"The main goal of the symposium is to shed light on how Islam spread in these territories based on undisputed historic facts," professor Morina told IOL.

PRISHTINA — The Islamic Community of Kosova (ICK) and the Faculty of Islamic Studies in Prishtina (FIS) will co-organize on September 16-17 an international symposium celebrating 600 years of Islam among Albanians.

"The main goal of the symposium is to shed light on how Islam spread in these territories based on undisputed historic facts," professor Qemajl Morina, one of the organizers, told IslamOnline.net.

Debates about this issue and the role of Islam among Albanians have never been addressed independently but were always colored with negative and ideological considerations.

Organizers hope the symposium will show the trube image of islam and its role among Albanians, which have hitherto been misconcepted.

Morina said it will also address the challanges facing Muslims in this part of the world.

Some of the main themes are Albanians' pre- Ottoman contacts with Islam, religious tolerance, the role of Albanian scholars in Islamic civilisation during the time of the Ottoman Empire as well as Albanians and Islamic identity.

Albanians are an ethnic group generally associated with Albania, Kosovo, Macedonia and Montenegro.

About half of today's Albanians live in the Republic of Albania, with the second largest group living in Kosovo, which has been a UN protectorate since a 1999 NATO bombing campaign forced President Slobodan Milosevic to withdraw his troops.

Albanians, who make up about 90 percent of Kosovo's population of around two million people, seek full independence.

Islamic Message

"This symposium is being held at the very delicate moment whereby the relationship between East and West is getting tense," said professor Morina.

He added that Albanian Muslims have the duty to "carry the Islamic message decently to our nation and also to other neighboring countries."

"This should be the key message of this symposium which we believe will be carried out successfully."

Professor Morina said that though focussing on Islam among Albanians, the symposium has an international character.

"We have around 70 confirmed participants from all Albanian territories and a considerable number from Turkey, Jordan, Lebanon, Egypt, Syria and the US."

He named Redwan Assayyid, an advisor to Lebanese Premier Fouad Siniora, ouad fro– adviser of prime minister Saniora, Muhammad Al-Musfir, a Professor of Political Science from Qatar, Jordan Muhammad Al-Muwaffak from Jordan, Mahmood Al-Arnaoot from Syria and Dr. Nadia Mustafa from Egypt.

Professor Morina said the presented papers will be in four languages: Albanian, Arabic, English and Turkish.

He expected the symposium to draw the attention of curious and interested participants, intellectuals and journalists.

"We strongly believe with their statements the invitees will encourage Islamic studies to us, Balkan countries and wider."

This is the second international symposium on Islam organized by the Islamic Community in tandem with the Faculty of Islamic Studies.

In 1992, the two co-organized a seminar on religion, culture and Islamic tradition among Albanians.

It was attended by 70 participants from Kosova, Albania, Montenegro and diaspora and its proceedings have been published in 1995 in a 600-page book.