Albanian Islamic Community lacks documents on mosques built by Arabs, Turks

BBCM, May 24, 2005 5:20 AM

Text of report by "ed ku", "No unlicensed mosques built but documents in possession of Islamic associations", published by Albanian newspaper Korrieri on 21 May

The Islamic Community of Albania [BISh] has no documentation on the number of mosques that have been built or reconstructed with funds provided by some Arab associations that have invested in various regions of our country over the last 15 years. Sources in the BISh say the community has repeatedly, both verbally and in writing, asked Islamic, mainly Arab and Turkish, non-profit organizations to provide the official Islamic institution in Albania with all the documents in their possession about their investment in buildings of the Islamic community.

The above sources say that some Islamic organizations have not agreed to give the BISh their files of documents relating to building or reconstructing mosques, especially in the countryside. At issue is the matter of construction licences obtained from territory regulation councils of communes in rural areas or of municipalities in urban areas. Along with these documents, the BISh has also asked for copies of title deeds and investment specifications. These documents are in the possession of the said associations, which went through the necessary procedures at the moment they started their investment. The BISh explains that it has obtained the approval of the state institutions for all mosques to be been built or reconstructed, approval that these institutions have never refused or objected to.

Sources in the Islamic Community say that intensive work is being done for all mosques to have a complete file at this institution and that this has been done for most of them. This was also confirmed by the State Committee on Religious Sects [KShK]. Sources from this institution told the Korrieri correspondent that "of 431 mosques in Albania, 203 have no building permit, although they are currently going through a legalization process".

The KShK's statements to the effect that half of the mosques in Albania have no building permit caused BISh officials to react two days ago. According to the BISh, questioning the legality of the mosques of the largest religious community in the country is unnecessary and baseless. BISh officials also say allegations of this kind do not further good relations with religiouscommunities. According to the BISh, there are some 500 mosques in Albania. More than half are new buildings and almost all are in the countryside. In the urban areas, most of the mosques had been turned into facilities for the social services of the past communist regime. Almost all these mosques have been reconstructed with funds provided by the BISh (formerly the KMSh -Muslim Community of Albania), a negligible amount of state funds, and mostly with funds provided by some Islamic associations.

According to BISh officials it is an unjust allegation to say that half of the mosques are unlicensed. They say that, even in the villages, mosques have either been built on their former sites or on land donated by the faithful for their construction.

The KShK stresses that it is in no position to say that it is in possession of precise information about the number and activity of various non-profit associations that carry out religious and humanitarian activities in our country. "Religious associations carry out their activities in various directions - religion, non-public education, health services, infrastructure, farming, animal husbandry, and so on," KShK officials say.

They say that they have precise information relating to 19 Islamic and 124 Christian and non-Christian associations. "The above figures represent only the number of the associations that have come to the KShK with various problems. This means their real number may be much larger, because, if no need arises for them to ask for help from the KShK, there is no legal obligation, after the court has recognized them as juridical persons, for them to report or provide information to us," KShK officials say.

According to sources in the BISh, the assistance provided by Islamic religious associations amounts to several hundreds of millions of US dollars.

Source: Korrieri, Tirana, in Albanian 21 May 05 p 11

BBC Monitoring