Albania’s religious leaders have issued a joint statement regarding the situation arising from student protests held across the country in recent days.
In the statement, religious leaders called for peace, justice, responsibility and dialogue.
The Interreligious Council stressed that young people must be heard and that institutions must provide responses in accordance with the law.
It also emphasized that the destruction of family businesses and damage to educational institutions undermine the right to education and safety.
Full Statement by the Interreligious Council of Albania
An Appeal for Peace, Justice, Responsibility and National Dialogue
Peace is a shared responsibility. Justice is an obligation. Respect for human dignity is the foundation that unites us.
Albania’s future lies in the hands of the generations we are raising today. We therefore have a duty to leave them a country where justice inspires hope and peaceful coexistence becomes a value passed down through generations.
The concerns of citizens and students deserve to be taken seriously, while institutions have a responsibility to provide concrete, transparent and lawful responses.
As representatives of Albania’s officially recognized religious communities, we believe that peace does not mean remaining silent in the face of injustice, justice cannot be achieved through violence, and authority cannot be exercised without responsibility.
Our religious traditions unite us in defending life, human dignity, compassion, justice and respect for others, regardless of the beliefs or positions we represent.
The Interreligious Council reiterates that the right to peaceful protest is a fundamental democratic value, while violence, destruction of property and violations of the rights of others cannot be justified by any grievance or objective.
Damaging a family business directly affects a family’s livelihood. Attacking an educational institution undermines the right to education and safety, while failing to respect a diplomatic mission and its symbols violates the principles of mutual respect and international coexistence.
We believe that, at this moment, the country needs fewer accusations and more listening, less confrontation and greater responsibility, less division and more dialogue.
No party should view another as an enemy, but rather as part of the same society, with shared rights, obligations and responsibilities.
Our appeal is addressed to everyone: citizens must be heard, institutions must respond, justice must be guaranteed, the law must be respected and peace must be protected.
Albania’s future cannot be built on fear, destruction and division, but on dignity, mutual trust and the willingness to find peaceful solutions.
We humbly call on all parties to choose dialogue over conflict and responsibility over escalation, placing the common good, the safety of citizens and social peace above any narrow interests.
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