CEU eTD Collection (2011); Suleymanova, Liana: BUILDING A TRULY ATHEISTIC STATE. A CASE OF ENVER HOXHA ALBANIA

CEU Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2011
Author Suleymanova, Liana
Title BUILDING A TRULY ATHEISTIC STATE. A CASE OF ENVER HOXHA ALBANIA
Summary This study focuses on Albania’s building of the truly atheistic state. Due to its unique historical past, and especially its Ottoman heritage, an unusual degree of tolerance towards religions was born. Albania came to accept atheism as yet another religion.
Moreover, as the research shows, Albanian atheism contained all features of a full-blown political religion.
In addition, traditionally shaped regional divisions into the conservative North Gheg and the “progressive” South Tosk communities influenced greatly the policies of Hoxha’s Communist state regarding the treatment of various religious bodies. Albanian Catholic Church, the patron of the Northern part of Albania, which was considered to be backward tribal region by the Communist authorities, became the target of the government’s severe persecution.
A large portion of the population, especially the youth came to accept atheism as their religion, while others continued practicing their traditional beliefs in secrecy.
Supervisor Iordachi, Constantin; Riedl, Matthias
Department History MA
Full texthttps://www.etd.ceu.edu/2011/suleymanova_liana.pdf

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