Religious tolerance – an authentic value of Albanians

Researchers of various scientific profiles who have dealt with the different social relations of Albanians have highlighted a phenomenon that is unique to the Albanian nation. It is about religious tolerance, which is related to faith. So, we are dealing with a coexistence without hostility and conflicts of believers of different religions. This is evidenced by Kahreman Ulqini in the book "Religious Tolerance of Albanians in the Zigzags of History", published by "Fiorentia", Shkodër, 2016

It is historically known that the faith of the Albanians begins with the Illyrians, where from paganism through the Romans they accepted Christianity in the 4th century, while later with the division of Christianity in 1054, the Albanians belong to Byzantium, respectively Orthodoxy, while from the 15th century, and then with the appearance of the Ottoman Empire in the Illyrian Peninsula, the majority of Albanians converted to Islam. These were special periods, full of intrigues, pressures and various conditions, where in order to survive the Albanians were forced to adapt to the circumstances of the time.

Conversion in time context

Even the phenomenon of conversion to religion of the time must be understood in the context of time, for political and ethnic reasons. Precisely in relation to this issue we have numerous cases from the political class of the time. It is already known that in 1369 the Balshajs switched from Orthodox to Catholics, then the Skurajs, the Muzaks and the Zahariajs acted similarly. While according to political circumstances Gjon Kastrioti, the father of Skanderbeg, was Catholic as an ally of Venice in 1407, Orthodox as an ally of Stefan Lazarević in 1419-1426, Muslim as an ally of Murat II in 1430-1438 and died as a Catholic in 1443. Such cases of that time but also afterwards are sufficient to understand the religious tolerance which has constantly been and remains a preoccupation of researchers of various scientific profiles.

Precisely in relation to this issue, the renowned ethnologist Kahreman Ulqini presents to the public the book “Religious Tolerance of Albanians in the Zigzags of History”, published by “Fiorentia”, Shkodër, 2016. The author addresses the issue of tolerance in the complex of the old social organization of Albanians, starting with the peasant family, docket, and ending with the urban population and the special treatment in Albanianism. In the second part, the appendix occupies an important place, which brings arguments from issues addressed by different Albanian regions, which are undisputed evidence of religious tolerance at the relevant time.

Complex topics

Seeing that we are dealing with a complex topic with a long period of time, the author rightly concludes that research on religious tolerance among Albanians must necessarily have arguments and data analysis and working methods that are close to those of several scientific disciplines such as history, ethnology and sociology. Only in this way can stable scientific conclusions be reached, on a topic that is intriguing for researchers of various scientific profiles. Such an approach is also more acceptable for foreign researchers, who have this issue almost unknown to them, because Albanians are a model for the contemporary world in terms of religious tolerance, as part of national consciousness over the centuries.

Challenging prejudices

The author in this publication brings us various episodes that show the religious tolerance of different faiths, mainly Catholics and Muslims, from different Albanian ethnographic regions but also cities with a sensational historical past like Shkodra. It was this feeling of solidarity of blood and ethnicity to face the circumstances of the time. Such actions were also a challenge to various conflicting elements that had different prejudices or were in the service of foreign structures in the Albanian space. Although at the foundation of the Albanian society with a conservative nature, there was the principle of preserving tradition, where religious tolerance remained as a code of accepting others religiously, not insulting their faith, respect for public practices and performances, normal coexistence in families with two faiths and without religious prejudices in different social communities. These were traits embedded for centuries in the consciousness of Albanians, a phenomenon that makes us proud in comparison to other peoples who are religious with extreme fanaticism, such as the Orthodox, our neighbors who, both in the past and in our days, are intolerant of any other church or rite, being constant national persecutors.

Albanians are a model for other peoples        

With this publication, in addition to consulting selective professional literature, the author proves that during his half-century of field research on the ancient social organization and popular law of the Albanians, he has collected a multifaceted valuable material from the heritage and popular culture, where religious tolerance represents one of the most sublime ethnic values ​​of the Albanian people. This phenomenon has also been investigated by foreigners who have visited Albanian regions from the Late Middle Ages and later. They have even been surprised by this attitude of the Albanians who, although a people with three faiths, were and are still today a model for other peoples.

Therefore, considering the importance of religious tolerance for today and the future, the author's proposal to collect and publish such a subject in a special volume, as an authentic value of our cultural heritage throughout the centuries, is to be welcomed. Such a publication would be like a testament to future generations, proving that Albanians have something to be proud of, with a unique value that other peoples lack. Such cases are numerous, with some authors bringing them to us as episodes or fragments that have authentic values ​​of religious tolerance. Therefore, it remains for the relevant scientific institutions to put such a proposal into practice, because it is a moral and professional obligation for our past during the zigzags of history, because what is written happened.

Such a publication would be mandatory not only for researchers and individuals passionate about cultural heritage but especially for students of various departments, where issues of anthropology and folk culture are treated. Only in this way will religious tolerance remain part of our national identity, as a special value of our people in the past and in our days. And it is precisely this religious tolerance that appears everywhere in all different social activities, proving in practice a phenomenon with great social and national values, making us unique among other peoples in the contemporary world.

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This is also the message of this book, which will be indispensable for historians, ethnologists and sociologists, as well as for all those who wish to have knowledge about this social and national phenomenon of Albanians, in the past and in our days.

Published on the occasion of the death of Kahreman Ulqini (1935-2026), the prominent Albanian researcher, historian and ethnologist, considered one of the most respected figures in Albanological studies.