Albania's Population 80% Muslim

Tirana | 13 October 2009 | Gjergj Erebara

Tirana

A previously unpublished survey, which identifies religious affiliation, suggests that Muslims make up just under 80 per cent of Albania's population, a figure much higher than previously thought.

The Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey organised by the National Institute for Statistics, INSTAT, in 2005 for UNICEF, was interested in revealing the health situation of mothers and children but also included questions on religious adherence.

More than 5,000 families were interviewed. In all, 79.9 per cent of respondents identified as Muslims.

Previous estimates indicated that 70 per cent of Albanians were Muslims, 20 per cent Christian Orthodox and 10 per cent Catholics.

The new survey found that the number of adherents of Shia Bektashi Islam, which has its world headquarters in Tirana and claims to be a separate religion, was negligible. The survey, thus, categorised Bektashis as others.

Religious observances were banned in Albania in 1967 by the communist regime of former Stalinist dictator Enver Hoxha, who proclaimed an athiest state. In November 1990, on the eve of the collapse of the communist regime, Albania began allowing private religious practices. Since then, there has been widespread debate as to whether Albania is a Muslim country or not.

Based on the survey, Muslims constitute a 2.5 million majority within the 3.1-strong population. The survey does not take into account the circa one million Albanians who migrated to western Europe after the collapse of communism.

Duing the 1990s, several new religious groups arrived in Albania, including evangelical churches, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Jehovah's Witnesses, and new Islamic sects such as the Selefi. Conversions and proselytising by the newly established Christian movements aroused speculation among intellectuals in Tirana that Albania no longer had a Muslim majority.

Some scholars even considered most of Albania's Muslim population to be “crypto-Christians”, claiming that they are Muslim in appearance and Christian in terms of their beliefs.

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Comments:

Jehovah's Witnesses proselytize
2009-10-13 11:54:35

Jehovah's Witnesses are considered a dangerous cult in many European countries and definitely under investigation because governments are concerned by the mind manipulation, child molestation cover-ups, breaking up of families due to shunning, as well as other atrocities taking place within the religion. Victims of Watchtower hard-line organizational policies are speaking up to government officials about their experiences and they are responding with assistance.

80% Muslims?
2009-10-13 12:26:43

From my own experience in Albania, I'd estimate the population to be 80% agnostic/atheist, with the the rest (mainly the older generation) real church/mosque going believers. I think the question was flawed and the results do not show the real number of people that are truly religious. I'd think many Albanians consider themselves muslim in the cultural sense linked to the country's history, but certainly not as devout believers. So they should have asked how often people go to church or mosque and then you'll see the real figures. (Besides, it's well know that the main religion of Albania is actually Albanianism.)

What about the Mormons?
2009-10-13 15:27:38

The church of Jesus Christ of Latter Days Saints (aka the Mormons) makes up about the 10% actually. This survey is flawed.

who cares
2009-10-13 21:35:06

Why do humans feel the need to worship false Gods be it Jews, Christians or Muslims, there is no God only science, We were born from evolution not some false God. Were was god when 6 million jews got killed or when thousands died in the twin towers or muslims in Palestine?? Man creates good and evil not mythical God or Satan.

Albanianism a religion?
2009-10-14 02:08:37

"(Besides, it's well know that the main religion of Albania is actually Albanianism.)" Jeff Is that a religion? It doesn't matter how often people to to church, mosque, synagogue or temple. It is what they think of themselves as and you will find that most people will declare they are some sort of religion eventhough they do not practice it every week. The survey is not flawed if one says that he is a Muslim or Christian and is therefore counted as one. He does not need to be in a church or mosque every week to identify himself as one.

Albanians are not 80% muslim
2009-10-15 03:29:52

I am most probably one of those albanians who are counted as muslim in this percentage and I am not represented by the 80% figure. The complete vacuum that the communist regime left in Albania regarding religion with the tendency to eradicate the religious differences among Albanians has worked to the extent that the 70% of Albanians that were called muslim according to statistics before the WWII have now children who in the major part of that figure do not identify themselves as muslim. This second generation, if it is in the urban areas does not associate itself with the Islam way of living, and the descendants of that a-religious communist generation that lives in the rural areas is mostly in Greece and Italy, where they do not want to do with Islam. And yes, Albanianism is a religion! When we were muslim we were killed by the Greeks, when we were orthodox we were killed by the Turks, and when we were catholics we were killed by the Serbians. To survive we had to stick to our own religion, Albanianism!

who does this b.s. surveys
2009-10-15 08:28:24

did they do this survey in elbasan??? if they had done it in the north it would have been 60% catholic and in the south 80% orthodocs.... i am albanian and my mom is orthodocs and my dad muslim (who has never been to mosque in his live) i like 70% of albanians born after 1967 am atheist. there is so much interreligious marrying one can not decide what religion they are

5000 Families
2009-10-15 12:28:58

Where exactly where these 5000 living. There is a big difference if they were in the south (mainly orthodox albanian) in the north (mainly catholic albanian) or central Albania (mainly muslim). Imagine if aliens would land in the desert of Sahara and would take samples from there. Their conclusion. The planet earth consists of 97% desert.

formulation of question important
2009-10-15 12:45:00

I don't know how the question about religion was framed in the survey, but I would say that results would be different with two different formulations. - What religion do you belong to? - What religion do you believe in? I would answer the 1st question with "muslim," but I would tick atheist under the 2nd.

what a joke
2009-10-15 22:05:18

They really want to show us as muslims lol In Albania people dont give a sht about religion,this survey is ridiculous.

85% are muslim in Albania
2009-10-16 14:55:32

85% are muslim in Albania

Albania is Muslim
2009-11-11 20:37:15

We-Selamu Alejkum. Finally truth is told in Albania. Albania is majority MUSLIM land. We are moderate and respectful MUSLIM people. Hello, I come from Delvine but I live in Tirana. In Tirana and in Delvine ISLAM is strong (Elhamdulilah). There are many Bektashi also but they are Muslim as well. Who said south is 80% Orthodox? That is lie!! South is majority Muslim (Bektashi majority and then Sunni). In north majority is Muslim too. Catholics are very small and only in the mountains. Kukes, Shkoder, Velipoja are all Muslim. Saranda is Cham Muslim, Gjirokaster is Muslim. Tirana is Muslim, Elbasan also. So is Durres.

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Albania's Population 80% Muslim