[ALBSA-Info] Fwd: 50 years in an atheistic dungeon

[Olsi]

>50 years in an atheistic dungeon
>Emergence, challenge and resistance
>
>
>In the slightly over three years of the Communist turned
>Socialist party government in Albania, Islam has been
>facing problems just when Albanian Muslims, who form the
>bulk of the population, were beginning to enjoy the
freedom
>to rebuild their shattered Islamic identity. Though not
>comparable to the worst excesses of the brutal Communist
>regime, the obstacles and restrictions have been piling on
>frustrations. The problems of endemic corruption, grinding
>poverty, high level of unemployment, law and order
>breakdown and cultural destabilization have already made
>life intolerable.
>
>Since the left wing press raised the bogey of 'Islamic
>fundamentalism' in 1998 Muslim organizations in Albania
>have been finding it very difficult to get help from
fellow
>Muslims from abroad. The protracted press campaign had led
>to the arrest of many such Muslims who were working with
>them. The surge of Islamic activities that swept over
>Albania after it emerged from the long twilight of
>Communist rule is being impeded, and also challenged by
the
>evangelizing missions.
>
>In Tirana, the capital, private television stations have
>mushroomed, some 17 of them, most of them recently; in
>every city there are at least two. It is very difficult to
>organize Islamic programs, though, especially in Tirana,
>unless thousand of dollars are paid to somebody, at a time
>when television stations report everything connected with
>Christians . The media are focused on the Europianization
>of Albania a mainly Muslim country - the only one in
Europe
>[excluding Turkey].
>
>The government of Albania that is held responsible by the
>European Union for the appalling level of poverty,
>corruption and smuggling is impervious to criticism. The
>Socialist administration, as far as the Muslims are
>concerned, is even engaged in efforts to whittle away the
>Muslim character of the nation. If its dubious statistics
>are to be accepted, Muslims form only 50% of the
population
>of Albania - the correct percentage is 75.
>
>It is hardly surprising the government is not bothered
>about the spiritual welfare of the 300,000 Albanian
>emigrants who are working in Greece, and obliged to
abandon
>their Muslim names for Orthodox (Christian) ones. How can
>one expect any better of the Socialist government that is
>biased against Islam?
>
>Even the previous Democratic government that lost power in
>the June 1997 election was - out of sheer naivet6 or
>ignorance - receptive to the onslaught of Albania by
>foreign governmental and non governmental organizations
and
>Christian foundations. Some 120 of them put down roots in
>Tirana alone, each with their own program, in contrast to
>Muslim humanitarian organizations which were only 25.
>
>When the 50 years of Albania as 'fortress Communism' ended
>and the walls of atheism and Stalinism tumbled ushering in
>freedom, the country was fair game for NGOS, foreign
>governments and organizations. The Albanian government
>became their biggest supporter helping them in their
>activities and, in the process, helping in the destruction
>of the social, cultural and religious identity of the
>nation. The streets, institutions, including schools and
>universities, and other places were transformed - they
>became the parade ground of the European-style women.
>
>The economic growth in 1996 was followed by indifference
to
>the recent gains of Islam, as the West-oriented economic
>and cultural pressure increased. The Orthodox Christian
>community represented by Greek Orthodox Bishop Janullatos
>was very active, in collaboration with some very important
>political personal ties, in opposing every single aspect
of
>the Islamic identity of Albanians.
>
>In 1995 acts of vandalism in Orthodox churches by some
>unidentified people led the government of Prime Minister
>Alexsander Meksi to order the closure of five madrassahs
in
>the south of Albania just what the Greeks wanted! Five
>-students of the Korca (a southern city) madrassah
(Islamic
>schools) had been accused of spoiling the religious
>pictures.
>
>Examples of discrimination against the Muslims were
plenty.
>There was not much restoration by the state of waqf
>(Islamic religious foundations) land and property seized
by
>the previous Communist dictator Enver Hoxha. But the
>authorities were meticulous about returning to the church
>all the Christian properties. The building of a mosque in
>Tirana near parliament was not allowed. The opening of a
>new madrassah was blocked. Money received from the Muslim
>world for investment in Islamic work in Albania was
>controlled by the Albanian secret service.
>
>Ignorance of Islam and weakness of the Albanian Muslim
>community, which are at the root of their problems, showed
>up in the pyramid investment schemes in 1995-96 that
>attracted Albanians like bees to a honey pot. Money was
>raked in from the people and alluring percentage of
>interest paid out; at first interest rates were 20-30%;
>towards the end of 1996, a phenomenal rise in the number
of
>pyramid schemes interests rate shot up to 70 per cent.
This
>incredibly absurd form of economic activity was allowed by
>the government. The opposition Socialist party leader
Fatos
>Nano, a former Communist, had nothing to say either. The
>European 'friends' were very late to comment on this
>dangerous economic activity.
>
>Every day hordes of 'investors' arrived. More than 50% of
>the population fell into the trap of making quick money.
>Two billion dollars were in the pyramid hole. As was bound
>to happen, at the end of 1996, the pyramid investment
>schemes collapsed, because they were unable to pay the
>increasing number of 'investors'. Some operators of the
>pyramid schemes, mostly former Communist and pro-Greek
>elements, fled Albania taking the money; others could not
>do anything.
>
>President Berisha and Prime Minister Meksi, who failed to
>prevent the economic collapse, returned 50% of their
>investment to the pyramid 'investors', which was not
>enough. It was a recipe for disaster. There was chaos in
>Vlore, a city in the south, where the people fought with
>police forces. Violence and chaos visited other cities.
>
>In March 1997 some unidentified groups brought in arms,
>which as later reported, came from Greece, and spread to
>the people. Soon mobs raided military arms stores and
stole
