Interfaith Dialogue Opens, Albanians a Model for Religious Tolerance

The "Interfaith Dialogue" roundtable was held in Pristina on Friday. 

Zef Gashi, president of the Drita Foundation – the foundation that organized the roundtable – called for people to engage in dialogue, not to make distinctions, and to preserve peace. 

"Our goal is to strengthen what is common without compromising what is different. We must strengthen what unites us while not allowing differences to dominate love. We aim for this roundtable to continue in the coming years because we are convinced that peace is not a static state but a model of life that must be cultivated by all. At this time when the world is facing numerous challenges, we send a clear message today: dialogue is the only way to build a just, equal and peace-loving society," said Gashi. 

And, the Speaker of the Assembly, Glauk Konjufca, said that historically, at no point has there been a religiously based conflict among the Albanian people. He emphasized that interfaith dialogue would not find a more appropriate place to open than in Kosovo. 

"It is truly remarkable how no shock can be found in our society, in our people who are religiously based... rare are the peoples who have had immunity. The Albanian model must be used, must be spread... it is a wealth that we have. Living together is much more than tolerating the other. There is no place in the world that can have comfort, peace, stability and prosperity if the majority is against it," he said. 

The Vatican's apostolic delegate, Jean Marie Speich, has stated that the Albanian model should be an example for the entire continent in terms of religious tolerance. 

"The solution to happiness and coexistence is not only in the political aspect but in dialogue and peaceful coexistence between representatives of different cultures and religions that are in the Balkans. The Holy See has been promoting interreligious dialogue for a long time. The path to peace is tolerance and dialogue and for this reason the Holy See is interested in the Albanian model because you have in your culture for centuries a way of being, which you have promoted for centuries, having high-level moments."