The majority of Albanians today are either atheists or agnostics. Atheism Agnosticism ( Greek: α- a-, without + γνώσις gnōsis, knowledge after Gnosticism) is the philosophical view that the According to an official US Government Report ^[1]: "No reliable data were available on active participation in formal religious services, but estimates ranged from 25 to 40 percent. ", leaving 60 to 75 percent of the population non-religious (or, at least, not practicing a religion in public). Irreligion is a lack of religion indifference to religion or hostility to religion ^[2][3][4]

The country does not have a history of religious extremism and takes pride in the harmony that exists across religious traditions and practices. Extremism is a term used to describe the actions or ideologies of individuals or groups outside the perceived political center of a society or otherwise claimed to violate Religious pragmatism continued as a distinctive trait of the society and interreligious marriage has been very common throughout the centuries, in some places even the rule. Pragmatism generally considered to have originated in the late nineteenth century with Charles Peirce, who first stated the Pragmatic maxim. Interfaith marriage, traditionally (especially in the Catholic Church) called Mixed marriage, is Marriage (either religious or civil There is a strong unifying cultural identity, where Muslims and Christians see themselves as Albanian before anything else. A Muslim (مسلم pronounced Muslim, not Muzlim) is an adherent of the Religion A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth This has been solidified historically by the common experience of struggling to protect their culture in the face of various outside conquerors.

For generations, religious pragmatism was a distinctive trait of the Albanians. Adherence to ancient pagan beliefs also continued well in the 20th century, particularly in the northern mountain villages, many of which were devoid of churches and mosques. A Northern Albanian intellectual and poet, Pashko Vasa (1825–1892), made the trenchant remark, later co-opted by the totalitarian state, that "Churches and mosques you shall not heed / The religion of Albanians is Albanism" (Gheg (Albanian: Mos shikoni kisha e xhamia / Feja e shqyptarit âsht shqyptaria). Pashko Vasa Shkodrani (born 1825 Shkodër, Albania - June 29 1892, Beirut, Lebanon) was an Albanian writer Totalitarianism (or totalitarian rule) is a concept used to describe Political systems where a State regulates nearly every aspect of public and private Gheg (or Geg) is one of the two major dialects of the Albanian language. Albanian (sq ''Gjuha shqipe'' ˈɟuha ˈʃcipɛ is an Indo-European language spoken by nearly 6 million peoplewhile others claim that it derives from Daco -

Contents 1 History 1.1 Antiquity 1.2 Middle Ages 1.2.1 Albanian Catholicism 1.2.2 Albanian Orthodox Christianity 1.2.3 Albanian Islam 1.3 Independence 1.4 Totalitarian regime 2 Current status of religious freedom 2.1 Constitution 2.2 Foreign missionaries 2.3 Incidents 3 References 4 External links 5 See also

History

Antiquity

The two main Illyrian cults were the Cult of the Sun and the Cult of the Snake. The Illyrian languages are a group of Indo-European languages that were spoken in the western part of the Balkans in former times by groups identified as This article does not discuss "cult" in the original sense of "veneration" or "religious practice" for that usage see Cult (religious practice The Sun (Sol is the Star at the center of the Solar System. A snake is an elongate Reptile of the suborder Serpentes Like all reptiles snakes are covered in scales. ^[5][6] The main festivals were the seasonal summer and winter festivals during the solstices and the spring and autumn festivals during the equinoxes. An organic system of assigning human personifications to natural phenomena was culturally developed and remnants of these still appear in everyday Albanian folklore and tradition. ^[6]

