A photo, marking in the memory of the triumphant story of the reunification of faith and hope

Albert Vataj

In the picture, from left to right; Baba Selimi, Mother Teresa and Bajram Plashniku, at the reopening ceremony of the Bektashi Muslim Center in Tirana in April 1991.
April 1991 was a period when Albania was coming out of the darkness of religious isolation and persecution. The communist regime had banned and closed all religious institutions in 1967, proclaiming Albania as the first atheist country in the world.
With the fall of the regime, religious freedom began to return, and this reopening ceremony of the Bektashi Muslim center in Tirana marked an important step in this regard.
Mother Teresa's presence, a figure the world had accepted and honored for her service to the poorest, was a strong message of reconciliation, humanity and the strength of the Albanian spirit.
In this photograph, it is conveyed through deep conversation, sharing thoughts and perhaps encouraging endurance and coexistence between beliefs.
The symbolic importance of this photo reflects the resurrection, restoring religious freedom after decades of brutal ban and persecution, with which the dictatorial regime stopped faith, attempted to kill the hopeful hope of humility and dedication.
This picture is also an expression of the harmonious religious coexistence of the Albanians, which has been one of the most prominent and unique features in the world tradition of our national faith.
The presence of a personality of these dimensions, as Mother Teresa, in the process of spiritual and moral restoration of Albanian society after the communist ban, was a good omen and a large stone in the foundations of the altar of forgiveness and prayer.
This photo of the past 34 years is not just a memory of the past, but also a reflection on the power of hope, dialogue and humanity in a time of great change for Albania and Albanians.