Today, on February 10, 2022, at 11.00, at the Tirana International Hotel, Classic Hall, the Interfaith Council of Albania, organized the Interfaith Conference "Brotherhood in Humanism" with the participation of leaders of religious communities, interfaith women and Youth in the Council Interfaith of Albania. This activity took place in cooperation with "Religions for Peace, Europe", where the special guest was the president of ENIB-Religions for Peace, Europe Dr. Luigi De Salvia.
The focus of this conference was the document on "Human Brotherhood" signed by the Grand Imam of Al-Az'har, Ahmad Al-Tayyeb, and Pope Francis in 2019.
This conference was attended by His Holiness, Haxhi Dede Edmond Brahimaj, World Leader of the Bektashis; Pastor Ylli Doçi, President of IRCA & President of the Evangelical Brotherhood; H. Bujar Spahiu President of the Muslim Community of Albania; Blessed Anastas, Archbishop of the Autocephalous Orthodox Church; Mons. Angelo Massafra, President of the Episcopal Conference; Her Excellency Yuri Kim, Ambassador of the United States of America in Tirana; Monsignor Luigi Bonazzi, Apostolic Nuncio in Tirana; Dr. Luigi de Salvia, President and Religions for Peace, Europe (Keynote Speaker); Dr. Genti Kruja, Secretary General of IRCA & Vice President of ENIB, Religion for Peace, Europe.
Greetings of the Bektashi World Leader, His Holiness, Haxhi Dede Edmond Brahimaj.
“Bismilahi Rrahmani Rrahim!
In the name of God, the Beneficent, the Merciful!
Dear Brothers, Leaders of Religious Communities!
Distinguished Ambassadors!
Dear US Ambassador, Your Excellency Ms. Yuri Kim!
Dear Apostolic Nuncio Luigi Bonazi!
Dear Mrs. Dervishi, Director of CVE, religious clerics studius, and members of the Executive Board, women and youth in IRCA!
Dear our guest friend and collaborator, President of RFP Europe, Mr. Luigi De Silva, it is a special honor and pleasure to participate in the International Conference on Interreligious Dialogue, the Brotherhood in Humanism, and to greet you on behalf of the millions of Bektashi believers around the world: May God pay attention to Your devotion, humanism and the brotherhood that has kept us together inseparable for years, and bring peace and prosperity to all mankind!
My country, Albania, although it has lived through frightening events in the years of communism and then with the difficulties of resurgence in post-communism, certainly has something beautiful inside. It has the precious pearl of the model of religious harmony and coexistence. Is this the will of God? Of course yes.
But if the Almighty God has forgiven us this miracle, we certainly thank Him for all the goodness in this world and the next, not forgetting that we are brothers with a common past, present and future. Just as in a biological family, where harmony and mutual respect prevail, perfect moral values are inherited in the great family of a nation, these values certainly bring us to light.
The Bektashi faith that I represent, adheres to its foundation and to this day, one of the valuable teachings of our founder, Haji Bektash Veliu, who 800 years ago wrote: “The Glorious Qur'an is our faith and Muhammad Mustafai mediator. Adam and Hawa are our father and mother. We are all brothers to each other. All wonders have been created for us, from the highest heavens to the lowest earth. ”
Based on this, the Bektashi tekkes, in the essence of their philosophy, have conveyed exactly the idea of being brothers, regardless of ethnicity, race, language, or religion. It is no coincidence that many European scholars, seeing Bektashism as a bridge between religions and ethnicities, have written hundreds of exciting pages about this remarkable sect of Islam, which has strongly influenced the Balkan religious context.
While the example of religious harmony and peace in Albania is undoubtedly emblematic. The Albanian Muslims, SUni and 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, "you have a religious brotherhood." 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.
Because 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, regardless of which era, or which country it comes from. Preserving our religious identity gives us the right to knock loudly on the doors of the European family. Wishing you the best and thanking you for joining us today in our common family, the Interfaith Council of Albania, in this Brotherhood in humanism! God bless you! Amen! ”
The greeting session continued with the reference of the 5 leaders of the religious communities of the country, Ambassador Mrs. Yuri Kim, Apostolic Nuncio in Tirana, Mr. Luigi Bonazzi and the first session closed with the referral of the honorary guest of this conference, Dr. Luigi de Silva.
After a break, the conference continued with the announcements of the members of the youth board, the woman moderated by Mrs. Sheldiana Jano Agaraj, Member of the Executive Board.