Christianity was adopted in the region of Albania during Roman rule by the middle of the 1st century AD. Christianity ( Greek Χριστιανισμός from the word Xριστός ( Christ)is a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings Ancient Rome was a Civilization that grew out of a small agricultural community founded on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 10th century BC At first, the new religion had to compete with Oriental cults such the worshiping Mithra - the Persian God of light, known in the region due to Rome's growing interaction with eastern regions of the Roman Empire. The Orient is a term which simply means the " East " It originated in Western Asia to describe that part of the world This article is about the Zoroastrian Yazata Mithra (Miθra For other divinities with related names see the general article Mitra. The Persian Empire was a series of Iranian empires that ruled over the Iranian plateau, the original Persian homeland and beyond in Western Asia For a long time, it also competed with gods worshiped by Illyrian pagans. The steady growth of the Christian community in Dyrrhachium (the Roman name for Epidamnus) led to the creation of a local bishopric in 58 AD. Later, episcopal seats were established in Apollonia, Buthrotum (modern Butrint), and Scodra (modern Shkodra). Shkodër (Shkodër or Shkodra is a city located on Lake Shkodër in northwestern Albania in the District After the division of the Roman Empire in 395, Albania fall under the umbrella of the Eastern Roman Empire, but remained ecclesiastically dependent on Rome. The Roman Empire was the post-Republican phase of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial During the final schism on 1054 between the Western and Eastern churches, the Christians in southern Albania came under the jurisdiction of the Ecumenical Patriarch in Constantinople, and those in the north under the purview of the Papacy in Rome. Constantinople (Κωνσταντινούπολις Konstantinoúpolis, or gr ἡ Πόλις hē Polis, Latin: la CONSTANTINOPOLIS The arrangement prevailed until the Ottoman invasion of the 14th century, when the Islamic faith was imposed. The Ottoman Empire (1299–1923 ( Old Ottoman Turkish: دولتْ علیّه عثمانیّه Devlet-i Âliye-yi Osmâniyye, Late Ottoman and Modern Turkish

Middle Ages

Albanian Catholicism

Albania was once mostly Roman Catholic, with eighteen episcopal Sees, some of them having a ceaseless activity from the dawn of the Christian faith until today. Albania was the last Roman Catholic bridgehead in the Balkans. For four centuries, the Catholic Albanians defended their faith with bravery, aided by the Franciscan missionaries, starting by the middle of the seventeenth century, when the persecutions of their Ottoman Turkish lords started to result in conversions of many villages to the Islamic faith, particularly among the Greek population. The term Franciscan is commonly used to refer to members of Catholic The Greeks ( Greek: Έλληνες) are a Nation and Ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighbouring regions The College of Propaganda at Rome played a significant role in the religious and moral support of the Albanian Catholics. During the 17th and 18th centuries, the College contributed in educating young clerics appointed to service on Albanian missions, as well as to the financial support of the churches. Good work was done by the Austrian Government at the time, which offered significant financial aid in its quality of Protector of the Christian community under Ottoman rule. The Ottoman Empire (1299–1923 ( Old Ottoman Turkish: دولتْ علیّه عثمانیّه Devlet-i Âliye-yi Osmâniyye, Late Ottoman and Modern Turkish The Church legislation of the Albanians was reformed by Clement XI, who convoked a general ecclesiastical visitation, held in 1763 by the Archbishop of Antivari, by the end of which a national synod was held. Pope Clement XI ( July 23, 1649 &ndash March 19, 1721) born Giovanni Francesco Albani, was Pope from 1700 until his death Bar ( Montenegrin and Serbian Cyrillic: Бар Italian: Antivari, Albanian: Tivari, Greek: Θηβάριον The decrees formulated by the Synod were printed by the College of Propaganda in 1705, and renewed in 1803. In 1872, Pius IX convoked a second national synod at Shkodër, for the revival of the popular and ecclesiastical life. Blessed Pope Pius IX (May 13 1792 &ndash February 7 1878 born Giovanni Maria Mastai-Ferretti, was Pope from June 16 1846 until 1878 Shkodër (Shkodër or Shkodra is a city located on Lake Shkodër in northwestern Albania in the District Thanks to Austrian interest in Albania, the institution of the Catholic bishops of Albania was obtained through a civil decree released by the Vilajet of Berat. Berat (also known in Albanian as Berati, Greek Bulcheriòpolis - Πουλχεριοπολις

Albania was divided ecclesiastically into several archiepiscopal provinces:

• Antivari

Since 1878 part of the principality of Montenegro. The term Franciscan is commonly used to refer to members of Catholic Tirana (Tiranë or Tirana is the Capital and largest city of the Republic of Albania. This article is about the history and organisation of the cathedral Shkodër (Shkodër or Shkodra is a city located on Lake Shkodër in northwestern Albania in the District Shkodër (Shkodër or Shkodra is a city located on Lake Shkodër in northwestern Albania in the District The 18th century lasted from 1701 to 1800 in the Gregorian calendar, in accordance with the Anno Domini / Common Era numbering system The Et'hem Bey Mosque is located in the center of the Albanian capital Tirana. Gjergj Kastrioti Skanderbeg ( 6 May 1405 &ndash 17 January 1468) ( Albanian: Gjergj Kastriot Skënderbeu, widely known as Tirana (Tiranë or Tirana is the Capital and largest city of the Republic of Albania. Montenegro ( British English) Montenegrin / Serbian: PLEASE DO NOT CHANGE THE LANGUAGES WITHOUT CONSENSUS ON THE TALK PAGE! Since 1886, without suffragan, separated from Scutari, with which it had been united in 1867 on equal terms. Shkodër (Shkodër or Shkodra is a city located on Lake Shkodër in northwestern Albania in the District

