Sunnis
Sunni Muslims make up 55% of the Albanian population. The majority in almost all regions, they belong to the main branch of Islam, 85% of Muslims worldwide being Sunni. The Islamization of Albania began with the arrival of the Ottomans in the 14th century, at first marginally with the settlement of Turkish colonists and the conversion of tribal chiefs. Tax exemptions, the arrival of Sufi missionaries and Oriental merchants, followed by repression of Catholics, led to a massive conversion of the population between the 15th and 17th centuries. From then on, the Sunni Albanians were an invaluable relay for Ottoman power, providing soldiers and political cadres for the sultans. However, the influence of Sufism, a certain tolerance on the part of the Ottomans and the preservation of ancient customs gave Albanian Islam an original character. The maintenance of Christian traditions and the consumption of alcohol within the Sunni community continue to fuel debate about the sincerity of conversions. After the 1967 ban on religion, the practice of Islam continued secretly within families. With the fall of the dictatorship, Albanian Sunnism took on a modern look, with women rarely wearing veils. The community benefited from aid from Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, which financed the renovation and construction of mosques, the creation of Koranic schools and the training of imams. However, fearing the influence of Wahhabism from the Persian Gulf countries, the United States put pressure from 2001 onwards to reduce this presence in favor of Turkish Islam. The latter is now highly visible, with the construction of the Great Mosque of Tirana, the largest Sunni place of worship in the Balkans, directly financed by Ankara. Turkish aid has also been provided by the Gülen movement: both religiously rigorist and pro-democracy, it is supported by Washington, but considered a terrorist organization by Ankara. After years of tension with Turkey, Albania finally decided to expel the Gülenists in 2020. Moreover, radical Islam remains marginal: of the thousand or so Albanians who have joined the ranks of Daesh in Syria, the vast majority were from Kosovo and Northern Macedonia. But criticism is beginning to be heard of Turkey's control over the Albanian Sunni community, and of the money spent on building mosques at the expense of economic development.
Catholics
Catholic Christians make up the second largest religious group, with between 280,000 and 490,000 followers, representing between 9% and 17% of the population. Under the authority of the Pope, more than half are concentrated in the Shkodra region. Their history dates back to the Middle Ages: while Albania was Byzantine and Orthodox, the estrangement and subsequent rupture between the Eastern and Western Churches (6th-11th centuries) meant that the northern half of the territory gradually came under the influence of Italian and Croatian Catholics. The arrival of the Angevins (13th century), followed by Skanderbeg's revolt against the Ottomans (1443-1468), encouraged the feudal lords to convert to Catholicism, taking most of the population with them. Catholicism became the main religion until the 17th century, when the Ottomans quelled the revolts with armed action and tax incentives. As a result, Catholics converted en masse to Islam. During the Communist period, the Catholic clergy was one of the dictatorship's first targets, with the confiscation of church property in 1944 and the execution of priests as early as 1945. However, religion continued to be practiced within families. The community has experienced a veritable renaissance since 1989, the date of Mother Teresa's first visit to the country, even before the fall of communism. This movement has gained momentum with the refounding of a clergy, the arrival of Franciscan missionaries and Catholic NGOs mainly from Italy, but also thanks to the visits of Popes John Paul II (1993) and Francis (2014). Today, the Catholic Church in Albania is organized into 2 ecclesiastical provinces, with headquarters in Shkodra and Tirana. The Tirana province covers southern Albania with around 8,000 faithful, half of whom belong to the Albanian Greek Catholic Church. This autonomous entity, based in Vlora, recognizes the authority of the Pope, but retains the same Byzantine rites as the Orthodox.
Orthodox
Orthodox Christians differ from Catholics in their fidelity to the rules laid down in the early centuries of the Church. Although they were in the majority in Albania in the early Middle Ages, today they represent only 6-10% of the population. This decline is the result of several factors: conversions to Catholicism, then to Islam, and above all massive immigration to the United States and Greece since the 19th century, not to mention the anti-religious repression of the Communist regime. Today, the community suffers from a new problem: its Albanian identity is regularly questioned. Indeed, the majority of the country's Orthodox belong to the Greek, Aromanian and Slavic ethnic groups. They are mainly located in the southern part of the country, in the border areas with Greece and Northern Macedonia. What's more, since the fall of the dictatorship, the community has been largely supported by the Greek Orthodox Church, which financed the construction of the huge metropolis (cathedral) of the Resurrection of Christ, in Tirana. Although the Orthodox Church of Albania was recognized as autocephalous (independent) by the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople in 1932, it has been led since 1992 by Anastasios Yannoulatos, an archbishop from Greece. Yannoulatos speaks very little Albanian and imposes the Greek language on the liturgies (masses) he leads. This has caused a stir even within the Orthodox community, with some of the clergy resisting the Greek influence by setting up the "Autocephalous Church of St. Mary" in Elbasan. In addition, the lack of public funding to renovate old Byzantine churches and the destruction of newer churches built without permits are also causing tensions with the state.
