Religion in Albania

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

It has been suggested that Islam in Albania be merged into this article or section. (Discuss)

Islam has been the majority religion in Albania since the times of Ottoman rule. According to the 1939 statistics 70% of the population were perceived as Muslim, 20% belonging to the Albanian Orthodox and 10% to the Catholic Church. Religious strife has never posed a serious problem in Albania and interreligious marriages were common, in some places even the rule. Some families had double religious identities, Muslim to the outside world and Christian at home. In addition 20% of total Muslim population were followers of the Bektashi order, a mystic Dervish order that came to Albania through the Ottoman Janissaries. The order resembles Sufi mystic orders but contains elements quite distinct from orthodox Islam. After the Bektashis were banned in Turkey in 1925 the order moved its world centre to Tirana.

From 1967 to the end of communism, religious practices were banned in Albania and the country was proclaimed the world first atheistic state in 1973. The heavy persecution of clergy, destruction of religious symbols and texts has made resurrection of religious institutions a difficult process.