Europe's Darkest Corner

"God is our greatest enemy. In Albania, belief in God must be plucked out by the roots".

For almost fifty years this attitude has governed official thinking in the small communist state of Albania, on the eastern Adriatic.

With about three million inhabitants, Albania has now the fastest growing population in Europe, with an average age of twenty-six; one person in three is under the age of sixteen. Sadly these youngsters have been indoctrinated from an early age with State propaganda which seeks to ensure that each new generation is imbued with atheistic teaching. Religious instruction is forbidden. Every aspect of education is pervaded by communist ideology: the whole system is organized to counter any religious influence in the home.

How has this state of affairs come about in a land to which the gospel was taken as early as apostolic times? Nominally "Christian" churches had prevailing influence until the fifteenth century, when Turkish conquest brought the Muslim religion. Towards the end of World War II Islam claimed about seventy per cent of the Albanian people; the remainder were mostly adherents of Orthodox or Roman Catholic churches, with only a small number of other Christian believers.

In 1944 a communist government gained power under the notorious Enver Hoxha, who ruled the country until his death in 1985. Ruthless and uncompromising, Hoxha developed a police state which bound Albania in cultural, political and economic isolation. He lost no time in attacking the religious groups, curtailing ecclesiastical privileges and harassing influential leaders. In 1967 he suddenly made all religious expression illegal. Almost overnight more than two thousand churches and mosques were closed, and their adherents were forbidden to gather anywhere for worship, or attempt to spread their beliefs. All priests, ministers and their Muslim equivalents were imprisoned; some were speedily condemned to death; many were kept in prison for years until they died. Hoxha publicly declared that he had created the world's first atheist state, and that all Albanians were now atheists.

It is no new thing for darkly perverted human thought to deny the existence of God, the Creator. Both Psalms 14 and 53 open with the words, "The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. Corrupt are they, and have done abominable iniquity; there is none that doeth good". This twice repeated divine verdict on the basic evil of human nature is taken up by the Spirit through the apostle Paul in Romans chapter 3 to confirm the universal truth that all are under sin. Man's depravity is total when seen in contrast to the absolute holiness of God. This abiding truth of Scripture is illustrated by the extreme expression of atheism in modern Albania. Political conditions made possible the subjection of an entire nation to the official dictate: "There is no God". How plentiful has been the accompanying corruption and "abominable works".

Not that all Albanians have in fact abandoned their personal religious faith. Some Muslims continue to have their graves dug towards Mecca, and food consumption drops during their fasting month of Ramadan. There is a small but lively underground Christian movement, against which the government periodically launches a fresh onslaught of persecution.

Albanian atheism and repression have presented a spiritual challenge to believers in many parts of the world, stirring much prayer that God would work to change the situation; recently there have been a few encouraging trends.

Christian radio programmes in the Albanian language are now being transmitted daily; they have not been jammed, but only a limited number of Albanians would have receivers suitable for hearing the programmes.

An Albanian translation of the New Testament has been prepared and is about to be printed; its import and distribution will doubtless present problems.

The need for western currency has led the government to develop tourism in this beautiful country; although visitors are supervised by tour guides, wider contact with people from the outside world may well provide openings for Christian influence.

In May 1990 the law banning religious propaganda was repealed, but with the warning that churches and mosques were not at present to be reopened, and that atheistic propaganda would be undiminished.

Is this the beginning of relief from Albania's half-century of spiritual darkness?

unknown | Nov 1990
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