Albania Plans World's Smallest Liberal Muslim Microstate for Bektashi Sect

Sep 21, 2024, 01:59 PM

Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama has announced plans to create a liberal Muslim microstate within Albania's capital. The proposed 'Sovereign State of the Bektashi Order' would be a Vatican-style sovereign enclave, promoting religious tolerance and allowing practices such as alcohol consumption and immodest dress. This microstate would become the world's smallest nation, controlling territory about a quarter the size of Vatican City. The Bektashi, a Shiite Sufi sect based in Albania, would be the primary beneficiaries of this initiative. Rama, a welcome guest in Western capitals, faces criticism from opponents who claim he has transformed Albania into an autocratic narco-state.