State-Religion Report (1912-1939)

Abstract

The effort to shed light on the current 100-year path, of the ratio of relations between the Albanian state with religion and its religious institutions in the area of rights and freedoms of faith, is a modest commitment, that makes possible to see, through retrospective, the new horizon of their future.
Historical documents argue that, since the first constitutional acts of Albanian independence, it has been affirmed the principle of separation of religion from the state, of the freedom of conscience and faith and the right of its exercise, sanctioned in “Organic Statute of Albania” 334].
During the period of the years 1920-1939, the policy of Albanian state, aimed at establishing strict national principles for the activity of religious institutions and at breaking the ties of foreign dependence and influence to them, thus supporting the interests of national unity and avoiding the religious division.
The report of the rights and freedoms of belief, during the communist regime, is a history of atheist persecutory, denigrating and denying policy towards religion, clergy and religious institutions. The Constitution of the year 1976 eventually sanctioned the principle of atheism/disbelief, declaring Albania the only atheist country in the world.
Democratic developments in the country restored the freedom of religion and that of religious belief, by redefining the report of the relationships between state and religion in the context of the principles of the rule of law.
During this transition period, the religious institutions are reorganized, the freedom of conscience and belief is reaffirmed according to the international standards in the constitution of the year 1998.
During this century, our country, has been characterized by the absence of sustained political stability and the lack of a tradition in democratic culture. And, in this context, even the reports between state-religion relations in the case of human freedoms and rights, have not been constant and harmonized with respect to the principles of secularism. They have been relativized depending on the development of the democratic parameters of different political systems, and as a consequence, this ratio of relations has recognized different stages of its development, from that of the respect of the rights and freedoms of belief, up to the violation and their absolute denial.
Albania, the country of inter-religious tolerance, harmony and coexistence (see Article 3 of the Constitution of Albania) is still in evidence, in its challenge to ensure compliance, operation and consolidation of the rule of law and the system of its values in the field of basic freedoms and human rights.