Charity: Radical Islam Growing in Albania

ZE12072003 - 2012-07-20
Permalink: http://www.zenit.org/article-35235?l=english

Imams Promoting 'Purer' Religion Cause Tension in Muslim Community

ROME, JULY 20, 2012 (Zenit.org).- An official of the Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need says that in Albania, a strain of radical Islam is being promoted and causing tension.

Peter Rettig, head of ACN's Southeast Europe section, explained, "In Albania, young imams propagate a different form of Islam from what is customary there. This is leading to tensions. They are scholars who have been trained in Turkey and Saudi Arabia and demand a ‘pure,' stricter Islam."

He said this is causing conflict not only with some Christians but also within Muslim communities themselves.

The ACN official reported that two years ago, when visiting Albania, he received no reports of radical Islam, but during his most recent visit, he personally witnessed the growth of these ideologies.

Rettig described how he was sitting next to a priest of Tirana Archdiocese during a public screening of the Euro 2012 match between Germany and Netherlands when the minister was approached by two young teenagers – who he estimated to be 12 and 13 years old – who tried to convert the cleric. "He was wearing clerical clothes, they would have immediately seen that he was a priest."

He also described receiving a report about a Protestant pastor near the Greek border who was beaten by an imam for distributing children’s gifts despite having the permission of the local school.

Rettig stressed that while there were growing tensions with Christians, primarily the growth of radicalism affected Islam.

"This conflict is first of all a conflict in the Muslim community between the local open-minded easy-going Islamic tradition and the new fundamentalist 'purified' version," he said.

Rettig said there are no reliable statistics about religious affiliations in Albania, but it is estimated that some 60% of the 3.2 million Albanians belong to Sunni Islam. Some 8% are Bektashi, an Islamic sect which was influenced by Sufism.

Orthodox Christians make up 20% of the population and Catholics about 10%.

Radikalizim i islamit në Shqipëri

 http://www.respublica.al/artikuj/2013/01/06

Article | 6 janar, 2013 - 12:59

Shqiptarja.com sjell sot debatin mbi radikalizimin e islamit, referuar raportit për Selinë e Shenjtë në Vatikan. Bëhet fjalë për një raport të Kishës Katolike që shqetësohet për mënyrën sesi po depërton një rrymë radikale e islamizmit në Shqipëri. Ka qenë monsinjor Angelo Masafra i dioqezës së Shkodrës që i ka raportuar me detaje fondacionit pontifik, ACS, i cili është një kontribues financiar i klerit katolik. Radikalizimi i islamizmit ka shqetësuar edhe vetë komunitetin mysliman, sipas vëzhgimeve të bëra. Ka shumë financime nga Arabia dhe Turiqa, e cila “pas një shekulli është rikthyer në Ballkan”.
Ilir Kulla, ish-kreu i komunitetit të kulteve deklaron se Censusi i fundit në Shqipëri është  një mënyrë më shumë për të nxitur radikalizmin, për sa kohë që preket dogma fetare. Madje edhe universiteti i ri Mysliman, i miratuar nga qeveria e Tiranës do të shërbejë për të mbledhur myslimanët e rinj, “që ata të mos kenë nevojë të shkojnë të shkollohen diku tjetër e të asimiliojnë dogma të huaja”.
k.c.