International Conference: Current Security Challenges for the Western Balkan Region Addressed by Means of Joint Responsibility and Cooperation Arijan Durmishi arguers in his discussion paper Ramadan Ramadani in his discussion paper that Albania, as a country with a large Muslim examines the situation of Muslims in majority is being affected by the discussion Macedonia, especially Albanians, which are not about Islam and politics inevitably. However the only representing 25% of all population in this scholarly and public debate on Islam and country but also 75% of all Muslims in politics is lacking in Albania or it is limited to, Macedonia. The challenge for the Macedonian­and rather confused with, Islamic terrorism as a Albanians therefore is to nd the balance security issue. between defending the state's religious neutrality and improving the situation of the Muslim The shorthand answer to such an approach can community in Macedonia. Due to their political be found in the thick discourse about the and cultural inuence and also reserve, Albanian religious tolerance and the confusion Ramadani refers to them as“silent rams”. that often is made between religious freedom and the separation of politics and religious In his paper he discusses the model of spheres. He argues that religious tolerance is an democracy Promotion versus"Political Islam" – institutional construct rather than a providential from the Middle East Experience. He argues that feature of the Albanian people. It has been an dening"Political"Islam" and the impact of 47 elite driven approach, stemming from the concerns of the founding fathers of the Albanian Arab Spring on Muslim Brotherhood and Islamist parties requires a holistic approach of state that the Muslim majority had to be liberal translating the universal principles of political in order for Albania to be unacceptable in rights and civil liberties in predominantly Islamic Europe. culture. Egypt, Tunis, Lebanon, Syria and Jordan conrm that national and regional security must Given that the originating conditions have be aspired through incremental but meaningful changed it is likely that this change will be political and democratic reform. accompanied with conceptual shifts on the role of Islam in the Albanian society. Evidence shows that although no political parties with Islamic background exist in Albania there is evidence that an important part of the population may support the idea. He also argues on the need for a serious and thorough discussion on the role of Islam and the repercussions of the political Islam in Albania is necessary.