In an atmosphere of reflection and dialogue, the book “Në Sofrën e Hënës” was presented, a collection of the words and reflections of Prime Minister Edi Rama delivered during the traditional iftar evenings organized over the years. The work brings attention to the cultural, social, and spiritual dimension of the iftar table as a space that brings together people from different beliefs and experiences, beyond the differences that may separate them in everyday life.
During his remarks at the promotional event, Prime Minister Rama emphasized that the idea for publishing the book emerged from Muslim friends and collaborators who fast, who encouraged him to compile the reflections shared during these evenings. According to him, the tradition of iftar represents not only a religious ritual but also an important moment of social unity and dialogue, reflecting the values of coexistence and religious harmony in Albania.
Prime Minister Edi Rama: Thank you very much!
First, I believe that the very composition of the guest list reflects my own hesitation about bringing this book to light. In fact, it is a compilation of the iftar evenings that I have had the pleasure and privilege to host in the function I hold, thereby establishing a tradition associated with this office. In my view, it goes beyond the table of those who fast, because for me, and increasingly so because of this experience, the iftar table goes beyond the fasting individuals themselves. In a way, it is a beautiful moment that brings together people who come not only from different walks of life, but also from different backgrounds of belief.
It was the encouragement of some Muslim friends who fast that prompted me to gather these words into this book. As I mentioned earlier, today I wished for the presentation to take place in a modest manner. Arlinda had the book ready before the Book Fair, but I did not give the green light for it to be released there, because it would naturally have created an undeserved attraction compared with all the other authors for whom the fair is an important moment.
For me, the last remaining engraver of words on Tirana’s boulevard is here with us today, Aurel Plasari, a testimony to the fact that the iftar table brings us together beyond the lines that may divide us along that boulevard.
Meanwhile, I do not wish to speak at greater lengths. I have great respect for and am grateful to those friends around me who practice this faith. I am also grateful for the experience of these iftar gatherings, which have truly enriched me and encouraged me to delve a little deeper into the approach, the language, and the culture of Islam.
To be honest, beyond the slogan we often repeat about religious coexistence, there lies a treasure of cultures that come from religion here in our country, cultures that deserve our dedication, care, admiration, and respect. This is also important because, thanks to all of this, people may be helped to see religion beyond the prejudices and stereotypes that are particularly dangerous, especially when speaking about Islam.
It was a pleasure, and honestly, I felt fortunate in the responsibilities entrusted to me, that I had the opportunity to meet Professor Besnik. Besnik is someone who follows the Islamic faith, but at the same time lectures on it at the University of Tübingen. We became acquainted through the work of a very beautiful foundation established in Albania called Konak. It is a group working to collect artefacts of Islamic culture, and together we have also undertaken a very beautiful project.
The idea originated from them, but the project is shared: to establish a Museum of Islamic Art in Albania. Unfortunately, we do not yet have such a museum. All countries that have Islamic culture as part of their societal fabric have such a museum, and even countries that do not have a contemporary Islamic culture but have historical roots of Islamic culture maintain such institutions. We are currently working on this project, which will be very beautiful because it will be established at the former famous Toptani residences, near the Tirana Castle and next to the Parliament.
At the same time, in that same oasis, another museum will be established, the Besa Museum, which will echo our relationship with the Jewish people and will bring contemporary Jewish culture into our cultural life. In a way, this completes a mosaic.
Returning to the book, I am very grateful to the professor who agreed to write the afterword. The foreword of the book was written by one of the representatives of the Crown of the United Arab Emirates, the UAE Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, while the afterword was written by the professor. Since he has had to go through the entire collection of the compiled words, I now give him the floor.
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Prime Minister Edi Rama: Thank you, Professor!
I wanted to add a personal element connected precisely to the sequence of these iftar gatherings year after year. As I said earlier, on the one hand they have encouraged me to go a little deeper into reading and understanding Islam, naturally referring to the primary text and to some extent to the history of Islam in Albania. On the other hand, they have encouraged me to do this also as a response to the stereotypical reaction of those who too quickly equate Islam, or its rituals including iftar, with something that supposedly diminishes our culture, as if being European somehow contradicts it.
In fact, the roots of Europe include an important contribution from Islamic culture. But what I believe is most important today for humanity, at a time when knowledge continues to expand and development advances at an increasingly rapid pace, reaching points that were unimaginable not long ago, is the need to believe.
Not long ago, I saw a global survey about belief in God. What surprised the organizers was that the more knowledge has increased, the more the need for belief in God has also increased. In the last decade, global belief in God has grown at an unusual rate compared with the previous trend, especially after a sharp decline during the 1960s.
Beyond direct belief, I think religion, and Islam in particular, is a source of great cultural wisdom. It is wisdom that relates to the limits of the human being, to the need for individuals to remain aware of those limits, and then to link these limits with human dignity.
Within the entire process and practice of Islam, including fasting, there is a wisdom that teaches and educates. Some time ago, I had the opportunity to meet a very famous Muslim doctor who practices all the rituals of the faith. He explained to me one by one the rituals and their effects on health, not the religious aspect, but the health aspect. Prayer at sunset, kneeling, all of them, and of course fasting itself has now become a global trend for health reasons, particularly in response to the overload of cholesterol in the developed world.
There is therefore a great cultural wisdom within Islam that I believe represents added value for anyone who approaches it, beyond belief itself, which in my view is a completely personal matter.
As for the narrative mentioned by the professor, I had not reflected deeply on it in that sense, but I believe it is very important that we always remember that this harmony we speak about, or coexistence, or religious fraternity as Pope Francis called it, is something that must be preserved and cultivated.
Now, whether we have truly reached a point where we are entirely comfortable with one another remains an open question. But I would be very happy if we had achieved that.
In the end, I believe that the tradition of iftar, beyond the religious ritual, is a form of social education, a social lesson, a social exercise, because it is unique. We do not lack dining tables. Even our most heated discussions about economic hardship take place around tables filled with food in abundance.
But people do not always have the opportunity that the tradition of iftar offers: to sit at the table, share bread, share the moment, not primarily to enjoy the food, but above all to enjoy the fact that we are together with others.
And I am convinced that for those who fast, this experience is even stronger and healthier for the soul.
I said it from the beginning. At the first iftar I invited several people who had never been accustomed to such gatherings. Some came; some did not. One person sent me a very harsh message criticizing the fact that I was organizing an iftar at the Prime Minister’s Office, arguing that the Prime Minister’s Office is secular and so on, strongly proclaiming his atheism. But I believe that iftar is also for atheists.
The table is also for atheists.
They have no reason to decline the invitation simply because they are not Muslim or because they do not believe. On the contrary, if they do not believe in Allah, perhaps Allah believes in them, perhaps one day there will be faith for them as well, or God, if we prefer to call Him that. People often like to complicate matters of religion, whereas for me they are very simple and very clear.
Thank you once again. Thank you, Professor. My respects.
Thank you all!
