By Fitim Zekthi
Prime Minister Rama's visit to Israel and his speech in the Israeli parliament, the language used in that speech which said nothing about the monstrous crimes committed by Israel in Gaza, about the blatant genocide before the world (and it is clear that he could not say anything in their own home, it makes no sense) were one of the most disgusting political things of a political leader in complete crisis. The Albanian national interest is not inextricably linked to going to Israel, neither inviolability, nor independence, nor our economic development and nothing else is inextricably linked to Israel and going to Israel. In this sense it was a terrible visit for his own purposes, which deserves contempt.
Despite this, he is the prime minister of the country whom you can criticize, hate, and even curse if you want, although I do not like curses at all, but you will have to recognize him as the prime minister of the country, as a man who leads the government of your country. I want to say two small things about the book he promoted and the debate that book brought. I would like us to have ethics and clarity (“clear”, says a famous writer) when talking about everything, but especially about highly sensitive things.
Regardless of who the prime minister is, he has the right to make a book of his speeches given at iftars. He has the right to host iftars and give speeches when he speaks well of Islam, of coexistence between faiths, of the tradition of believers and the country, of the values of Ramadan, etc. I have personally written against iftars that target voters or politics; I have also written against the way Prime Minister Rama uses language, style or rhetoric at iftars, how he tries to behave like a hoxha or imam, etc. I think that that language and behavior essentially tends (not necessarily intentionally, and quite possibly completely unintentionally) to secularize, perhaps even politically expose or politicize the Muslim faith. I still have those thoughts, and I have even strengthened them.
But beyond that, I recognize the right and I believe that everyone should recognize the right of a politician, even the leader of the opposition, even the prime minister, even members of party leaderships or deputies, to go to iftars, to serve iftars and to speak well, as they judge it, about faith and believers, about religions and people of religion. No one has the right to judge the intentions of the prime minister or the leader of the opposition. We judge external acts.
Rama's speeches (and those of the opposition leaders for at least the last 10 years) are appreciative, have good judgment about Islam and religion in general, and push for respect for them and for the holidays of believers. This is a good thing, not a bad thing.
I think that participating in a book promotion of the prime minister with speeches given over the years at iftars is not sacrilege. I myself do not go to them, but I do not think that one should take the bait against those Muslims who do go. I even believe that it is a duty to go within a certain limit. Of course, the weight of the speech in the Knesset, the shameful going, have their indelible burden, but things should be separated regardless of whether it is about the same person. When someone does something that makes sense, that can be seen from a different angle, it should be seen as such. We cannot have holistic or, worse, totalitarian judgments.
When a prime minister (especially a prime minister) or an opposition leader or a minister, whoever he may be, helps (regardless of his intentions, which no one has the right to judge because in principle no one knows with absolute certainty) that freedom of religion or religious values are respected, he should be respected for this. When a prime minister (especially in such turbulent and somewhat poisoned times) speaks with respect for the values of brotherhood and coexistence that religious beliefs carry, a Muslim in this case, he should be respected for this. When a prime minister invites Muslims to participate in a book promotion with speeches at iftar, and even asks them to write a review, a foreword or an afterword as they themselves want to write, he should be appreciated regardless of the intentions why he does this, because as we said: no one can speak with absolute conviction about his intentions. I myself, if I were invited (no one invited me), wouldn't go, but this is not a benchmark or necessarily good or the best; it's just mine.
We live in this society, which is ours, which is wonderfully well-composed of people and a wonderful nation that has Muslims in the majority, but that also has many Christians whom we love very much, that there are also people without faith whom we also love very much. When the Prime Minister speaks with respect about religions, about beliefs, about Muslims or Christians, when he writes a book and speaks with respect about Islam, Ramadan or the tradition of coexistence, there is no need to throw stones and even more so there is no need to throw stones at someone who goes there, a Muslim or a Christian who goes there.
I am saying this because I have never voted for Rama, who politically I call one of the worst politicians in 35 years, who unlike many others, especially in my democratic party, had a good opinion of him in the years 1998–2000, and even afterwards until 2009 (a disastrous agreement was even made for the country in 2008), I have had a terrible opinion of him since I was a student, since he became minister of culture in 1998, and even since he wrote for Gazeta Koha in the 90s, Gazeta AKS or the magazine Përpjekja in those years. This is not discussed at all. So it is not that I have any appreciation for him, the liberalism or leftism of the old days that somehow reared its head today and I write this.
We need to learn to give people what is known as the benefit of the doubt first. Second, we need to learn that we live in a non-religious society. We live in a society that accepts and respects religions, but it is not religious. There are many, many Muslims and many Christians, but it is not a Muslim society and it is not a Christian society.
That being the case, we should appreciate the respect of anyone who is not a Muslim for the Muslim faith and the faith of anyone who is not a Christian for the Christian faith, and we should not expect them to do this according to Islamic or Christian dogma or doctrine and, if they deviate a little from that, we should give them a beating. No.
PS: Of course, politicians have become tired of going to iftars or hosting iftars, just as many leaders of Muslim communities or imams who go to these iftars with them have become tired. Much more modesty will be needed. One goes once as a sign of respect and appreciation and ends there, but as in everything, we have no measure. This again is not a reason to catch the big guy. May the great God protect with his mercy all those who love and strive for good!
