"The meeting was held to put an end to all the discussions and claims of certain individuals or groups about the legitimacy of our institution's decision-making powers," Ylli Gurra, chairman of the ...Muslim Community General Council, declared. Thus, Selim Muca was confirmed as head of this institution with 79 votes. "The participation and the decisions were testimony to the functioning internal democracy in our institution. Chairman Selim Muca was confirmed in his post," Gurra stressed.
He was born in Malesia e Madhe region on 22 June 1976, completed his eight-year education in his birthplace; graduated from Bejkoz Madrasa in Istanbul, Turkey, in 1966, followed studies in the ...Foreign Language Institute of Bosphorus University graduating with a degree in English language, followed studies in the Social Science Faculty, psychology branch, was appointed director of the Career Planning Centre in Epoka University in 2008, was appointed by the Muslim Community in September 2008 as head of the Commission for Compilation of File on Opening of Hena e Plote-Beder University, gave lectures as teacher in the Faculty of Human Sciences of the Department of Islamic Sciences and Department of Justice in three languages, including Albanian, English, and Turkish, gave lectures on social psychology and Islamic psychology in the university from September 2011 to December 2013, was appointed by the KMSh presidium as KMSh deputy chairman in December 2013. He knows several foreign languages, including English, Turkish, and Italian. Brucaj is married and has two children (sons).
Selim Muca has been re-elected head of the Albanian Muslim Community KMSh. At the meeting for the re-election of the KMSh head, which took place at the Kavaje madrasa, there was fierce debate between ...representatives of the two groupings, Muca's supporters and opponents. For the KMSh head, there were three candidates: incumbent Selim Muca, KMSh Inspector for Mufti's Offices Sabri Hushi, and Fier Mufti Karafil Mane. Mane withdrew from the competition before it started. Out of 83 members attending the meeting, 69 voted for Muca, nine for Hushi, and five ballots were declared invalid. He also said that the election of the new KMSh head was prearranged. "Selim Muca has paid each KMSh member 50 euros to have himself elected. Those who have not accepted that money are not expected to oppose him either, because they are afraid of him. He is in control of everything, so whatever the vote of the representatives of Albania's Muslims will be, communist Selim Muca will be the winner," Imam Shkodra told the protesters. "The two candidates who were supposed to be Muca's rivals were chosen by him. Both of them are KMSh inspectors. We hold nothing against Muca's election. We only object to the way the KMSh head was elected," Hoxholli concluded.
The KMSh head told a Shekulli correspondent that the KMSh would officially ask the Education Ministry to include in the Law on University Education a clause that would provide for allowing veiled ...young women to attend classes. "Certainly, it is not a question of young women wearing the full veil, which the Koran does not prescribe. We will soon ask the Education Ministry not to allow these young women being discriminated against, as happened in Durres," says KMSh head Selim Muca.
Albanian Muslim Community KMSh Deputy Chairman and Tirana mufti Bledar Myftari has resigned in protest over KMSh Chairman Selim Muca's conduct. Muca is said to have been involved in the election ...campaign of the Socialist Party, the newspaper Shekulli explains. In his resignation, Myftari calls the 30-year contract on the application of Turkish madrasa programmes to Albanian madrasas as leading to "the de facto closure of the Tirana madrasa". The following is the text of report by Klodian Rado entitled "Myftari: Why I resigned from Albanian Muslim Community", published by Albanian newspaper Shekulli on 20 September; subheadings as published: Myftari says that for the reasons he has put forward in his resignation, he is ready to confront other KMSh leaders and, in particular, KMSh Chairman Selim Muca, in the presence of not only the other KMSh leading bodies but also the media. The Muslim faithful claim that through these transactions, the KMSh has incurred losses amounting to millions of euros. The Muslim faithful blame former and current KMSh leaders for this state of affairs. According to Myftari, the KMSh has turned a blind eye to the physical decay of the infrastructure of its religious institutions in Albania, disregarding both the current and future needs of these institutions.
Selim Muca said that "on behalf of the institution I represent and as head of the Albanian Muslim Community, I publicly declare that neither I nor my staff have ever been directly threatened and that ...there is no reason for us to feel threatened". Muca made this statement following an official statement by the Tirana police yesterday. According to the latter, both Muca and Ilir Kulla had received death threats, so the Counterterrorism Section had to carry out an investigation and question six members of the Albanian Islamic Community. Sources in the Tirana Police say that the threats were not made directly, but in ways the police say they are still investigating. Passage omitted
A theological Muslim university for higher studies will soon open in Albania. It is not known exactly when, but Albanian Prime Minister Fatos Nano yesterday gave his political approval for it. "A ...Muslim university will be soon added to the Albanian higher education system," he said during the inauguration ceremony of the St Mary of Good Counsel Catholic University. "Our university will not be only a theological one, in which the students will acquire deep knowledge only about the Muslim religion," Selim Muca said. He mentioned the branches of medicine, dentistry, philosophy, geography and teaching. It would be a complete university, to which might be added new branches in the future. The Muslim community is working on having a clear idea about this project.
The most striking of all his declarations was this accusation: "Dark forces, after having removed the former chairman under mysterious circumstances a few years ago and after having killed Secretary ...General Salih Tivari in his office, are now trying to remove with violence and threats the legitimate chairman of the Albanian Muslim Community." Haxhi Selim Muca assured that "for the people who have organized this chaos in the institution, the KMSh Presidium will take all the measures on the basis of the status and of internal KMSh regulations." The KMSh head said that the Presidium held its meeting yesterday and that it discussed all the items included in the agenda. "Even though Secretary General Betim Truci and former Tirana Mufti Ilir Vokshi had been informed to take part in this meeting and even though they were physically present at the KMSh seat, they boycotted the meeting, committing a grave violation of the KMSh statute and regulations," Muca said. The KMSh chairman said that, "more specifically, this group is led by Secretary General Betim Truci, Durres Mufti Ilir Vokshi, Bujar Topciu, Kukes Mufti Ali Hallaci, and some other destructive people." Muca warned that "regarding the people who have organized this chaos in the institution, the KMSh Presidium will take all the measures on the basis of the status and the internal KMSh regulations."
A sudden change in the cupola of the Albanian Muslim Community. At an unscheduled meeting of its presidency yesterday, Community Chairman Selim Muca proposed the abolition of the post of deputy ...chairman for religious affairs, a position that had been held by Ermir Gjinishi. The proposal cuts off his financial relations with this institution as of 1 June, and has Gjinishi starting work as teacher at the Tirana madrassa Islamic school immediately. Mr Muca confirmed the news for Korrieri yesterday, explaining that the change was made for financial reasons. However, the report has surprised the other structures of the Albanian Muslim Community and a number of muftis, who said that they "are quite surprised by this sudden change". According to the head of the Muslim hierarchy, Mr Selim Muca, "We have never had problems with Ermir Gjinishi. He has worked very well, but the Presidency decided to abolish the post of chairman of the Albanian Muslim Community for a number of reasons, including scarcity of funds. Likewise, it decided that he would work as teacher in Tirana's madrassa." When asked whether his evaluation of Gjinishi's work and Gjinishi's downgrading to such a low post were nonsense, Mr Muca refused to reply, excusing himself by saying that he had a family commitment. According to the working rules, the General Council of the KMSh determines the structure of the Albanian Muslim hierarchy. This change was made in 2002.
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