• Scutari, with the suffragan Sees of Alessio, Pulati, Sappa and (since 1888) the Abbatia millius of St. Alexander of Orosci.
• Durazzo
• Uskup.

The last two archiepiscopal provinces did not have any suffragans, and depended directly on the Holy See. The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Bishop of Rome, commonly known as the Pope, and is the preeminent Episcopal see of the Roman Catholic A seminary, founded in 1858 by Archbishop Topich of Scutari, was destroyed by the Ottomans, but was later re-established on Austrian territory and placed under imperial protection. The Ottoman Empire (1299–1923 ( Old Ottoman Turkish: دولتْ علیّه عثمانیّه Devlet-i Âliye-yi Osmâniyye, Late Ottoman and Modern Turkish In Scutari women belonging to both the Catholic and Islamic faiths used to go veiled. For other meanings including people named 'Islam' see Islam (disambiguation. The Albanian woman worked unceasingly in agriculture and in home care; men were in frequent absence due to either regular or irregular fighters in the Ottoman forces. The women dressed in tight skirts of light colour striped with black, and their heads and shoulders were covered on feast days with masses of gold and silver coins. In the Catholic churches, the women appeared unveiled, and the humbler class generally removed their shoes at the entrance. The service in the Cathedral of Scutari was impressive, although classified as primitive. It was described as . . quiet, for the congregation rasps out the responses with a fervour that precludes either modulation or rhythm, and the incessant rattle of the coins on the women's breasts and heads as they bend forward and again kneel upright accompanying every intonation. The scarlet colour predominates in the altar decorations, as well as in the clothes of the worshipers. . . There is evidence of admirable work done by Catholic friars in dispelling the old vendetta custom, especially in Northern Albania. Even today, the Catholic Albanians maintain their steadfastness, and no bribes or threats have succeeded in drawing them from their first allegiance. While others in the Balkans, with the exception of the Croats, became Orthodox Christians, the Roman Catholic faith remained secure in the fastnesses of northern Albania. Croats (Hrvati are a South Slavic people mostly living in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and nearby countries The Eastern Orthodox Church is the second largest single Christian Communion in the world

Albanian Orthodox Christianity

Metropolitan Theofan Fan Noli established the Albanian Orthodox Mission under the American diocese. Theofan (Fan Stilian Noli ( January 6, 1882 - March 13, 1965) was an Albanian politician writer and Eastern Orthodox The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Although Orthodox Christianity has existed in Albania since the 2nd century AD, and the Orthodox historically constitute 20% of the population of Albania, the first Orthodox liturgy in the Albanian language was celebrated not in Albania, but in Massachusetts. The term Orthodox Christianity may refer to The Eastern Orthodox Church: the Eastern Christian churches of Byzantine The Commonwealth of Massachusetts ( is a state located in the New England region of the northeastern United States. Subsequently, when the Orthodox Church was allowed no official existence in communist Albania, Albanian Orthodoxy survived in exile in Boston (1960-1989). The term Orthodox Christianity may refer to The Eastern Orthodox Church: the Eastern Christian churches of Byzantine It is a curious history that closely entwines Albanian Orthodoxy with the Bay State. Between 1890–1920, approximately 25,000 Albanians, the majority of them Orthodox Christians from southeastern Albania, emigrated to the United States, settling in and around Boston. Like many other Orthodox immigrants, they were predominantly young, illiterate, male peasants. Like so many other Balkan immigrants, a large number (almost 10,000) returned to their homeland after World War I. World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All Since the 2nd century AD, the liturgical services, schools and activities of the Orthodox Church in Albania had been conducted in Greek. Greek (el ελληνική γλώσσα or simply el ελληνικά — "Hellenic" is an Indo-European language, spoken today by 15-22 million people mainly Those Albanian Orthodox, who, in the fashion of 19th century Balkan nationalism, sought to recreate their church as an Albanian rather than Greek body, were frequently excommunicated by the Greek-speaking hierarchy.

