“Bedër” University College in cooperation with the Muslim Community of Albania organized today the First International Conference on Islamic Sciences on “Challenges of Muslims in the Society of the 21st Century”.

The conference hosted around 40 academics from different fields, coming from Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina and others.

The conference addressed the current social problems of Muslims all over the world, providing solutions with a clear Islamic and social vision in favor of Muslim integration in the societies in which they live, becoming a factor of stability, peace and hope for each country.

In his opening speech, the Chairman of the Conference, at the same time the Head of Islamic Sciences Department at “Bedër”, Dr. Genti Kruja, after welcoming the participants to the activity, focused on the importance of addressing the issues of Islamic faith all over the world on such scientific platforms.

“Among the greatest challenges facing humanity in general and Muslims in particular, first comes the education and education, which are left to be desired in most Muslim-populated countries. Muslims should urgently return to education and education with the Islamic spirit and education, intertwined with contemporary and contemporary sciences, because no knowledge of wisdom and knowledge comes to nothing but benefit, progress, culture, prosperity, and peaceful coexistence ” , said Dr. Kruje.

The opening ceremony continued with the greeting speech of the President of the Muslim Community of Albania, H. Skender Bruçaj, who expressed enthusiasm for the contribution of participating academics in finding the most appropriate solutions to some of the current problems of Islamic faith in Albania , neighboring countries and beyond.

“A century ago, a Muslim scholar of that time, stressed that the main problems of Muslims are three: the first, the poverty that gripped them; second, ignorance and lack of knowledge; third, the disagreement between them. Despite the fact that a century has passed, it seems that these problems continue to be unresolved and even deepened. It is precisely this that should be our main challenge as Muslims, to improve our spiritual, scientific, cultural and economic situation as a whole and, consequently, the society in which we live. We pray to Allah that this conference, as a modest effort, serves to shed light on the challenges we have mentioned and to provide the right solutions to today’s problems “- he stressed during his speech.

Further on, the Speaker of the State Committee for Cults, Loreta Aliko, praised the institutions that cooperated in the organization of this conference. Mrs. Aliko focused on the supporting policies of the institution she leads in securing constitutional rights and freedoms of faith in our country.

“Today’s conference, but similar similar events that have been developed in previous years, are a clear proof that cult institutions in our country are doing a great deal of work in preserving the values ​​and traditions of our forefathers in consolidating of the society with universal moral values. In this regard, the support of the Covenant Community will be unconditional because identification and resolution of identity problems is in our common good, “she concluded.

Rector of the “Bedër” University College, Prof. Dr. Ferdinand Gjana, after welcoming the participants and expressing enthusiasm for the work of the participating scholars, emphasized the current situation of Muslims in the world today.

“It is the duty and primary responsibility of all of us, Muslims all over the world, to initially understand and live righteously to Islam, as it is by itself, peaceful and tolerant, and then make a small contribution to the narrow circles local organizations with such similar arrangements, “said Rector Reed Bedr in his speech.

After the end of the greeting, Dr. Mustafa Ceric, President of the Bosnian World Congress, Sarajevo and at the same time the special guest of this conference, shared with the audience a number of current aspects of the topic in question.

“We are interested in living and working together because of origin, autochthony in these Balkan lands, religion, culture, and tradition that we feed. I express my gratitude to the President of the Muslim Community and to all those who, with their contribution, made possible the organization of this conference as necessary, as well as actual for the needs of the time in which we live. We, as Muslims, are also part of the problem of resolving the situation. It is up to us to choose where we want to be. We must begin to learn to live united in diversity, to respect one another as we say we love it for the sake of the Creator, “said Dr. Ceric during his speech.

After referring to Dr. Ceric, the conference continued its work in several parallel sessions with various topics, where the participating scholars shared with students and other present guests such topics as “Islamic Religious Islam in Albania Throughout history”, “The Role of Muslims in European Society”, “Facing Muslims with the Test of Hypocrisy in the Society of the Century XXI “,” Globalization, pluralism and identity crisis “,” The necessity of religion in modern society “.

05 April 2018