 | | But hey, George Mason is demonstrating his solidarity with the Paleos, so let's call it even... (photo hat tip LGF) |
Muslims in Albania's northern city of Shkoder are opposing plans to erect a statue to Mother Teresa, the ethnic Albanian Catholic nun in line for elevation to sainthood by the Vatican. The dispute is unusual for Albania,| But not at all unusual for Dar-al-Islam, |
where religion was banned for 27 years under the dictator Enver Hoxha, and "mixed" marriages are the norm. Seventy per cent of the population are moderate liberal Muslims, | who are ever so tolerant and inclusive... |
the rest are Christian Orthodox and Catholic. But Muslim groups in Shkoder rejected the local council plan for a statue, saying it "would offend the feelings of Muslims".
"We do not want this statue to be erected in a public place, because we see her as a religious figure," said Bashkim Bajraktari, Shkoder's mufti, a Muslim religious leader. Several residents said they felt there was an underground effort to treat Shkoder as a Catholic town, ignoring its majority Muslim community. Shkoder's Muslims recently protested against crosses being erected on prominent hilltops around the city. |