August 22, 2019, under the special care of the Bektashi World Headquarters - Holy See, Bektashi World Headquarters, His Grace Haxhi Dede Edmond Brahimaj, Skrapar Dedelik, with Mr. Zalo Qato as secretary and many other collaborators, a traditional pilgrimage ceremony was held, annual 5-day event on Tomorri Mountain, in Berat, on the occasion of the feast of Abaz Ali.
The ceremony was attended by: President of the Republic of Albania, His Excellency Mr. Ilir Meta, Speaker of the Assembly of the Republic of Northern Macedonia, Mr. Telat Xhaferri, Minister of Tourism and Environment Mr. Blendi Klosi, Chairman of the party XHE HE PE of Turkey, Mr. Kemal Kilicdaroglu, Mayor of Skrapar, Mr. Adriatik Mema, President of News 24 Mr. Ifran Hysenbejlliu, Well-known businessman Mr. Pëllum Salillari, ministers and MPs, representatives of foreign embassies accredited in Tirana, Bektashi clerics and believers coming not only from Albania, Montenegro, Kosovo, Macedonia, Europe, the United States of America, etc., leaders and representatives of other religious faiths in Albania, media representatives, the Artistic Union of the Albanian Nation, Decorated "Knight of the Order of Skanderbeg", laureate of the medal "Gjergj Kastrioti Skanderbeg" with President Mr. Azgan Haklaj and Secretary General Mrs. Enida Çami etj…
The Bektashi World Leader, His Grace Haxhi Dede Edmond Brahimaj, in his keynote address gave messages of peace, congratulations, blessings, mercy and emphasized the squares of this tekke that are always filled with believers who grow from year to year turning this sacred place in an important center of forgiveness, mercy, and intimacy with the Creator. Also, the Grandfather presented to those present several certificates of appreciation for their contribution to the protection of the rights of Albanians in: Albania, Macedonia, Kosovo, Bllakan and beyond in closing they unveiled and inaugurated the bust of one of the prominent Bektashi clerics, Baba Ali Tomorrit, thanking the famous businessman Mr. Pëllumb Salillari, the talented sculptor, Mr. Muntaz Dhrami and all those who contributed and sponsored this sacred work.
Grandfather's full speech:
In the name of God, the Beneficent, the Merciful!
Honorable President of the Republic of Albania, His Excellency Mr. Ilir Meta!
Honorable Speaker of the Assembly of the Republic of Northern Macedonia, Mr. Telat Xhaferri!
Honorable Minister of Tourism and Environment, Mr. Blendi Klosi!
Honorable President of News 24, Mr. Ifran Hysenbelli!
Honorable Chairman of the XHE HE PE party of Turkey, Mr. Kemal Kilicdaroglu!
Honorable Mayor of Skrapar, Mr. Adriatik Mema!
Dear ministers and deputies!
Dear representatives of foreign embassies accredited in Tirana!
Dear Bektashi clerics and believers coming from Albania, Montenegro, Kosovo, Macedonia, Europe, the United States of America, etc.…!
Dear brothers, leaders and representatives of other religious faiths in Albania, present here today!
Dear media representatives!
First of all, as the Bektashi World Leader, let me thank all of you who have taken the difficult road to Mount Tomorri today to join in the joy of this historic pilgrimage. May God be pleased with you and your families, fulfilling every wish you have in this life!
Secondly, I want to express my satisfaction for this massive participation in this marked rite, and above all, for the joy and hope I see in your eyes and hearts, which is an expression of devotion to bow full of gratitude and pride, forward the tombs of the Bektashi dervishes and fathers, who kept alive for centuries the spirit of freedom and faith in God. They nurtured the endless hope that, after every sorrow and pain, after every calamity, the will of God would be done and sunshine would be born for them as well. Therefore, the streets of this holy mountain, therefore the squares of this tekke where we gather every year, were always filled with the steps and voices of the believers, with the optimism in the difficult years that Albania was going through.
