Albania plans a Sufi Muslim microstate within its borders

Albania plans a Sufi Muslim microstate within its borders

Sub: IR

Sec: Places in news

Context:

• Albania plans to create a sovereign microstate within its capital, Tirana, specifically for the Bektashi Muslims, a Sufi sect known for promoting religious harmony and dialogue.
• Key Details:
  • The microstate will function similarly to the Vatican and serve as the political home for the Bektashi community.
  • Bektashi Muslims are Albania’s fourth-largest religious group, following Sunni Muslims, Orthodox Christians, and Catholics.

Purpose and Vision:

• Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama announced the plan at the United Nations, stating that the goal is to transform the Bektashi World Centre in Tirana into a sovereign state.
  • This new microstate aims to be a symbol of moderation, tolerance, and peaceful coexistence.
• Bektashi Community’s Response:
  • The Bektashi Order praised the decision, emphasising that sovereignty would strengthen religious inclusion, harmony, and dialogue in an increasingly divided world.

Details of the Microstate:

• The new state will cover around 10 hectares (25 acres) in Tirana.
• Citizenship will be restricted to members of the Bektashi clergy and those involved in the administration of the state.
• The microstate’s government will be led by the Bektashi leader and a council responsible for both religious and administrative governance.

About the Bektashi Order:

• The Bektashi Order is an Islamic Sufi mystic order that originated in the 13th-century Ottoman Empire and is considered a tolerant, mystical branch of Islam, welcoming of other religions and philosophies.
  • Named after the saint Haji Bektash Veli.
  • The order is currently led by Baba Mondi, the eighth Dedebaba, and headquartered in Tirana, Albania.

Historical Development:

• Initially a Sufi order within Sunni Islam, by the 16th century, the Bektashi adopted Twelver Shia elements, including:
  • Veneration of ʿAlī, the son-in-law of Muhammad.
  • Reverence for the Twelve Imams and other syncretic beliefs.
• In the 15th century, the order became politically influential, especially through its connection with the Janissary Corps.
• Following the establishment of modern Turkey, Kemal Atatürk banned non-state religious institutions, leading to the Bektashi headquarters relocating to Albania.
  • Salih Nijazi was the last Dede in Turkey and the first in Albania.
• The Bektashi Order played a role in Albanian politics, with some members, including Ismail Qemali, participating in the Albanian National Awakening.
• In the early 20th century, many Bektashi leaders relocated to Albania after being banned in Turkiye by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of modern Turkey.

Beliefs and Influences:

• Bektashis believe in the ismah (infallibility) of:
  • Islamic prophets and messengers.
  • The Twelve Imams.
  • The Fourteen Infallibles and current Dedebabas.
• The order was influenced by:
  • Hurufis in the 15th century.
  • Qalandariyya Sufism.
  • Prominent figures such as Ahmad Yasawi, Yunus Emre, Shah Ismail, Pir Sultan Abdal, and Gül Baba.
  • The Shia belief system circulating in Anatolia from the 14th to 16th centuries.
• Balım Sultan systematized and structured the Bektashi rituals and practices in the 16th century.

Bektashi Population:

• Estimates of the Bektashi population range between 7 million (2005 estimate) and 20 million (more recent studies).
• In Albania:
  • Bektashis make up 9% of the Muslim population and 5% of the overall population.
• In Turkey:
  • There are approximately 12.5 million Bektashis.
• Bektashis are predominantly found in Anatolia, the Balkans, and among Ottoman-era Greek Muslim communities.

Alevi–Bektashi:

• The term “Alevi–Bektashi” is frequently used in Turkish religious discourse to describe the shared elements of Alevism and Bektashism.

Source: TH