Arrested Albanian Imams Praise Charlie Hebdo Attack

Albanian journalists light candles during a rally in solidarity with the French journalists who died during the attack on satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo | Photo:: Gent Shkullaku/LSA

“Whoever has pained the prophet or has written articles in newspapers, magazines, books or produced movies in which he is offended… this is considered an act of war,” imams Abdurrahim Balla and Bujar Hysa wrote in a letter sent from prison, which is being circulated on social networks.  

“The act that happened in France, if it is proved that was carried out by Muslims, because of the cartoons, it’s considered a good deed that will be rewarded by Allah,” they added.

On January 7, three masked man entered the offices of the French satirical weekly Chalie Hebdo, opening fire with automatic weapons and leaving 11 dead and 11 more injured. As they left the building, they also killed a French policeman.

Most Albanians are Muslims, although historically, hardline Islam has had little traction among the country’s population.

The vast majority of Albanian politicians and religious leaders unequivocally condemned the attack on the magazine. The representatives of Albania’s four main religious denominations even joined Prime Minister Edi Rama and other world leaders at the unity march in Paris after the attack.   

Balla and Hysa were arrested in February as part of anti-terrorism sweep in Albania, accused of recruiting jihadists to fight with the radical Islamist groups Jabhat al-Nusra or ISIS in the Syrian conflict.

Together with Hysa and Balla, six other people were arrested as part of a group believed to have recruited dozens of Albanian Muslims to join the fight in Syria.

Documents obtained by BIRN show that between 2012 and 2014, more than 90 Albanian fighters and their families went to Syria, 10 of whom have been killed in the war.

An estimated 30 fighters have already returned home from the conflict and they are being closely monitored by security services as a potential threat.

“If someone says that you are terrorists because you allow people to be killed because of freedom of speech, the answer is yes, we are terrorists against any enemy of Allah who has declared war on Islam,” Balla and Hysa wrote in their letter.

“We are proud of this,” they added.