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IDM study: Political extremism in Albania, more worrying than religious extremism

Politiko 2024-04-02 18:37:54

IDM study: Political extremism in Albania, more worrying than religious

In Tirana, the Institute for Democracy and Mediation (IDM) published a study today, according to which citizens are more concerned about political extremism than religious extremism. The study revealed that religious extremism is a concern for over 30 percent of citizens, while political extremism is a concern for over 43 percent of the population. Over 76 percent of the respondents believe that the governing actors in Albania misuse state institutions and resources for narrow political interests.

This national assessment on Violent Extremism in Albania is based on a questionnaire, which was addressed randomly in the field to 1,600 respondents in 61 of the country's 62 municipalities. The study showed that over 30 percent of the respondents are concerned about religious extremism in Albania, while only 6.6 percent of them believe that in the area where they live there are individuals or groups that promote religious extremism, with intolerant, Islamophobic, or even of other religions.

Nearly 37 percent of respondents believe that their religious community is sufficiently represented in politics and state institutions. While over 43 percent affirmed that in their neighborhoods there are religious groups that offer material or economic benefits to the practitioners of their religion.

A disturbing finding for the authors of the study is related to the figures that over 30 percent of the respondents think that getting rich fast is not a mistake, while nearly 28 percent affirmed that they justify any kind of economic activity, even if it is illegal. Self-judgment occupies an important place in the statements of citizens. Over 40 of them said that people have the right to self-judge, when their freedoms and rights are denied by state institutions.

Even more than 46 percent believe that the political system in Albania is unfair and should be changed, even with violence if necessary. Involvement or incitement of civilians to engage in armed conflicts is considered a permissible action by 23 percent of respondents.

More than 47 percent of respondents do not believe that state institutions respect the rights and freedoms of citizens. A quarter of them said that every citizen should defend his ideology by any means and price. There were also those who believe that it is the duty of every believer to protect his religious values ​​and dignity by any means and cost.

But on the other hand, 13.6 percent claimed that a decent believer should not denounce members of his community who have extremist religious beliefs. A quarter of the surveyed citizens (26.4%) believe that Christian majority countries in the Balkans have had more support from the West precisely because of their religious affiliation. Meanwhile, only a minority of 7-11 percent think that it is difficult to be Muslim or Christian in Albania.

 

More than half of the respondents said that (54.1%) believe that the positions of the head of the religious community (in Tirana) enjoy the full support of believers in the area where they live. While 40.5% believe that people have the right to follow unofficial religious interpretations if they do not agree with the respective religious communities./ VOA

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