The Bektashi World Leader, Haxhi Dede Edmond Brahimaj, has birthday today, he turns 62 years old. Today, he expects congratulations from Bektashis and personalities and expects visits to the Holy See. Dede Edmondi was born in Tirana on May 19, 1959, to devout parents of Bektashism, originally from the village of Brataj in Vlora. After finishing the 8-year school, “Dëshmorët e Lirisë” continues his studies at the general military high school “Skënderbej” in Tirana, which he completed with very good results. Then to Him was given the right to pursue higher military studies at the Academy of Land Forces, today the Military Academy “Skënderbej”. From 1982 to 1990 he served in various military functions, in Burrel, Peshkopi and Librazhd. With the revival of the Bektashi faith in the late 1990s, along with other clerics and believers, he participated in the Organizing Council of the Holy See of the Bektashi World Headquarters.
At the beginning of 1991, at his request, he was released from military functions, taking over, together with others, the burden of organizing the Bektashi Community. It is worth mentioning that even in the most difficult conditions, when the exercise of religious faith in Albania was banned by a special article of the Constitution, his parents’ house in Tirana served to keep Bektashism alive, endangering many of the regime that did not forgive.
In the years 1991-1994, when he was a myhyb and a candidate for dervishes, he did all the work, as a manual worker, as a shepherd, as a guard, in the service of his fathers, but also in other solutions to the problems that the Presidency had with other factors.
On January 2, 1992, he took over his spiritual leader, Haxhi Dede Reshat Bardhi and Baba Barjam Mahmutaj, thus finally joining the path of the enlightened Piri Haxhi Bektash Veliu. On May 16, 1996, he was consecrated with the order “Dervish” and was immediately charged with duty in the Bektashi Dedelik of Korça, in the well-known Turan Tekke.
His tireless work for the continuity and revival of the Bektashi faith in Librazhd, Pogradec, Mokër, Korçë, Devoll and Kavaja, led to the decree on April 13, 1997, with the title “Baba”. After passing through this life of father Bajram Mahmutaj, he was appointed as the first deputy of the Bektashi World Leader, Haxhi Dede Reshat Bardhi. In this high duty, his contribution has been invaluable, especially in the conception, preparation and realization of the next three congresses of Bektashism. Moreover, in the last two congresses (Tirana 2000 and 2005) he was reported as a responsible person on behalf of the High Parental Council.
In March 2006, with the passing of Baba Tahir Emini, he was also appointed as the grandfather of the Bektashi Dedelik in Macedonia. His contribution has been both in terms of organizing the communities of believers there, and in terms of international recognition. In both Korça and Tetovo, Haxhi Baba Edmond Brahimaj, has manifested the outstanding qualities of the Bektashi cleric in doctrinal, moral and civic terms, becoming a factor of religious tolerance among other faiths.
In 2004, for his valuable contribution, the Municipal Council of the Region of Korça honored him with the highest title “Honor of the Region of Korça”.
Dede Edmond Brahimaj, has received many thanks and high considerations from the governments of Albania, Macedonia, Kosovo, civil society factors, diplomatic missions, etc. The diplomatic corps accredited in Skopje has officially praised him, as a man with all the attributes of a religious leader, especially for his peaceful role in the tekke “Harabati Baba”, the tekke in Tetovo, etc. His role as a clergyman, patriot and intellectual, the way of dealing with legal discrimination against the Bektashi community in the territories of Northern Macedonia, using wisdom, ingenuity, weight of thought and speech, gave results that many did not expect. Thanks to this dedication and work, the International Court of Justice in Strasbourg, by special law, returned to the Bektashis some environments forcibly occupied by some extremist circles.
From 1992 onwards, Haxhi Dede Edmond Brahimaj, has participated in trainings of prestigious international organizations, doctrinal courses, symposia and various activities of religious, human and social character, where he also referred, bringing there the voice and experiences of Bektashi communities in the world. Thus in 1966, he referred to Tehran, regarding Bektashi tolerance in the Balkans. On June 14, 2003, at the International Conference “Religions and Civilizations in the New Millennium”, he referred to the challenges of Bektashism in the future. In June 2004, as part of the training of the Communities organization Albanian traditional religious leader, visits the White House in the US. From the board of this organization he deserved the title “Ambassador of Peace”. He went to the US invited by the State Department and the US Embassy in Albania for a period of 21 days for “Religious Diversity in the US”. Dede Edmond Brahimaj, has participated several times in the celebrations of August 16 in Haxhi Bektash, Turkey, where he was received by senior leaders of the Turkish state as well as those of the Institute “Haxhi Bektash Veliu” at Gazi University in Turkey. He has also been present and contributed with his lectures in analogous activities in Tirana, Skopje, Pristina, Ohrid, Istanbul, Ankara, Afiyon, Stuttgart Cologne, Greece and in Detroit, USA. Dede Edmond Brahimaj, was a participant in the World Pilgrimage to Mecca, in 204; participated in visits to shrines in Jerusalem, Israel, in 2007; has been invited to the 33rd World Congress on “Religious Freedom” in India and has lit the torch of this activity together with the prominent religious leader Dalai Lama; has participated in three World Conferences on Religion in Macedonia in 2006-2011.
His higher education curriculum includes, among other things, studies in Law at the State University of Tetova in Macedonia.
With an extra decision, dated 11.06.2011 (160, in protocol, dated 04.07.2011) of the High Parental Council of the World Headquarters, after the death of Haxhi Dede Reshat Bardhi on June 11.2011, Dede Edmond Brahimaj was elected to the high post of the Bektashi World Leader. These years, as the World Leader of the Bektashis, His Grace, Haxhi Baba Edmond Brahimaj, has worked diligently continuing the path of Dede Reshati Bardhi, the Bektashi tradition in institutional relations at home and abroad. Meanwhile, there has been and is a busy agenda in various international activities around the world, where we mention: Meeting with representatives of the Council of Europe on religious issues in 2012; meeting with senior Turkish personalities, Prime Minister Erdogan, Turkish President and senior representatives of the Muslim Community of Turkey in 2013; is a participant in the conference for the 100th anniversary of the Society “Fire” in 2013; met with White House personalities in the US, including Secretary of State John Kerry in 2013; is a participant in the World Conference for Peace in Peja, Kosovo, 2013; visited the holy places of Iraq in the cities of Najaf, Karbala, Kufa, Baghdad, in April 2014; attends the Seoul Peace Summit in September 2014; has participated in the international event for peace between peoples 9-12 October, Palermo-Italy, 2014 etc. Dede Edmond Brahimi met with Pope Francis in Tirana on September 21, 2014 and was received by the Pope of Rome, invited by the Vatican, on May 11, 2016. One of the special events of Dede Edmond Brahimaj is the participation together with the Prime Minister of Albania Edi Rama in the ‘Peace March’, homage to nationwide solidarity after the tragedy where as a result of the terrorist act against the magazine: Charlie Hebdo “12 people lost their lives.
The Bektashi World Leader, His Grace, Haxhi Dede Edmond Brahimaj, among others were awarded various titles and medals, including: Order “Skanderbeg’s Knight”, on September 7, 2015 by the President of the Republic of Albania; “Gratitude” from President Barack Obama, USA, in January 2017; Dr. Honorus Causa, from the UN Mission, in September 2016; ‘Ambassador of Peace’ in 2004; in over 15 cities, Dede Edmond Brahimaj has been awarded the title “Honorary Citizen” etc.…