Yesterday, on May 3, at the Rogner International Hotel in Tirana, the International was held the Conference on Interfaith Dialogue: "Albania, a model of interfaith harmony for Europe". Its organizers, with the support of the Austrian Embassy in our country, were "Beder" University, "Logos" University College and the Catholic University "Lady of Good Counsel". It was attended by the presidents of religious communities, clergy, state representatives, academics, researchers and theologians from Albania and Europe, etc. The speech of the Bektashi World Leader, His Grace, Haxhi Dede Edmond Brahimaj, was followed with great interest in this conference. Among other things, the Grandfather emphasized: “... The example of religious harmony and peace in Albania is undoubtedly emblematic. The Albanian Muslims, the Sunni and the Bektashi, have joined their Christian brothers in every anti-Ottoman movement, for the independence and prosperity of our lands. The same situation united us with the Albanian Christians, when the south of the country was occupied by the Greeks or the north by the Serbs, to be finalized in the great national movement of the Second World War. We ordinary religious leaders and believers, devotedly worshiping the Creator, preserving and respecting religious and patriotic traditions, especially in the years of the communist anti-religious inquisition 1967-1990, confessed to civilized Europe that despite all kinds of storms, love for God, for each other, religious understanding and solidarity, remain as a wonderful jewel in the necklace of our identity. This is the reason, honorable present, that Pope Francis, during his visit to Albania in 2014, went very far regarding the concept of religious harmony, saying that, ‘there is a religious brotherhood in you’. This great appreciation for a small nation, remains undoubtedly a special honor, as well as an obligation to preserve and further develop the religious brotherhood, to protect it from any extremism of the time. Without a doubt, this broad-leaved and majestic plane of our religious brotherhood must be viewed with the utmost care, avoiding any kind of religious extremist tendency, no matter what era or country it comes from. "Preserving our religious identity gives us the right to knock loudly on the doors of the European family."
Finally, the leaders of the Religious Communities signed a joint statement.