A topic of high interest from the international media continues to be Edi Rama’s statement on the creation of a sovereign state of the Bektashi Order in Tirana during the speech held at the UN, where recently, the first of the Bektashi, Baba Edmond Brahimaj, gave a interview for “The Jerusalem Post” newspaper, where he requested the advancement of this idea.
“The Albanian state has the right to approve the law on this matter.
Then we will turn to the international community asking for recognition.
We want to have a diplomatic status in the world by being known as the “World Center of Bektashi” Our community centers all over the world will be part of the “World Center”.
We are developing various strategies regarding the implementation of this plan. But first, the government of Albania must approve the law changing our status”, said Baba Mondi.
In the interview, Baba Mondi spoke, among other things, about his life, where he also shared one of his most traumatic memories from the times of religious persecution.
He mentioned the time when communist authorities burned down his family’s home, in which two of his sisters were burned to death.
With the fall of communism in Albania in 1991, Baba Mondi has revealed that he began religious studies, first becoming a dervish, and in 2011 he was elected the eighth Albanian leader of his order.
The Jerusalem Post article:
When Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama addressed the annual meeting of the UN General Assembly in September, he took the opportunity to announce his government’s intention to create a new state within the Albanian capital, Tirana.
The ministry, whose territory will consist of about 0.1 square kilometers, is planned to be the “Vatican” of the Shiite Sufi Bektashi order, the fourth largest religious community in Albania.
Albania has hosted the group’s headquarters, the Bektashi World Center, since 1929, when the community moved to Tirana from Turkey, where secular Turkish authorities persecuted the order’s leadership and members.
The citizens of the future state will be only members of the clergy of the order and its administrative staff, as in the Vatican.
“Our inspiration is to support the transformation of the Bektashi World Center in Tirana into a sovereign state, a new center for moderation, tolerance and peaceful coexistence,” Rama emphasized.
This statement provoked stormy reactions and lively criticism against the many rivals of the Bektashis, mainly coming from Turkey and its representatives in the Balkans. Most of the Bektashi still live in Turkey today.
The spiritual and religious leader of the Bektashians, Baba Mondi, is the person who promoted the idea of creating a Bektashian “Vatican” in Tirana. If the initiative passes quickly, he will be the first head of the new state.
In an exclusive interview Baba Mondi explained:
“The Albanian state has the right to adopt a law on this matter. Then, we can go to the international community and ask for its recognition.
We want to have diplomatic status in the world and be known as the World Center of Bektashis. We want to represent and protect our believers wherever they are.
Our community centers around the world will be part of this World Center. We are developing various strategies regarding the implementation of this plan. But first, the government of Albania must pass a law that changes our status.”
I met Baba Mondi in his office, which is located inside the Bektashi headquarters, on a hill overlooking the center of Tirana.
The World Center consists of a large assembly hall that can serve as a place of prayer, a museum dedicated to the history of the Bektashi, a library and archives.
At the end of the interview, Baba Mondi took me on a personal guided tour of the premises and proudly introduced the center that will be the beating heart of the planned Bektashi “Vatican”.
Wherever he goes, even inside the World Center, Baba Mondi is followed by his bodyguards. Although the Bektashi Order believes in peace and love, it cannot ignore the dangers around it.
A Muslim leader who preaches moderation and tolerance and publicly shows his support for Israel, as Baba Mondi does, finds himself under constant threat.
Baba Mondi or Haxhi Dede Edmond Brahimaj was born 65 years ago in isolated and anti-religious communist Albania. In 1967, Albania declared itself the first atheist country in the world.
Despite religious persecution, Baba Mondi grew up in a pious family that had to practice its religious life in hiding.
His mother could not conceive, but an uncle, an important Bektashi religious figure, gave a blessing to Baba’s parents, and some time later Baba was born, followed by other siblings.
During his childhood, Baba Mondi had access, in secret, to Bektashi books, writings and teachings.
One of his most traumatic memories from those difficult times of religious persecution is when the communist authorities burned down his family home, in which two of his sisters were burned to death.
Years later, he graduated from the Albanian Military Academy and made a military career in the Albanian People’s Army.
With the fall of communism in Albania in 1991, he was released from the army. He began his religious studies, first becoming a dervish, and in 2011 he was elected the eighth Albanian leader of his order.
Just before the interview began, Baba Mondi surprised me with a question:
“Are you going to drink coffee or brandy?” As I was reluctant to choose alcohol in the presence of a Muslim religious leader, he encouraged me to try the local arrack, which was very tasty. I surrendered. He had some too. The Bektashis really represent another type of Islam, open-minded and tolerant.
“The main and important thing for us is man, with all the differences between us”, emphasized Baba Mondi.
“The Bektashi order was founded in 1281 by Haxhi Bektashi, Veli in today’s Turkey.
He founded a new mystical path of Islam. The first teke, as we call the sacred object of our community, was also built in 1281.
Today we have many churches not only in Albania but also in many other countries.
The word “teqe” in Albanian means place of forgiveness. Today there are churches in 33 countries around the world – in the Balkans, Europe, Egypt, Russia, India, China, Japan and the USA.
Bektashi believers are all over the world. The Bektashis belong to the Shiite part of Islam. They respect the Prophet Muhammad and his family, the Koran and the Twelve Imams [the spiritual successors of Muhammad according to the main Shia tradition],” he continues.
