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| Prof. Mehas Alija, hafe and Albanian imam in Lausanne, at the same time head of the Albanian Muslim Community in Switzerland |
Dramatic developments in the new war between Israel and Palestine, with a tragic toll of victims and injuries, including from the Muslim community in Switzerland, are being closely followed with great concern. The overwhelming majority of the Muslim community in Switzerland is from the ranks of Albanians from the Balkans (Kosovo), who have often, prior to 1999 when Kosovo was occupied by Serbia, been considered Palestinians who, for many years, were victims of discriminatory, colonizing, and terrorizing Serbian policies, writes the Swiss newspaper in Albanian.
Prof. Mehas Alija, an Albanian Imam in Lausanne, expresses sorrow for the events in Palestine and Israel. He condemns any act of violence that leads to the loss of innocent lives.
Regarding his assessment of the recent developments in Palestine and Israel, Mehas Alija, an Imam and the Secretary of the Albanian Muslim Community in Switzerland (KMSHZ), spoke to the Swiss newspaper in Albanian.
Imam Hajiz Mehas Alija, firstly condemning violence and terrorism from all parties, said, "We, as the Albanian Muslim Community in Switzerland, feel sorry and are affected by the events in Palestine and Israel. We condemn any act of violence that leads to the loss of innocent lives. For us, peace and dialogue are the only way to resolve the conflict. We encourage dialogue to help find a solution to this sensitive issue. The international community should engage strongly and unitedly as mediators for a peaceful and sustainable solution."
Imam Alija: We Albanians have cooperated well with religious communities in Switzerland, including the Hebrew community.
In recent days, protests in solidarity with the Israeli and Palestinian people have been organized in Geneva and Switzerland. As a large community, are Albanians participating in these protests in favor of Israel or Palestine?
To this question, Mr. Alija continued by saying, "In Switzerland, everyone is free to express their own opinion as individuals. For us as a community, it is important to maintain good intercultural and interfaith relationships in Swiss society."