Nationalist fervor ran high in Albanian immigrant communities in North America. When, in 1906, a Greek priest from an independent Greek parish in Hudson, Massachusetts, refused to bury an Albanian nationalist, an outraged Albanian community petitioned the missionary diocese to assist them in establishing a separate Albanian-language parish within the missionary diocese. Hudson is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. Fan Noli (Theofan (Fan) S. Theofan (Fan Stilian Noli ( January 6, 1882 - March 13, 1965) was an Albanian politician writer and Eastern Orthodox Noli) (1882–1965), an ardent Albanian nationalist and former parish cantor, was subsequently ordained in February 1908 by a sympathetic Metropolitan Platon to serve this new Albanian parish. Noli went on to organize five additional Albanian parishes, mainly in Massachusetts, as an Albanian Orthodox Mission in America under the auspices of the American diocese. Noli later emigrated to Albania, served as the Albanian delegate to the League of Nations, was consecrated Bishop and Primate of the independent Orthodox Church in Albania in 1923, and even served briefly as Prime Minister of Albania (came in power with the so called The Revolution of 1924) but was overthrown in a coup by Ahmet Zogu on the same year. The League of Nations was an International organization founded as a result of the Treaty of Versailles in 1919–1920 A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight Zog I Skanderbeg III of the Albanians ref> (born Ahmet Zogolli, later changed to Ahmet Zogu) (October 8 1895 &ndash April 9 1961 was King After years in exile in Germany, Noli returned to the United States in 1932, studied at Harvard, translated Shakespeare into Albanian and Orthodox Scriptures and services into English, and led the Albanian Orthodox community in this country until his death in 1965. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. William Shakespeare ( baptised

Albanian Islam

One of the major legacies of nearly five centuries of Ottoman rule was that the majority of Albanians had converted to Islam. The Ottoman Empire (1299–1923 ( Old Ottoman Turkish: دولتْ علیّه عثمانیّه Devlet-i Âliye-yi Osmâniyye, Late Ottoman and Modern Turkish For other meanings including people named 'Islam' see Islam (disambiguation. Therefore, the country emerged as a Muslim-majority nation after its independence in November 1912. Muslim populations are particularly strong in central and eastern Albania, as well as among the Albanian population of Kosovo and Macedonia.

Statistics as of 1930 estimated that 75% of Albanians were of Muslim affiliation: both (Sunni and Bektashi). Sunni Islam is the largest denomination of Islam. Sunni Islam is also referred to as Ahl as-Sunnah wa’l-Jamā‘h (Arabic Bektashism (Bektaşilik is an Islamic Sufi order ( Tariqat) considered to be a distinct branch of Shi'a Islam

Like other religions, Islam has seen some limited revival since the official ban on all religious practice was lifted.

In the North, the spread of Islam was slower due to Roman Catholic Church resistance and the mountainous terrain contributed to curb Muslim influence. In the center and south, however, Catholicism was not strong and by the end of the seventeenth century the region had largely adopted the religion of the growing Albanian Muslim elite. The existence of an Albanian Muslim class of pashas and beys who played an increasingly important role in Ottoman political and economic life became an attractive option career for most Albanians. Pasha or pacha, formerly bashaw, (paşa پاشا ( Persian: پاشا ( Armenian: Փաշա was a high rank in the Ottoman Empire Bey is a Turkish title for "chieftain" traditionally applied to the leaders of small tribal groups In 1923, the Albanian Muslim congress convened at Tirana decided to break with the Caliphate. A caliphate (from the Arabic خلافة or khilāfa) is the political leadership of the Muslim community in classical and medieval Islamic history ^[7] During the monarchy religious institutions of all confessions were put under state control. This trend was taken to extreme during the totalitarian regime, when religions, identified as imports foreign to Albanian culture, were banned altogether. Distribution The Muslims of Albania were divided into two main communities: those associated with Sunni Islam and those associated with the Bektashi, a mystic Dervish order that came to Albania through the Ottoman Janissaries. Sunni Islam is the largest denomination of Islam. Sunni Islam is also referred to as Ahl as-Sunnah wa’l-Jamā‘h (Arabic Bektashism (Bektaşilik is an Islamic Sufi order ( Tariqat) considered to be a distinct branch of Shi'a Islam Darvesh or Dervish ( Arabic and Persian: درویش) as it is known in European languages refers to members of Sufi The order resembles Sufi mystic orders, but contains elements quite distinct from orthodox Islam. Sufism ( تصوّف - taṣawwuf, Persian: صوفی‌گری sufigari, Turkish: tasavvuf, Urdu: تصوف After the Bektashis were banned in Turkey in 1925 by Atatürk, the order moved its headquarters to Tirana and the Albanian government subsequently recognized it as a body independent from Sunnism. Mustafa Kemal Atatürk (19 May 1881 &ndash 10 November 1938 was an army officer revolutionary Statesman Tirana (Tiranë or Tirana is the Capital and largest city of the Republic of Albania. Sunni Muslims were estimated to represent approximately 50% of the country's population before 1939, while Bektashi represented another 20%.

