Djelovanje albanskih bektašija od 1925. do 2000. godine
The Work of Albanian Bektashis from 1925 to 2000

Summary/Abstract: After 1925, the international centre of the Bektashi tariqat was moved from Turkey to Albania. The period between two world wars was focused on rebuilding the infrastructure of the tariqat, aided by the appearance of the independent state of Albania. Learning from decades of prosecution, the Bektashis worked on organisation and appeared in the political arena of Albania as an autonomous religious community equal to others. During World War II, most Bektashis fought in the Partisan resistance units. In view of the aspirations of Albania’s neighbours, their goal was clear: survival of the state. According to some researchers, as many as 6,000 Bektashis were killed in the resistance units. The most prominent figure among the Bektashi Partisans was Baba Faja Marteneš. The postwar government was formed by the Communists and immediately after the 1944 liberation, they started introducing rigorous methods against religiously affiliated population. There were executions by firing squads, different types of torture, imprisonment and internment in labour camps. This process continued with varying intensity until 1967, when Albania banned religion and declared itself the first atheist state ever. Led by Enver Hoxha, the Communist Party tried to take advantage of the patriotic emotions of the Bektashi Partisans and initiate a reform, or the so-called modernisation of the Bektashi tariqat.

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