The Albanian parliament has endorsed the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s (IHRA) working definition of antiSemitism making Albania one of the first majority-Muslim countries to adopt the definition.The IHRA definition, an inter-governmental organization including 34 member countries, is an internationally agreed classification of antisemitism used to help define and combat antisemitism in the countries that have adopted it.

Today’s decision comes ahead of the upcoming Balkans Forum Against Anti-Semitism being conducted in partnership between the Parliament of the Republic of Albania, the Combat Anti-Semitism Movement and the Jewish Agency for Israel,The conference, starting next Wednesday, seeks to create a united front for Balkans countries to work together against anti-Semitism.

Participants will include Albania’s Prime Minister Edi Rama, the Speakers of Parliament from Albania, Kosovo and North Macedonia, plus officials from United Nations, United States, United Kingdom and Israel.“It is good news that we, the Albanians and the peoples of the Western Balkans, a region that has suffered more than any other part of the world, the consequences of ethno-centrist and religious-centrist views and attitudes, join this emancipatory action of contemporary civilization: the fight against anti-Semitism,” said Gramoz Ruci, Speaker of Albania’s Parliament.“All nations that throughout history have protected Jews from extermination and support them today against stigma have a right to be proud. But we Albanians have more reasons to be proud because Albania is the only country in Europe where all Jews were taken under protection and rescued during World War II. Our homeland, Albania, in difficult times has served as a substitute soil for Jews.”Combat Anti-Semitism Movement Director Sacha Roytman-Dratwa congratulated the Albanian parliament for having adopted the IHRA definition of antisemitism, and expressed that other countries, including Muslim majority states would act similarly.“At a time when anti-Semitism is increasing across the world, the IHRA definition has never been more important. Not only does it spell out exactly what Jew-hatred looks like, but adopting IHRA’s definition makes clear that anti-Semitism has no place in free, democratic and tolerant societies such as Albania.”
(Source: The Jerusalem Post)