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IRCCE celebrates its 10th birthday with activity

When Paris was hit by a series of terrorist attacks by Islamic militants on January 9, 2015, which left 17 dead and 22 wounded, Besmir Mance – a history student at Alexander Xhuvani University in Elbasan – felt he needed to learn more on the Islamic religion. “When the terrorist attack in France took place, everyone was talking about the attack and the fact that the criminals were Muslim,” Besmir recalls.

“Although I was not very informed about Islam, I knew that a religion had nothing to do with the terrorist attacks,” he added. Similar to Besmir, Klodiana Llaha,of Orthodox beliefs, who is now an intern  at the foreign language gymnasium “Mahmud dhe Ali Cungu”, had her questions about the terrorist acts that shook Europe.

“I do not want to be judgmental, but when I hear that these terrorist acts were committed by people who propagate their acts in the name of God, it does not feel nice,” she said. Klodiana and Besmiri were not practicing believers, and the two headed to Elbasan Interfaith Cooperation Center for answers to their dilemmas – aimed at building bridges of communication between different faiths and preserving the tradition of religious harmony in Albania.

“Since coming to this center, I have come to realize that all religious beliefs testify to peace, tolerance, love, and kindness,” Klodiana said, noting that attending the center for a short period of time helped break down some of the prejudices that she had over other religions.

“One of the activities carried out by the center was a statement about the figure and description of Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ in the Qur’an. I was surprised! I would not have imagined that the Qur’an could speak of Mary, ”she added. Besmir agrees that although initially skeptical of the Center, he soon learned that it was a space for open-minded people who respect each other’s faith and culture.

“What I like most about that environment is that there is no theology, but the imams and priests teach us how we should respect other religious beliefs because in front of God we are all equal,” he said. The center was established a decade ago thanks to the willingness of religious leaders in Elbasan and USAID support. At the center are the four main religious communities in Albania, including the Muslim Community, the Catholic Church, the Albanian Orthodox Autocephalous Church, and the Bektashi Community – which are also its funders. According to the head of the Center, Muslim theologian Arben Ramkaj, promoting religious harmony is of particular importance to Europe, and even more so to a region like the Balkans – plagued by ethnic conflicts and violent extremism.

“At a time when violent Muslim, Orthodox or other religious extremism tends to become more tangible and right-wing extremist parties in Europe are increasingly gaining ground, we can say that such a center that promotes coexistence is a model of how to build bridges of communication between religions and believers, ”Ramkaj told BIRN.

“Given the progress of this center, we wish to extend this work beyond the borders of the Republic, to those places where they live and is a factor of the Albanian community, to give a good image of coexistence and tolerance,” he added. In addition to the members’ mutual contacts with clergy of the four faiths, the Elbasan Interfaith Center has established a range of activities including joint interfaith training and projects.

“In central Albania and mainly in Elbasan there is a large number of religious practitioners,” said Baba Faik Islami, head of the Bektashi community. “This Center for Interfaith Cooperation has also helped us to get closer to each other, not just in courtesy visits on religious holidays. Through periodic meetings once a month, we balance where we need to improve or what we can do more, ”he added.

The seminars and conferences held at this center emphasize the coexistence and harmony between different religions and the distance from youth to fanaticism and extremism. Activities of the Center against Violent Religious Extremism in the Elbasan region have been supported by a special fund from the municipality of Elbasan during the last year. The Center’s activities range from open lectures by priests and imams to outdoor picnics, involving 50 young men and women each month.

Yusuf Gjevori is one of the imams who have been affiliated with the Center for years and has been giving lectures on religious harmony. He says communicating with young people from different religious cultures is a challenge; unlike communicating with believers after Friday prayers in the mosque. “In my work as an imam for years I have been taught to speak to young people who belong to the Islamic faith. There was a certain way of communicating with them, because every Friday I would talk to them in the mosque, but we have our own terminology and we find it very easy to understand each other, ”Gjevori said.

“At first, when I was introduced to the idea of speaking to young people from all four communities, I found it difficult. It was not something I could do but I did not know if young people from other religious communities would understand me, ”he added. Father Emilio Valente, the Italian priest who leads the Catholic Church in Elbasan, says the uniqueness of the Elbasan Center is its success in bringing young people from four religious communities together.

“From my experience I can say that young people from the Catholic, Muslim, Orthodox or Bektashi side when approaching our center are a little skeptical but then set aside prejudices,” Valente said. “To make these young people work together for a good cause means to put aside our prejudices, because each of us in different ways has prejudices against an individual or a religion,” he added.

The representative of the Orthodox Church, Father Stavri Cipa says that although the Center does not preach a certain religious theology, it brings young people to god by sharing all the values that religions have in common. “What makes this center special is the fact that genuine religious theology is not propagated as a teaching of the Qur’an or the Bible, but the participants are spoken in the name of a single God who created the world and humanity,” Father Stavri said.

“Being Catholic, Orthodox, Muslim or Bektashi does not mean that you are superior or inferior, to believe in God is a plus value to people who makes them more humane, more social,” he added. Father Stavri Çipa’s assessment of the interfaith center is also shared by Elbasan Mufti Agim Duka, who says that in all the open seminars held in this center the emphasis is on harmony and tolerance as the key to understanding and collaborating.

“We have to come to realize that everyone is different from us, in this approach we come to perceive that everyone practices the religion they want, that belief that makes the individual feel good,” Duke said. “We are different in our beliefs but equal before God and law. The benefit of this center is that it brings together all believers and promotes in them freedom of belief, brotherhood and equality, ”he concluded.