Smallest sovereign state: The Bektashi Order in Albania

Albania is planning to create the world’s smallest state, the “Sovereign State of the Bektashi Order,” which will be a quarter of the size of Vatican City.

Prime Minister Edi Rama announced that this unique initiative aims to establish the Tirana-based Bektashi Muslims as an independent, sovereign entity to promote moderation, tolerance, and peaceful coexistence. 

Albania announced plans to create a Sovereign State of the Bektashi Order in its capital

The Bektashi Order, an Islamic Sufi movement, will gain a 10-hectare territory with its own administration, passports, and borders, marking a historical step for Albania.

Representing around 10% of Albania’s Muslim community, the Bektashi Order is known for its liberal practices. 

Unlike other Islamic branches, the new state will allow alcohol, encourage individual expression, and impose no strict lifestyle rules. 

This aligns with Albania’s proud tradition of religious tolerance, especially in a region often marked by religious divisions. 

Rama emphasised that the state’s goal is to highlight the tolerant version of Islam that Albania embraces, a testament to the country’s history of sheltering Jewish refugees during World War II and Afghan refugees after the Taliban takeover in 2021.

Originating from Turkey’s Anatolia region, the Bektashi movement, also known as Bektashiyya, has a history intertwined with the Janissaries, an elite Ottoman military unit. 

However, its liberal approach to faith led to multiple bans, most notably by the Ottoman Sultan Mahmud II in the 17th century and later in 1925 by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of modern Turkey. 

As a result, the movement found refuge in Albania, Kosovo, and North Macedonia.

The Bektashi Order is the most liberal of Sufism based on principles of “love and kindness”

The Bektashi are one of the most liberal branches of Sufism, an Islamic mystic tradition that emphasises spirituality over rigid doctrine. 

Their leader, Dervish Baba Mondi, is poised to become the head of this new state. 

In a 2018 interview, he said, “Being a Bektashi means being human. We have built our community basing it on the principles of peace, love, and mutual respect.” 

Baba Mondi emphasised that decisions within this sovereign state will be made with “love and kindness.”

Sovereign State of the Bektashi Order will be the worlds smallest state

Currently, a team of experts is drafting legislation to define the state’s sovereign status within Albania, pending endorsement by Rama’s Socialist Party. 

Baba Mondi expressed optimism about gaining recognition from the US and other Western nations, stating, “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.”

If successful, the Sovereign State of the Bektashi Order will not only become the world’s smallest state but will also stand as a powerful symbol of religious tolerance and peaceful coexistence in a diverse world.