Sunni Muslims have historically lived in the cities of Albania, while Bektashi Shias mainly in remote areas whereas Orthodox Christians mainly in the south, and Roman Catholics in the north of the country. The Eastern Orthodox Church is the second largest single Christian Communion in the world However, in the modern times this division is not strict, particularly in the case of many urban centers, which have mixed populations.

Independence

During the 20th century after Independence (1912) the democratic, monarchic and later the totalitarian regimes followed a systematic dereligionization of the nation and the national culture. Democracy is a form of government in which the supreme power is held completely by the people under a free electoral system A monarchy is a Form of government in which supreme power is actually or nominally lodged in an individual who is the Head of state, often for life or Totalitarianism (or totalitarian rule) is a concept used to describe Political systems where a State regulates nearly every aspect of public and private State atheism is the official promotion of Atheism by a Government, typically by active suppression of Religious freedom and practice

Originally institutions of all confessions were asked to and put under state control. In 1923, following the government program, the Albanian Muslim congress convened at Tirana decided to break with the Caliphate. Tirana (Tiranë or Tirana is the Capital and largest city of the Republic of Albania. A caliphate (from the Arabic خلافة or khilāfa) is the political leadership of the Muslim community in classical and medieval Islamic history In 1929 the Albanian Orthodox Church was declared autocephalous. ^[8]

A year later, in 1930, the first official religious census was carried out. Based on Ottoman data from a century earlier, 70% of the population was grouped as Muslim, 20% Christian Orthodox and 10% as Catholic.

Totalitarian regime

The trend was taken to extreme during the totalitarian regime, when religions, identified as imports foreign to Albanian culture, were banned altogether. This policy was mainly applied and felt within the borders of the present Albanian state, thus producing a nonreligious majority in the population. Irreligion is a lack of religion indifference to religion or hostility to religion

The Agrarian Reform Law of August 1945 nationalized most property of religious institutions, including the estates of monasteries, orders, and dioceses. Agrarian laws (from the Latin ager, meaning "land" were laws among the Romans regulating the division of the public lands By May 1967, religious institutions had relinquished all 2,169 churches, mosques, cloisters, and shrines, many of which were converted into cultural centers for young people. Many Muslim imams and Orthodox priests renounced their "parasitic" past. More than 200 clerics of various faiths were imprisoned, others were forced to seek work in either industry or agriculture. For other uses of this term see Industry (disambiguation An industry (from Latin industrius, "diligent industrious" Agriculture refers to the production of goods through the growing of plants and fungi and the raising of domesticated Animals The study of agriculture As the literary monthly "Nëndori" reported the event, the youth had thus "created the first atheist nation in the world. Atheism " From year 1967 to the end of the totalitarian regime, religious practices were banned and the country was proclaimed officially atheist, marking an event that happened for the first time in world history. Totalitarianism (or totalitarian rule) is a concept used to describe Political systems where a State regulates nearly every aspect of public and private Albanians born during the regime were never taught religion, so they grew up to become either atheists or agnostics.

Old non-institutional pagan practices in rural areas, which were seen as identifying with the national culture, were left intact. Paganism (from Latin paganus, meaning "country dweller rustic" is a word used to refer to various religions and religious beliefs from across the world As a result the current Albanian state has also brought pagan festivals to life, like the solar Spring festival (Albanian: Dita e Verës) held yearly on March 14 in the city of Elbasan, which is a national holiday. Spring Day is a Holiday marking the coming of the spring season which takes place in different countries on varying dates Albanian (sq ''Gjuha shqipe'' ˈɟuha ˈʃcipɛ is an Indo-European language spoken by nearly 6 million peoplewhile others claim that it derives from Daco - Events 1489 - The Queen of Cyprus, Catherine Cornaro, sells her kingdom to Venice. Elbasan ( Albanian: Elbasan or Elbasani) is a City in central Albania.

