MORE STRIFE IN ISLAMIC COMMUNITY

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 TIRANA 000724 SIPDIS DEPT FOR EUR/SCE E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/06/2019 TAGS: KJUS KDEM PGOV PREL PHUM KCOR KIRF AL SUBJECT: MORE STRIFE IN ISLAMIC COMMUNITY REF: TIRANA 184 Classified By: DCM DEBORAH JONES FOR REASONS 1.4 (b) AND (d). ¶1. (C) Summary: The latest shakeup in the Albanian Islamic Community (AIC) has resulted in the removal of the AIC's deputy, in a decision that is widely-viewed as illegal and personal. The dismissal appears connected to the former deputy's criticism of the AIC Chairman, but some GOA officials are concerned that other factors may be at play, including a potential "clash" between the older, Turkish educated generation and younger elements educated in the Arab schools of Islam. End summary. ¶2. (C) While interfaith harmony and cooperation among the various religious faiths is the rule in Albania, intrafaith harmony and cooperation is sorely lacking in the Muslim community for nearly the past year. In the latest drama in the Muslim community, the Chairman of the Albanian Islamic Community (AIC),Selim Muca, announced unilaterally that the Deputy Chairman of the AIC, Saimir Rusheku, would be removed from office and replaced with Bujar Spahiu, the former director of education. Muca allegedly cleared Rusheku's removal with the leadership of the Rruga Kavaje mosque - a mosque widely regarded as the most radical in Albania. Rusheku, who is well-known to Post and who was educated in Libya, has denounced this move and taken the bold step of publicly accusing Muca and his supporters of corruption and allowing "foreign influences" and "foreign donors" to exercise inordinate power in Albania. (Note: One GOA source said that the 80-year-old Muca is actually a "puppet," and the real power and influence resides with Betim Truci, the Secretary General of the AIC. End note.) ¶3. (C) In response, Rusheku has filed a lawsuit alleging that his dismissal violates the law, a position that the State Committee on Cults, the organization that "manages" relations with the religious communities, agrees with. Five other individuals were also removed from posts in the AIC, and it is noteworthy that Rusheku's predecessor also resigned under pressure from Muca. Rasim Hasanaj, Chairman of the State Committee on Cults, told poloffs that he discussed the Rusheku issue with President Bamir Topi on November 4 and has received Topi's commitment to have it resolved in accordance with the law. Hasanaj also said he has the backing of PM Sali Berisha in ensuring that the case is handled properly. The judge in the case has been named, according to Hasanaj, and President Topi assured Hasanaj that the case would receive priority. ¶4. (C) According to Rusheku and others, a principal reason for Rusheku,s removal is his criticism of AIC Chairman Muca. Last spring, when Muca declared snap elections for the AIC chairmanship, in a move that was widely seen as an illegal grab of power, Rusheku was one of his main critics (reftel). Another factor at play is that of property disputes and the corruption inherent in them. The Islamic community was once one of the largest landowners in Albania prior to the appropriation of its assets under the communist regime. The restitution process is moving very Q`sQq a.` a0 a0ed t@lN a 1970s registry that li2t2 d, 4`d pbl@dBpIaC Dhat were owned by the varigtc bdlhgiouC GpOqPqpRis of thousands, if not millions, of dollars are at stake in these cases. According to Rasim Hasanaj, Chairman of the State Committee on Cults, if all these complaints were resolved immediately, the AIC would overnight become the largest landowner in Albania. ¶5. (C) Perhaps most concerning is the fact that the removal of Rusheku could indicate a clash of views and direction of the Muslim community between the younger and older generations, in the words of Dr. Albert Rakipi of the Institute for International and Strategic Studies. Hasanaj also says this may be occurring, stating that the leadership of the AIC is composed of older men largely educated in the Turkish schools of Islam, compared to the younger imams who are largely educated in various Arab countries. The majority of the imams in Albania are educated in Arab states, including the imams of all seven mosques of Tirana. A concern is that the leadership of the AIC is becoming more separated from those it purports to represent. The current AIC leadership is widely seen as highly corrupt and seems to have little time for religion, spending most of its time on property deals. The fear of many observers, including the TIRANA 00000724 002 OF 002 State Committee on Cults, is that allegations of AIC corruption and AIC's inattention to religious matters will thoroughly discredit the AIC among Albania's Muslims and could open the door to more extreme elements who claim to represent a more "pure" form of Islam in comparison with the leadership of the AIC. Hasanaj said the GOA is watching these developments very closely. The AIC leadership is aware of these concerns and has exploited them effectively in the past, labeling critics from within the community as extremists in an effort to discredit them. ¶6. (C) Comment: The AIC leadership has long been suspected of corruption, and the latest internal shuffling seems geared toward removing dissenters from the ranks of power in the committee, since dissent is rarely tolerated in political or religious circles in Albania. However, the endemic corruption within the AIC and its intolerance of varying viewpoints could spark movements from the younger generation and open the door to more radical elements of Islam. The U.S. continues to enjoy wide-spread public and private support of all religious faiths in Albania. WITHERS