Bektashis and other Sufis
Found mainly in the south of the country, Sufi Muslims account for 4% of the population. The majority belong to Bektashism, considered by the Albanian state to be a religion in its own right, with its world headquarters in Tirana. While they share the Koran and many beliefs with Sunnis, Sufis are closer to Shiites, and even call themselves Shiites. Shi'ism is the oldest form of Islam, originating in ancient Persia, now Iran. It was born in the 7th century out of the quarrel that followed the death of Muhammad: the Shiites followed the teachings of Ali, the Prophet's son-in-law and cousin, while the Sunnis rejected the idea of a successor. The Sufi movement emerged in Persia and India from the 11th century onwards. It is characterized by its strong spirituality and its esoteric, mystical approach to faith, sometimes with an original interpretation of the Koran, particularly with regard to the role of women and the consumption of alcohol. Teaching takes place not in a mosque, but in a tekké(teqeja in Albanian), through an initiation called tariqa ("method" in Arabic). The term tariqa (pl.: turuq) also designates the mystical brotherhoods to which Sufis belong, gathered around a sheikh(baba in Albanian). The most famous tariqa is that of the Mevlevis, also known as the Whirling Dervishes, mainly based in Turkey. Sufis flourished within the Ottoman Empire (of Sunni persuasion) and accompanied its conquests. Considered both more tolerant and closer to Christianity than the Sunnis, they played a role in the Islamization of part of the Balkans from the 13th century onwards. Several turuq are still active, from Greek Thrace to Bosnia-Herzegovina. In Albania, in addition to the bektashis, there are the Rifai, Qadiriyya, Halveti and Tijaniyya brotherhoods. Banned in 1967, they gradually reappeared in 1991. Having contributed to the country's independence in 1912, the bektashis have also enjoyed unofficial support from the new democratic authorities in Tirana, thanks in particular to Illir Meta, a politician and member of the brotherhood, who was appointed President of Albania in 2017. Indeed, although the demographic weight of Sufis is low, their influence in Albanian society remains very strong, which is not without causing tensions with the leaders of the Sunni community, who intend to govern all Muslims in the country. The line between Sunnism and Sufism is blurred, with some families belonging to both. The brotherhoods have also contributed to diplomatic rapprochement with Iran and Turkey. But in recent years, Albania has chosen other options, favoring Sunni Islamism in Ankara and opposing the Shiite regime in Teheran. Ties with Iranian Shiism remain close, however, as in 2003 Albania became the main base for the People's Mujahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI), an armed resistance movement supported by the United States. As a result, a community of 3,000 Shiite Iranians has settled in Manëz, near Durrës.
Protestants
In Albania, some 10,000 people belong to 190 evangelical Protestant churches and movements. The presence of Reformed Christians in the country dates back to the mid-19th century, with the arrival of British missionaries and the founding of the first evangelical church in Korça in 1890. Having disappeared during the communist period, Protestantism re-established itself with the arrival of new American missionaries. Conversions were encouraged by educational initiatives and a certain closeness to Islam, notably the condemnation of sacred images and the centrality of the Book. Operating independently, the various Protestant organizations have for the most part been grouped together since 1892 within the Albanian Evangelical Alliance (VUSh). Since 2011, this has been the fifth religious entity recognized by the Albanian state.
Baha'is
Baha'ism is a monotheistic religion with around 7,000 adherents in Albania (0.25% of the population). That's not many, but it's one of the largest communities in Europe, with only 5,000 Baha'is in France and 7 million worldwide, 50% of them in India. Founded in Iran in 1863 and headquartered in Israel, Baha'iism is based on texts common to Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Born of a split with Persian Sufism, it also has points in common with the mysticism of the Bektashis. The religion took root in Korça in 1931 under the impetus of politician Refo Çapari, a Greek Albanian who converted in the USA. Baha'ism virtually disappeared from Albania during the communist period, but has regained a foothold in the country since 1989 with the help of Italian Baha'is.
Jehovah's Witnesses
Established in Albania since the 1920s, the millenarian movement close to Christianity experienced a strong revival after the end of the communist era. But since the 2000s, the media effects of several suicides of teenagers from converted families have put an end to this expansion. The movement is now said to have around 5,000 followers in the country.
Mormons
With its full name "Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints," this Christian movement was born in the United States in 1830 and claims to have 3,000 followers in Albania. The Mormons have established themselves in the country since 1992 with about 20 American missionaries.
Jews
Present in Albania since Roman times, there are now just a hundred or so, mainly in Tirana. The capital has been home to the country's only active synagogue since 2010.
Atheists and agnostics
Between 1967 and 1992, the entire population was officially atheist. The anti-religious policies of the Communist dictatorship have left their mark, with between 3% and 9% of Albanians still claiming to be atheists today. In all, between 16% and 30% of Albanians claim no religious affiliation, and over 60% say they are believers but not practicing Christians: a higher proportion than in the rest of the Balkans. Generally speaking, claiming to be atheist, agnostic or non-practicing is well tolerated.
Superstitions: evil eye and "dordolec
Not very religious, the Albanians are on the other hand very superstitious. As in Turkey and Greece, the fear of the evil eye, known here as syri i keq or mësysh, is prevalent. Inhabitants of all faiths protect their homes with a host of symbols: braided garlic, a glass pendant in the shape of a blue eye(nazar), a black cross drawn with candle smoke, an animal horn, a flag, an icon of Saint George... But the most common amulet is the dordolec, which can be translated as "scarecrow". It's usually a stuffed animal or doll(kukull) that is hung, sometimes for years, in front of a house. A duck-shaped buoy or figurine can also do the trick. While the belief in the evil eye can be found from Iran to Brazil, the dordolec is a typically Albanian parade and has followed the diaspora around the world. This custom, which dates back to the Illyrians, is less common among the Catholic community in the northern part of Albania.