Interview for “JP”:
Journalist: Why did the Bektashis move from Turkey to Albania about 100 years ago?
Baba Mondi: The Bektashi were persecuted in Turkey for many years. Initially, the reason for the persecution was that the leader of the Bektashis did not allow the Sultan to have a harem with many women, because we believe that a woman creates a family.
The second wave of persecution and killing of more than a million Bektashis in Turkey was during the time of Sultan Mahmud II [who reigned from 1808 to 1839].
He called the Bektashi fanatics and heretics and claimed that they were destroying the Islamic religion in Turkey. The last persecutor of the Bektashis in Turkey was Kemal Ataturk, who closed all our mosques and institutions.
The last leader of the Bektashis in Turkey was of Albanian origin and when our tekkes were closed and destroyed, he brought the headquarters of our community to Albania. A memorandum was signed between the Albanian government of the time under King Zog, Egypt and Turkey. They all decided that the center of the Bektashi was here in Albania.
Journalist: How did the Bektashites survive the time of communism in Albania?
Baba Mondi: Mystical practices were persecuted. However, it is the mystical people who lead humanity to the path of truth. They have been and are being persecuted because they speak about things that need to be said.
In Islam, there are four stages leading to the ultimate reality: Sharia, the law; Tarikat, the mystical path; trick, knowledge; and Reality, which is the ultimate truth. These stages elevate people. All these levels bring people closer to God.
Faith is a personal thing. No one knows what the heart has inside. And so, the dictatorship in the time of communism could not take away our convictions.
They saved our hearts for years. Our leaders during the communist era taught us that we should keep our religion in our hearts and never lose it.
We had to be patient until better times came. We secretly celebrated our religious holy days, pretending that we had birthdays or other family events. It was hard to survive those times. When communism ended, we reopened our churches and rebuilt our communities.
Journalist: After communism, there were wars in the Balkans. Since then, we see that it is not easy to be a Muslim in Europe. You are considered either an outsider or a radical. How do you see the position of Islam in Europe today?
Baba Mondi: Human beings have no enemies in this world, but human beings themselves. Ignorance, spiritual poverty and selfishness destroy humanity.
Many people misunderstand Islam. Nowadays we see that Islam is more present in the political plane and not in the religious one.
In religious terms, Islam is a religion of peace, love and wisdom. Those who use Islam to amass political power in their hands have nothing to do with religion.
There should be no misunderstanding: If a Muslim makes a mistake, it is not the fault of the Prophet or the Holy Qur’an, just as a mistake made by a priest is not the fault of Christ or the Bible.
It’s that person’s fault. We should not mix all things together. Extremists and radicals are neither Muslims nor religious people.
Journalist: The conflict between Palestinians and Israelis is considered a religious war. How can religion contribute to the resolution of this conflict?
Father Mondi: I must say that religion does not cause war. War is caused by selfishness and selfishness misusing religion to create wars.
Mystical people have an expression: do not pretend that you are higher than others, because, after all, we are all buried in the earth.
If humanity understands that life is temporary, bad things will not happen in the world. People have teachers in school, but they do not accept teachers and spiritual leaders. Each person can choose his spiritual leader from another religion, but a person must have religion in his life. No one can make himself a better person without religion.
Journalist: What do you think about what is happening in Iran, with its Shia religious regime?
Baba Mondi: I don’t want to judge others for the way they practice their religion. The people and nation of Iran have chosen that regime.
We must respect the will of the people. We are not judges. Ultimately, everyone is responsible for their actions and decisions.
Reporter: However, when you see the current state of the world and the growing fear of a third world war, what role should religion play in preventing this?
Father Mondi: The world’s religious leaders must unite, not divide, and pray together for peace. They have a mission: to pray for peace, so they must unite and do it.
Every religious leader should serve as an example of action for humanity, promoting peace, advancing love among people and bringing them to peace and love. Those who govern the nations must fear God.
Father of the world, visits and what it says about Israel
BABA MONDI visited Israel several times and hopes to see it again soon. He also hosted Israeli groups in Albania to get to know the Bektashis.
Here’s what he says:
“I know Israel and I consider myself a brother of the people of Israel. I have visited all over Israel with my friends there. I was invited to a Jewish wedding of a friend.
The Bektashis are a community and a mystical path of Islam that loves people regardless of where they come from, what religion they belong to, the color of their skin or their politics. We consider them as brothers and sisters.
Two things really impressed me [when I visited Israel.] The first was the hospitality. They welcomed me as a brother and friend. Second, I visited all the holy places.
I got the positive energy from these places and the believers in them. I am not talking about extremists, but about those who believe in God and live according to the principles of the holy books.
We have a prayer that says: Cursed are those who wear the uniform of God to do the work of the Devil. Humanity must understand that human beings cannot lie to two things: God and themselves.
You can lie to other people, but you cannot lie to God and yourself. The Holy Quran says that those who know themselves have known God. Nowadays, many do not know themselves.
Some nations in the world spend a lot of money on the military. But people must find peaceful ways, without armies and wars, to allow each nation to be independent.
Wars and killings are not religious. They are the work of the Devil. People who work according to the ways of the Devil are not people.”