Current status of religious freedom

Main article: Freedom of religion in Albania

Constitution

The Constitution provides for freedom of religion, and the government generally respects this right in practice. The Constitution provides for freedom of religion and the Government generally respected this right in practice The current Constitution of Albania was adopted on November 28, 1998. According to the 1998 Constitution, there is no official religion and all religions are equal; however, the predominant religious communities (Bektashi, Sunni Muslim, Orthodox and Roman Catholic Christians) enjoy a greater degree of official recognition (e. A state religion (also called an official religion, established church or state church) is a religious body or Creed officially g. , national holidays) and social status based on their historical presence in the country. All registered religious groups have the right to hold bank accounts and to own property and buildings. No restriction is imposed on families regarding the way they raise their children with respect to religious practices. The generally amicable relationship among religions in society contributed to religious freedom. The Ministry of Education has the right to approve the curricula of religious schools to ensure their compliance with national education standards, and the State Committee on Cults oversees implementation. There are also 68 vocational training centers administered by religious communities.

Government policy and practice contributed to the generally free practice of religion. The government is secular and the Ministry of Education asserts that public schools in the country are secular and that the law prohibits ideological and religious indoctrination. Secularity ( adjective form secular) is the state of being separate from Religion. Indoctrination is the process of inculcating Ideas attitudes, cognitive strategies or a professional Methodology. Religion is not taught in public schools. The term public school has two distinct (and virtually opposite meanings depending on the location of usage in the United States, Australia and

Foreign missionaries

Foreign religious missionaries who have come to Albania since 1991 include Catholics, Evangelicals and Mormons who come mainly from the USA, Muslims from Arab countries and Turkey, Bahá'ís, Jehovah's Witnesses, Hindus, and many others freely carry out religious activities. Evangelicalism is a theological movement tradition and system of beliefs most closely associated with Protestant Christianity, which identifies with the Gospel TalkMormon#Latter Day Saint vs Latter-day Saint --> Mormon The United States of America —commonly referred to as the A Muslim (مسلم pronounced Muslim, not Muzlim) is an adherent of the Religion Turkey (Türkiye known officially as the Republic of Turkey ( is a Eurasian Country that stretches The Bahá'í Faith is a Religion founded by Bahá'u'lláh in nineteenth-century Persia, emphasizing the spiritual unity of all humankind Jehovah's Witnesses is a restorationist, millenialist Christian denomination A Hindu ( Devanagari: हिन्दू is an adherent of the philosophies and scriptures of Hinduism, a set of religious, Philosophical According to the State Committee on Cults, as of 2002 there were 31 Christian Societies representing more than 45 different organizations, about 17 different Islamic Societies and Groups and 500 to 600 other Christian and Bahá'í missionaries. See also 2002 (disambiguation Year 2002 ( MMII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. The largest foreign missionary groups were American, British, Italian, Arab and Greek. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest The araB gene Promoter is a bacterial promoter activated by e L-arabinose binding Greece (Ελλάδα transliterated: Elláda, historically, Ellás,) officially the Hellenic Republic (Ελληνική Δημοκρατία

Incidents

While there is no law restricting the demonstration of religious affiliation in public schools, there have been instances when students were not allowed to do so in practice. In December 2003, a male Muslim student was prohibited from having his diploma photograph taken because he had a beard. A diploma (from Greek δίπλωµα diploma, meaning "folded paper" is a Certificate or Deed issued by an educational institution The student was eventually permitted to graduate through the intervention of the Office of the Ombudsman (a government institution tasked with investigating citizens' charges of human rights violations and protecting their fundamental freedoms). An ombudsman ( English plural conventionally ombudsmen) is an official usually (but not always appointed by the government or by parliament who is charged with

In 2002, some Bektashi communities outside of Tirana experienced intimidation, vandalism, and threats of violence. Bektashism (Bektaşilik is an Islamic Sufi order ( Tariqat) considered to be a distinct branch of Shi'a Islam Subsequently, the Albanian authorities identified the responsibles (non-Albanian citizens) and expelled them for immigration laws violations. There were no new reports of vandalism during the period covered by this report. Bektashi leaders believe that foreign religious influences seeking to undermine the country's efforts to maintain religious tolerance and freedom were at the root of these incidents. Other religious leaders have expressed similar concerns about the potentially divisive role played by non-citizen religious extremists. [5]