>thousands of guns, Kalashnikovs, bombs etc. The same
>scenario was seen in all the other cities. The country was
>in a state of rebellion. Economic collapse became
>inevitable.
>
>Socialist party and its leader openly supported the
>rebellion against the elected government of a state that
>had only recently become democratic. They spared no
efforts
>to destroy everything that was connected with the ruling
>Democratic Party. Prime Minister Meksi and his government
>resigned. President Sali Berisha had no choice but to
agree
>to fresh election so relentless was the pressure from the
>Council of Europe represented by the left political
forces,
>and in Albania by Franz Wranicky and Katherine Lalyrnier.
>
>The 30 June 1997 general election brought to power the
>Socialists who obtained two-thirds of the seats in
>parliament. It is beyond comprehension how a genuine
>election could be held in a country of only 3.5 million
>awash with a million weapons, hundreds of murders in
>polling stations, and the leaders of the left sharing - as
>reported by the press - dollars with armed gangs. It was
>obvious Albania then had everything but democracy and
>democratic election. However, for the Council of Europe
and
>its representatives in Albania, Franz Wranicky and
>Katherine Lalymier the polls were democratic and
>acceptable.
>
>There are many opinions why the European Community was
>agreeable to the re-labelled Communists - Socialists
taking
>power in Albania. Some link it directly with the pyramid
>schemes. In the view of most Albanians pyramid schemes
were
>organized to destabilize the economy and the country since
>the five years of economic stability was paving the way
for
>the rehabilitation of Islam, which growing numbers of the
>younger generation were embracing. Some even think it was
>done to render Albania impotent to act in a potential
>conflagration in Kosova that showed all the signs of
>occurring.
>
>However far fetched the opinions may seem, there is no
>doubt that Albania nestling in the southeast corner of
>Europe with its European Muslim identity in deep coma was
>stirring into life, thanks to the end of the worst
>Communist regime in the world in March 1991. The Albanian
>student movement played a pivotal role in taking on the
>regime. As in most other East European countries Albanian
>students organized the biggest post Communist movement and
>held demonstrations in several cities.
>
>In April 1985 Enver Hoxha had died, but it was not the end
>of the dictatorship. He was replaced by another committed
>Communist, Ramiz Alia who was as relentless in tightening
>his grip on the country as in cracking down on those
trying
>to escape from Albania; hundreds of them were jailed and
>killed. However the people's uprising in Romania and the
>failure of the Communist system in Eastern Europe shook
the
>Alia regime.
>
>The first riots that took place in Shkodra in the north
>were followed elsewhere. The regime saw the writing on the
>wall and he hastened to create new political parties
>with,-former Communist leaders to support him in the new
>plural political system. In December announcement was made
>of the first multi-party election on 10 February 1991
which
>was held on 31 March.
>
>The setting up of the Democratic Party of Albania (DPA)
was
>the first genuine Albanian opposition party after nearly
50
>years of totalitarianism. Sali Berisha was elected leader
>who led the party in winning nearly one third of the seats
>in parliament. Failure by the old Communists in governing
>the new Albania resulted in fresh election in March 1992
>that put DPA in power, which had secured two thirds of
>parliamentary seats.
>
>The first freely elected democratic government led by
>President Sali Berisha was a milestone in the history of
>post-war Albania for it was the death toll of atheistic
>Communist rule and the revival of the Islamic spirit that
>Enver Hoxha had tried to destroy.
>
>The old mosques were opened. Those destroyed were being
>rebuilt. The Albanian Muslim community was taking shape
and
>coalescing around its spiritual leader Hafiz Sabri Koci
>Effendi who emerged as the Grand Mufti after languishing
in
>Communist prisons for 25 years. New books, magazines and
>newspapers began publishing. Some 25 Muslim organisations
>became active, and engaged in rebuilding mosques in
>villages and cities.
>
>After half a century of isolation and persecution under
>Communism, the people were at last finding what they had
>long been deprived of reconnecting to Islam at all levels.
>Muslims - as well as Christians - found on 28 November
1944
>that the liberation of Albania from the Nazi Germans was a
>false dawn; life under occupation had been replaced with
>life tinder Communist totalitarianism. (The Communist
Party
>of Albania was founded on 8 November 1941 by a group of
>Albanian Communists.)
>
>Politicians and leaders were executed, religious scholars
>and leaders were not spared either. Every religious,
>national and cultural value connected with the past was
>denied. A new collective, Communist life was imposed.
Every
>private activity was outlawed. All the wealth and property
>seized by the state.
>
>In 1967 Enver Hoxha achieved the destruction of 2169
>mosques and churches; what remained were turned into
>storage places, sport palaces and public toilets. A law
was
>passed prohibiting religious practices and prescribed jail
>sentences for those who did and public execution for those
>who tried to leave the country.
>
>A whole generation grew up without faith, without seeing a
>mosque in their life, not knowing their identity.
Communism
>reigned supreme casting its shadow on every aspect of
life.
>But Islam, the marvelous faith remained deep in the hearts
>of the people. Islamic ceremonies were organized in
secret.
>Fasting was carried out on the quiet during the holy
>Ramadan month. Salat was offered in private.
>
>Although Islam faces difficulties and pressures today in
>Albania under Socialist rule Muslims are making efforts to
>rebuild their Islamic identity. A hopeful sign is that the
>Islamic spirit still remains in the heart of Albanians
even
>if they lack the knowledge of Islam. Sons are inviting
>their parents to Islam and more Islamic books are being
>sold. Equally significant, if not more, mosques are
>frequently filled by more people, especially by the
younger
>ones.
>
>Redi Shehu
>
>impact INTERNATIONAL 
>VOL 30 NO 9 SEPTEMBER 2000

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