The Islamic religion has two major branches, which were established in the first century of the existence of Islam. Sunnis and Shiites comprise the majority of Muslims in the world, with Sunni Islam being the dominant group in terms of number of followers, making up up to 90% of the world's Muslim body. The same mosaic of religious affiliation within Islam is also in Kosovo. The vast majority of Muslim believers in Kosovo belong to Sunnism.
But there is also a very small, almost unnoticeable minority of Shiites in Kosovo, who organize their religious life outside the Islamic Community, which represents Sunni Islam and until recently also the tariqats existing in the country, whose representatives have already founded the Community of Tariqats.
Kosovar Shiites
Ikballe Berisha Huduti, without a doubt, is the most present figure in public life who belongs to Shiite Islam, although she is not a representative of this community in Kosovo, nor a theologian by profession.
In a statement for the Online Newspaper "Reporteri.net", Berisha-Huduti says that the differences between the Sunnis and the Shiites mainly stem from the different views about the clash between Ali, the cousin of the Prophet Muhammad and the fourth caliph, and Muawiyah, the leader of the Umayyad dynasty. for the leadership of the Islamic state.
But, according to Berisha-Hudut, between these two branches of 'Mohammedan Islam' there are no differences in doctrinal aspects, be it the belief in the oneness of God, the divine revelation of Muhammad or other aspects of Islamic spirituality.
"As for Sunnism and Shiism, they are two branches from the trunk of the Islamic religion and with differences in some attitudes and thoughts about spirituality and Islamic heritage, they have their roots in the same place and have grown in the trunk of Muhammadan Islam; and represent two branches of the Islamic spiritual and interpretive tradition. The differences between Sunnis and Shiites are not essentially of a doctrinal nature, because both sides believe in the unity and oneness of Allah, the relevance of Hazrat Muhammad and his status as the Seal of the Messengers and Messengers of the religion, they believe in the same Noble Qur'an as unmodifiable divine revelations, they believe in the Day of Judgment and the five pillars of Islam: Martyrdom, prayer, almsgiving, fasting and pilgrimage," Berisha-Huduti told Reporteri.net.
Meanwhile, in the Kosovar context, according to Berisha-Hudut, the Shiite interpretations first appeared in the Albanian lands in the XNUMXth century and then with the arrival of the Ottoman Empire, which belonged to the Sunni branch, although it was more tolerant in doctrinal terms, Sunnis and Shiites had relations of good.
But, Berisha-Huduti says that the Shiites are now discriminated as much as the Sufi Muslims, who are the believers with the most heterodox and syncretic beliefs within Islam, about whose interpretations the academy and the Western media have written extensively.
"Shia Muslims in Kosovo, in my opinion, do not see themselves more or less discriminated against than other followers such as Sufi Muslims, tariqats of Kosovo. In Kosovo, a conservative spirit dominates in the Islamic Community of Kosovo, as well as a leadership monopoly because Islam has made it their property, both in terms of the assets of the Waqf owned by BIK and in terms of preaching, which has recently been influenced by the Salafi current. , Wahhabi because the new generations are educated in Saudi Arabia", said Berisha-Huduti.
The Shiites do not yet have any representative institution that deals with the protection and promotion of the faithful, whose number is not precisely known.
BIK does not speak for the Shiites
Online newspaper "Reporteri.net" says it tried to get an answer regarding the official position of BIK on the interpretations of Shiism.
When asked about the positions of BIK, as a representative institution of Sunni Islam in Kosovo, on the Muslim affiliation of the Shiites, they did not answer.
However, Berisha-Huduti criticizes the institution led by Mufti Naim Tërnava, clarifying that, according to her, BIK does not include all Muslims.
"I think that the Islamic Community of Kosovo, according to the name it has, does not include all the faithful Muslims of Kosovo, and does not create the space for inter-sectarian harmony and tolerance. I say this because until a few years ago, the Tariqats of Kosovo were under the umbrella of the Islamic Community and recently, unfortunately, they were divided in an unenviable and improper way without dividing the common assets they had", said Berisha Huduti.
Meanwhile, theologian Bekim Jashari, who is also the chief imam of BIK in Podujevë, in a statement for Reporteri.net, said that Sunni and Shiite differences in Kosovo do not cause problems and everyone enjoys full rights.
"Whether they are Muslim or not, my worldview on this matter is that to say about someone that he is or is not a believer, this matter belongs to God, everyone has his own internal spiritual determination in the matter of faith. Takfir or concluding that someone is a Muslim or not is harmful, dangerous and not our competence. Terrorist groups such as ISIS and AL Nusra have this approach of takfir. In my opinion, Kosovo and we Albanians with a majority of the Islamic faith should in no way be part of inter-sectarian debates and conflicts in the Islamic world. We have the mindset of understanding and commenting on Islam without being influenced by differences between factions wherever they are," said Jashari.
Further, the hoxha from Llapi said that in doctrinal worldviews there is much in common between the two major branches of Islam.
"The differences between them are and date back moti, but now they are more visible. We Sunnis believe that the successor of Muhammad is Abu Bakr, while the Shiites see Imam Ali. In the Quran they are of the same opinion as the vast majority, while in political issues they differ. We cannot conclude that the difference is in the essence of faith in God, the Quran and Muhammad a.s. In the commentary and interpretation of the Quran there are different opinions both within Sunnism, but also within Shiism", said Jashari.
Regarding the issue of Sunni and Shia Islam, the Online Newspaper "Reporteri.net" has tried to get a point of view from the Community of Tariqats, but they have not answered the newspaper's questions.
The bloody history of religious differences
The division between Sunnis and Shiites dates back to the early days of Islam after the death of the prophet Muhammad, who left no male heir.
The first doctrinal clash came over the succession of the prophet Muhammad as political leader. The Shiites believed in the inheritance of blood emphasizing that the successor of Muhammad in the capacity of caliphate had to come only from the family of the Prophet (Ahl al-Bayt). They propagandized that Ali, the cousin of the prophet who had married Fatima, the daughter of Muhammad, should come to power as the leader of the believers.
The majority of Muslims at that time thought otherwise, who emphasized that Abu Bakr, a close friend of the prophet, should be the first caliph after Muhammad's death. In the end, the Muslim faithful entrusted Abu Bakr with the leadership of the Islamic caliphate by taking the title of leader of the believers (emir al muminim).
Ali would become the fourth Muslim caliph after the death of Abu Bakr and the assassination of Umar and Uthman, who suffered with their lives in the clashes between groups over the foundations of the religion of Islam.
The Sunni-Shiite doctrinal conflict turned into bloodshed when, in 661, Ali himself was killed while he was the caliph of the Islamic state, which at that time spanned almost the entire Middle East.
The sectarian war within Islam would also take the heads of Ali's family. In the year 681, Hussein, the son of Ali and the grandson of the prophet Muhammad, along with his family and followers, would be killed by Yazid, the son of Muawiyah, who had already established the Umayyad dynasty.
The martyrdom of Hussein in Karbala would become the fundamental event of Shiism, and every year the Shiites, but also a part of the Sufi believers, commemorate the killing of the Prophet's family.
Ashura, which is also celebrated in Kosovo, is the most solemn date in the Shiite calendar.
The bloody Sunni-Shiite clashes still continue after 14 centuries, with Syria and Iraq as the latest acts in the theater of sectarian death.
Information source @BalkanWeb: Read more at: www.botasot.al
