Albania Plans to Create Microstate for Muslims

The capital of Albania, Tirana, plans to establish a miniature state similar to Vatican City in Rome, aimed not at Catholics but at the moderate Muslim Bektashi community. This was reported on Saturday, September 21, by The New York Times, citing Prime Minister Edi Rama and the religious leader of the Bektashi Sufi order, Edmond Brahimeh, known as Baba Mondi.

It is anticipated that alcohol consumption will be permitted within the territory of the future city-state, women will not be required to wear headscarves and will be allowed to dress as they wish, and no lifestyle prescriptions will be imposed. “God does not prohibit anything, which is why he justified it,” Brahimeh told NYT in an interview.

The mini-state aims to promote a more tolerant version of Islam. Prime Minister Edi Rama stated that he will announce the establishment of the Bektashi order’s sovereign state in the “near future.” The area is expected to encompass only about ten hectares, but it will have its own administration, passports, and borders, according to NYT.

As Rama explained to the newspaper, the goal of creating this new state is to advance a version of Islam that Albania takes pride in. “We must cherish this treasure of religious tolerance and never take it for granted,” he emphasized. The Prime Minister is confident that the establishment of a moderate Islamic microstate will send a message: “Do not let stereotypes about Muslims determine who Muslims are.”