The Secular Identity of Albanians: A Truth, a Myth, or a Conditioned Conviction?

Albania’s religious diversity, despite its Muslim majority, has historically gone hand-in-hand with a secular national identity. This identity, deeply influenced by Albania’s communist past, enforced secularism and a generally passive relationship with religion, has long kept religion out of public life and political debate. Politicians, intellectuals, and media in Albania have deliberately avoided religious themes in public discourse, preserving a unique social contract where religion remains a private matter rather than a basis for political division. However, recent events are challenging this secular status quo. In a landmark speech at the United Nations, the Albanian Prime Minister proposed the creation of a Bektashi sovereign enclave within Albania, sparking controversy and nationwide debate. While the Bektashi order has played a unique role in Albanian culture, this proposal has triggered a sharp backlash, with many Albanians rejecting the idea and perceiving it as a threat to national unity. This moment raises crucial questions: Is politics in Albania, for the first time, using religion for political or personal gains? And could this proposal open the door to religious radicalization in a society that has long prided itself for its interfaith harmony? In this paper I will explore the extent to which the secular identity of Albanians is a product of historical circumstances, political pragmatism, or genuine cultural conviction. I will do so by looking at historical records, recent public responses to the above proposal, and media coverage, in an attempt to trace the evolution of Albania’s secular identity and the events since the 1990s, a period marked by rapid social and political transformation. I will assess how Albania’s secularism has withstood or adapted to external and internal pressures and whether it can remain resilient as religious issues begin to surface in public discourse. I will further analyze the relationship between religion and national identity in a time of growing concern about the meddling of religion in political matters.