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