for the state is religion—in this case, Islam. In most cases, it also serves as the organizing ideology of society."
Sinani recalls that Albania has been at the center of a number of political tensions related to religious issues. "Albania currently hosts an organization previously designated as a terrorist organization by the United States - the "Mujahideen of the Iranian People" which aims to overthrow the Iranian government. It has taken in members of the Gulen Movement, which is considered a terrorist organization in Turkey, and former Guantanamo detainees who the US government cannot send to their home countries."
The timing and motivations for Rama's plan are unknown and many questions remain. The world Bektashi order insists that despite the skepticism "the new state will have no other purpose than spiritual leadership".