The General Secretary of the Islamic Community of Albania, Sali Tivari, was shot and killed at the Community's headquarters in January 2003. The General Prosecutor's Office returned the case to the authorities for further investigation and it has remained unsolved by the end of the period covered by this report. The prosecutor is the chief legal representative of the prosecution in countries with either the Common law Adversarial system, or the civil law [6]

In October 2003, police arrested Kastriot Myftari, author of the book "Albanian National Islamism" on charges of inciting religious hatred against Islam. Religious intolerance is either Intolerance motivated by one's own religious beliefs or intolerance against another's religious beliefs or practices The book contained the author's opinions on Islam and how the religion has impacted Albanian life. According to the prosecutor's office, several statements in the book demeaned Islam. The prosecutor is the chief legal representative of the prosecution in countries with either the Common law Adversarial system, or the civil law The prosecutor had asked the court for 6 months imprisonment for the author. A court is a forum used by a power base to adjudicate disputes and dispense civil, labour administrative and criminal Justice under its A prison, penitentiary, or correctional facility is a place in which individuals are physically confined or interned and usually deprived of a range of In June, the court acquitted Myftari of all charges. [7]

During year 2004, representatives of the Orthodox Church expressed concerns that churches, crosses, and other buildings were targets of vandalism. The term Orthodox Christianity may refer to The Eastern Orthodox Church: the Eastern Christian churches of Byzantine Vandalism is the behaviour attributed to the Vandals in respect of Culture: ruthless Destruction or spoiling of anything beautiful or Venerable [8]

In November 2005 a speech[9] from Albania's president in London, aroused public protests from The Muslim Forum of Albania that accused the president of insulting Islam. Since 2004 a new organization has emerged in the Albania which has been vocal on protecting the image of Islam at the public level [10]

In April 2008, a novel from the Socialist MP, Ben Blushi was condemned by a number of Muslim NGO's [11] as racist and Islamophobic. According to the NGO's the author shows signs of racism against the Turks, Gypsies and Albanian Muslims in the novel, and portrays the prophet Muhammed in a very disrespectful way.

References

This article contains material from the Library of Congress Country Studies, which are United States government publications in the public domain. The Country Studies are works published by the Federal Research Division of the Library of Congress ( USA) freely available for use by researchers The federal government of the United States is the central United States Governmental body established by the United States Constitution. The public domain is a range of abstract materials &ndash commonly referred to as Intellectual property &ndash which are not owned or controlled by anyone

External links

• Albanian Atheists
• Pagan & Atheist Forums
• Atheist Forum
• Albanian Protestants
• Christian Portal
• Catholic Youth Forum
• Kisha Katolike Shkodër, Shkodra Catholic Church
• Famullia Gjakovë, Gjakova Catholic Church
• Magazine "Jeta katolike"
• Catholic Church in Albania
• Albanian Orthodox Forum
• Orthodox Autocephalous Church of Albania
• Arbëresh Christian Eparchy
• The Bektashi Community
• Myftinia Shkodër, Mufti of Shkodra City
• The Muslim Forum of Albania
• Newspaper "Drita Islame"
• Magazine "Familja"

See also

• State atheism
• Antireligion
• Atheism
• History of Atheism
• List of atheists
• Religion by country
• Christianity by country
• Islam by country
• History of the Jews in Albania

Time (trademarked in capitals as TIME) is a weekly American Newsmagazine, similar to Newsweek and Events 43 BC - Battle of Forum Gallorum: Mark Antony, besieging Julius Caesar 's assassin Decimus Junius Brutus in Year 1923 ( MCMXXIII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. State atheism is the official promotion of Atheism by a Government, typically by active suppression of Religious freedom and practice Antireligion is opposition to Religion. Antireligion is distinct from Atheism, although many antireligionists are also atheists Atheism Although the term Atheism originated in the 16th century, based on Ancient Greek ἄθεος "godless denying the gods ungodly" The following table pertains to Christianity by country, notably population statistics Listing of Muslims by country Important note Population counts by religious affiliation like most demographic characteristics of a Population World War II It has been stated that during World War II Albania was the only state in Europe having more Jews after the war then before it

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