95th Anniversary of the Establishment of the World Center of the Bektashis in Albania

Speech by Prime Minister Edi Rama at the 95th Anniversary Conference of the Establishment of the World Center of the Bektashis in Albania:

Dear friends, allow me to begin by joining in the expression of sorrow for the passing of Archbishop Janullatos, and to convey my condolences to all his collaborators and members of the Orthodox community, wishing that he may rest in peace.

Honored World Leader of the Bektashis, esteemed clergy present, it is a privilege for me to speak at this 95th anniversary of the creation of the World Bektashi Center in Albania and to express both my admiration for the role of the Albanian Bektashis in awakening national consciousness and their efforts for Albanian independence, as well as my solidarity for the increasingly great and unique difficulties they face in these days as those who keep the flame of this faith alive every day.

Today, I have brought with me this particularly voluminous book by a distinguished scholar, Robert Elsie, who is deeply devoted to Albania and the Albanians. Elsie, who even requested to be buried in Albania, is highly regarded for his work on Albanian culture and history. I suggest that all those who wish to express their opinions on the idea of granting sovereign status to the World Bektashi Center take a look at this very detailed compilation of Albanian history. In this work, they will find all the sound reasons for supporting this idea. Every Albanian, whether they believe in God or not, whether they are Muslim, Christian, or Bektashi, should read it. If they are even slightly patriotic, they will find it impossible not to be moved by the extraordinary history of efforts, suffering, and sacrifices for the homeland, which makes Bektism an invaluable treasure of our historical and cultural heritage.

Bektashism is a living cultural monument that must be protected by the state and the Albanian people. I can say this with no hesitation, because thank God, I am not a Bektashi, and no one can accuse me of doing something in favor of a specific group.

With its roots in the fertile soil of Islamic mysticism, Bektashism is not simply a community or a religious sect; it is a guiding light that transcends the boundaries of belief. It offers an unadulterated message of love, compassion, and foresight, and what makes it unique is that within this message, Bektashism unmistakably embodies patriotism.

In the 15th and 16th centuries, the Bektashis settled in our lands, bringing not only a new faith but also a new way of life. In this book, it is extraordinary to see how the tekkes (Bektashi centers) served as open homes for everyone. Muslims, Christians, or even those who didn’t believe in anything would come together, all equally welcome, with no special treatment for Bektashis compared to others.

Then, when the light of our national awakening began to shine, the tekkes became schools for the Albanian language. If today we speak Albanian and if our alphabet is Latin—not Greek, not Slavic, but Latin—it is, among other things, thanks to the tekkes, where the elders created an entire network for teaching the alphabet, writing, and singing in Albanian. It was here that a large part of our national soul was shaped, which later became the foundation for the idea and strength behind the declaration of independence.

In this remarkable book, Robert Elsie describes Bektashism as a spiritual treasure for the Albanians—and it truly is. It is a spiritual treasure not just for Bektashis, but for Muslims, Catholics, Orthodox Christians, Protestants, and anyone else, regardless of whether they believe in God, as long as they call themselves Albanian.

Ismail Kadare was not a Bektashi believer. However, he writes that Bektism was the bridge between earth and heaven for the Albanians. It was the place where our national identity survived through the philosophy of love and unity. These, along with millions of other words collected with great respect and love for the Albanian Bektashis by Robert Elsie, are not poetry, they are not literature, they are not merely history, they are calls. They are calls to save this living treasure that is threatened by extinction.

Therefore, the history of the Bektashis is, in itself, an imperative call to grant the World Bektashi Center a status similar to that of the Vatican, giving it the power of an emblem that will not divide anyone, that will not threaten anyone, and that will not question the territorial sovereignty or territorial integrity of the Republic of Albania—something one doesn’t often hear from the Albanians when they set their minds to do something new or to accomplish something that others have not done.

Albania is a unitary state, meaning it is not a federal state. Such an emblem would give Albania even more light, the light of attention and respect as an example of that blessed harmony, so much sought after today around the world, which Pope Francis, when he came here and saw it with his own eyes, baptized as the example of religious brotherhood for the whole world.

Well, if we are an example of religious brotherhood for the whole world, what could be more welcomed by all religious communities than for the Bektashis to have this emblem, which will attract many more people from all over the world? And when they come, they will see how churches and mosques coexist in harmony.

“Do not look at the religion of others, look at their heart,” advises the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him. In these words of profound simplicity lies the essence. It is the essence of this day, here, and the essence of all those who came and spoke, driven by the urge to express themselves. Despite the fact that all the words we speak here as guests are protocol words based on our positions, it is not hard to feel a special respect in the tone of all the other clergy.

God does not ask what you are, He asks who you are. And these are the words of the admirable Baba Reshati, may his soul rest in peace, wherever he is.

I had the privilege of knowing him personally. A great man, as simple as he was. And I can say today that I have never had the chance to speak about him before. Baba Reshati was not just a religious leader. I had conversations with him. I remember them as if it were today. He was the embodiment of the humanism of Bektashism, a leader who not only spoke about the dogma of Bektashism with Bektashis—not with me—or about the fate of Albania with people like me, but what he spoke, he lived. He lived Bektashism alongside the fate of the homeland, as if they were his soul and body.

Therefore, dear friends, it would be completely meaningless today not to promise each other the preservation, protection, and promotion, together, of this invaluable national cultural heritage.

No one should fear the idea of this emblem, this special status for the World Bektashi Centers. On the contrary, everyone should see it as an obligation—a duty not to let it perish, but to ensure its continuity and the spirit nurtured in the pages of the Bektashis, written by Naim Frashëri himself. It was written as a legacy for every Albanian patriot and as a profound guide for anyone who seeks to understand effortlessly. In this regard, I suggest this to analysts who generally do not want to put in the effort to understand, and because they do not understand without trying, they end up speaking a great deal about things that should be addressed to Allah in prayer for healing—even for their minds.

As Hashi Bektash Veliu once said: Our path is the path of love. On this path, there are no divisions, because God is one, and our hearts are His temple.

Thank you very much!