Dear Believers! At the height of this mountain, we also have our saint, Abaz Ali. Despite the centuries-old legends that are told and transmitted about ‘Him from generation to generation, He Himself is a wonderful reality of man before fear, of life before death, of love before hatred, of Albanian purity in the face of the Yazidis. He has been and will remain the model of the man and the brave man who was identified to the end with the excellent conscience of Imam Husayn, may God bless him and grant him peace! The name and work of Abaz Ali, have forgiven this capital of Albanians, not only the sanctity of history, but also the values of life that we have lived and live, Today's pilgrimage, which comes a few days after we remembered the blessed day of Eid al-Adha, in terms of participation messages conveying rites, coexistence with each other, regardless of race, gender, nationality, ethnicity, is another value of peace, worship and commit to better days in the future.
I have full confidence in the blessing of the great God, that this event will make our souls purer and more peaceful, will make us stronger spiritually and physically, with purer and fuller energies, putting them those in the service of the people and the nation.
We all know that human society today is facing some challenges, related to worldviews and social problems, where the greed, the evil of Yazid, is fighting fiercely against peace, human love and universal goodness. Often violent acts, bloody conflicts in the world, certain tendencies by certain groups or circles to mix messages of war and conflict, dressing them unjustly with the rules of religious beliefs. The Bektashi motto "Without a homeland there is no religion", the preaching of human harmony, sincere brotherhood, love of God, requires the massive support of clergy, believers, politicians, so that the spectrum of human harmony in this world on earth, this a wider spiritual and territorial extension. We Bektashis, wherever we are in the world, will continue to be at the forefront of this mission we have before the Creator and society.
Dear believers!
Our satisfaction is increased when we find that from year to year, as has happened today in this holy place, as well as other holy places of the Bektashi faith, the number of pilgrims who come, pray and receive the blessing of the saints for their troubles increases significantly. of their lives. We feel proud today, not because we remember these saints, but because every day of ours, every step of ours is a natural and unique union with their souls. By loving Albania, by loving the family, by strengthening our traditional brotherhood, we approach as much as possible the human values, the wonderful features of the prophets. This is and will be our mission, even in the future.
Allow me on this occasion to thank the businessman, Mr. Pëllumb Salillari, for sponsoring the bust of one of the prominent Bektashi clerics, Baba Ali Tomorri and the talented sculptor, Mr. Muntaz Dhrami.
And once again let me congratulate you who have come here and the believers everywhere in the world:
God bless you all!
Amin!
Kreu i Shtetit, Shkëlqesia e Tij Z. Ilir Meta, tha se këtë vit kanë marrë pjesë në këtë pelegrinazh më shumë njerëz të nderuar dhe kjo është shenjë se vitin që vjen punët e Shqipërisë do të shkojnë më mirë. Ndër të tjera, Meta uroi që Abaz Aliu t’i japë forcë politikës shqiptare të çojë përpara Shqipërinë, që ajo të bëhet më e drejtë, më e bashkuar dhe më evropiane.
“Nuk do flas gjatë sot, pasi kemi shumë mysafirë të nderuar, që një vit më parë nuk kanë qenë këtu dhe kjo është shenjë e mirë se punët për vitin që vjen do shkojnë më mirë në vendin tonë. Dua të them se jo më kot poeti ynë i madh kombëtar, në momentet më të vështira, për t’i dhënë fuqi shqiptarëve, ju referua dhe i dha vendin që meritonte edhe poezi e poemë figurës madhështore të Abaz Aliut. “Abaz Aliu erdhi afër nesh, Shqipëria s’mbet e gjorë, se Zoti e desh”.
Ndaj dhe ne mblidhemi këtu për të nderuar këtë figurë të shenjtë dhe gjithë ato legjenda, personalitete, që përmes bektashizmit bënë dhe bëjnë më të mirën për Shqipërinë. Bënë gjithçka për gjuhën shqipe, për bashkim kombëtar, që punuan gjithmonë pa u lodhur për harmoninë fetare në vendin tonë. Abaz Aliu të na japë forcë për një Shqipëri më të drejtë, më të bashkuar, më evropiane siç e meritojnë të gjithë shqiptarët”, tha Meta, i cili eshte dekoruar nga Kryegjyshi i Bektashinjve.
