Albania has announced plans to establish the ‘Sovereign State of the Bektashi Order’, which would become the world’s smallest country, a quarter of the size of Vatican City.
The state will be based in the capital city of Tirana and would be led by the Bektashi Muslims- a liberal Islamic Sufi order, and would promote “moderation, tolerance and peaceful coexistence,” said Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama in an address to the United Nations.
He added: “We should take care of this treasure, which is religious tolerance and which we should never take for granted.”
The Bektashi represent about 10 percent of Albania’s Muslim population, and the movement is noted for its progressive stance within the Islamic faith.
The 27-acre microstate will have its own administration, passports, and borders, and will promote a tolerant version of Islam with emphasis on freedom, including no restrictions on lifestyle, clothing or consumption of alcohol.
The Bektashi order has a complex history, originally established in Turkey before being banned and eventually finding a stronghold in Albania.
Dervish Baba Mondi, the spiritual leader of the Bektashis, will lead the new state with decisions guided by “love and kindness.”
The Albanian government is currently drafting legislation to formalise the state’s creation, as the Bektashi leader hopes for international recognition.
“We deserve a state. We are the only ones in the world who tell the truth about Islam (and) don’t mix it up with politics,” Baba Mondi told The New York Times.
