Bektashi State/ Mufti of Korça: It is a sensitive topic, we are waiting for Rama to clarify the idea

2024-09-25 13:19:00, Aktualitet CNA

Bektashi State/ Mufti of Korça: It is a sensitive topic, we are waiting

The mufti of Korça, Ledian Cikalleshi

After Prime Minister Rama's statements to the prestigious "New York Times" regarding the creation of the Bektashi state, there have been numerous reactions throughout the country, including in religious communities.

Two days ago, the Albanian Muslim Community made a reaction expressing their concern about this initiative taken by the prime minister himself without consultation or information, and they also expressed that they will follow the legal path in accordance with the Constitution and the laws of our country for this matter.

The Mufti of Korça, Ledian Cikalleshi, in a reaction to CNA TV, has shown that the media came to know about this issue, not believing it at first, but then it was treated as a serious and very sensitive topic. For the mufti, this initiative minimizes interreligious harmony, as according to him, a religious community is differentiated by giving it more values.

"I believe that like all of you who heard from the media, we as religious communities were also told by the media as news. Normally at first we didn't believe what it was about, it's a joke, something like that, it's about a very sensitive topic and a very serious topic. For this too, KMSH reacted two days ago by following with concern this type of initiative, as in our opinion it undermines the part of interreligious harmony because one religious community is openly differentiated by giving it more values ??and the others fall to remain inferior, something for which we have also raised our voice. It is disturbing according to us", he said.

According to Cikalles, there are 5 religious communities in Albania where none of the religions were born in our country, but are Eastern religions. Believers have accepted each other creating the formula of harmony, respect and tolerance between them. The mufti dwells on the merits, saying that KMSH has the largest number of believers, but the latter have not passed it on in this form.

Albania is not seen as the center of Bektashism and according to him they are not connected to a spiritual leader. He further adds that this initiative will bring differentiation and discontent in other religious communities.

"In our country we have five official religious communities. None of the religions was born in Albania, so they are all Eastern religions. Believers, Albanians have accepted each other as such, with this difference from each other between beliefs and the formula of harmony and respect, tolerance towards each other has been created. This is not a formula that belongs to a particular religion or belief, this is a merit above all others. If we talk about the merits, there is the one with the largest number, i.e. the majority, of believers, which is KMSH. But we have not seen it in this form, nor have we conveyed it in this form, to say it is our merit, but it is the merit of all religious communities, because the formula cannot work otherwise.

Seen in this aspect, the Bektashi community is like other religious communities, that its functioning is within our country. The part of the Bektashi community in Albania works only for Albanian believers, so it is not recognized in Turkey, or in Syria, Iran, etc. Albania is not seen as the main center of Baktashism because in the Bektashi system itself there is no system like the Catholic one where there is the system of the Papacy, which are connected to a spiritual leader. Bektashism is not like that, so if we give a religious community something more than it deserves, normally there will be differentiation and this will bring dissatisfaction in other communities. We convey this as a concern that will damage interreligious harmony and tolerance between us," said the mufti.

Mufti Cikalleshi says that they are waiting for the arrival of Prime Minister Rama, who will clarify and give explanations for this initiative, and then further steps will be taken by the Muslim community through legal means.

"We are waiting for the arrival of the prime minister, to clarify his idea if this idea will remain only an idea or if there will be further steps. Normally, it will be explained to the public opinion and in the relevant institutions, we have reacted that it is a wrong idea which even the part of the lawyers say is something impossible because it violates many articles of the Constitution. We will do our work, we will forward it as a concern, then we are waiting for how it will continue. Apart from the statement in the UN or in the "New York Times", we have not seen anything further. We will wait and react", he declared.

After the opposing reactions of the religious communities, it is expected that Prime Minister Rama will announce more specifically the plan of this initiative and it will be seen if this initiative will take further steps./ CNA