Analyst Enver Robelli on "Off the Record" with Andrea Dangli, on A2 CNN, proposed that in Albania, a tax on religion should be paid by people who are declared believers.
According to him, this tax would finance faith in God and, moreover, would show the true number of believers for each of the four main religious communities.
"Regarding the issue of financing religious communities. I think it would be good for this issue to be regulated by law. There should be a tax, people should pay taxes. Whoever is a believer should pay taxes. I am very convinced that this would be a very interesting experiment among Albanians. Because whoever is a believer should pay. Those who are not believers should go to church and mosque and say they do not want to be part of this community, leave and be exempt from taxes. And then we see how many Muslims, Catholics, Orthodox or Bektashis there are. Because even this interpretation of the figures, that one religion says we are more or less, this is a matter of emotional debate in Albanian society. So it is a pure issue. Let whoever believes in God pay taxes and finance the mosque or church themselves," Robelli declared on "Off the Record" with Andrea Dangli, on A2 CNN.
The analyst's idea was supported by the former chairman of the Hoxhallar League, Justinian Topulli, who said that such an initiative, regulated by law, would also serve to create independence from external funding for religious communities in Albania.
"Of course, we must, so the believers must finance and regulate this. It is not the first country that can do this work and create a kind of independence from funds coming from abroad. It is quite normal. There is nothing wrong with it," Topulli said on "Off the Record" by Andrea Danglli, on A2 CNN.
Meanwhile, the former Mufti of Tirana, Ylli Gurra, declared against it. According to him, the tax on religion is being partially applied in Kosovo and North Macedonia but is not functioning properly. Gurra even raised doubts that these finances would be misused by the leaders of the Muslim Community in Albania, whom he described as a Gulenist clique.
"It doesn't work. The Gulenist clique has another opportunity to waste. Take me, leave the Albanians, 3 million Muslims if you want. Do you give a penny today for what is called the Muslim community? I never give. This is in Kosovo and Macedonia, it is semi-voluntary and imposing. They started this idea by offering services, 1, 2, 3, 5. In addition to the central budget that the institution has. the Islamic community of RMV or Kosovo", said Ylli Gurra in "Off the Record" by Andrea Danglli, on A2 CNN. (A2 Televizion)
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