Madrasa teacher arrested in Albania on ISIS propaganda

Tirana (Tirana Echo) —Albanian Police authorities have confirmed the arrest of a Madrasa female teacher in northern town of Shkodra who was caught on tape making alleged pro ISIS propaganda to her young students in school.

40 year old teacher Emine Alushi,was detained by police on charges of spreading religious hatred which could see her risk a prison sentence of up to ten years according to Albanian legislation.

Mrs. Alushi was caught on camera from investigative KLAN TV programme ‘STOP’ teaching her students at the Shkodra Madrasa Muslim School that ISIS was not a terrorist organization but a group of “good people defending Muslims in Syria, Palestine and Egypt”.

Albanian media have reported that the recording was made a while ago while the identity of the person recording was not disclosed.

The Director of the Shkodra Madrasa and representatives of the Komuniteti Mysliman Shqiptar – Albania’s Muslim Community Organization reacted without delays TV condemning the comments of Alushi and distanced its community from the teacher’s comments.

Although Albania counts a majority of nominal and moderate Muslim population (58.79% according to the latest 2012 census) the Balkan country is often praised as a model of religious harmony and cohabitation with its three muslim, orthodox and catholic communities leaving in harmony for centuries.

The pro NATO / pro American Albanian society at large is highly unforgiving towards latest terrorist acts from ISIS elements in Europe while ALbania’s authorities have been very attentive to any radicalized elements who may have been recruited by ISIS in Syria and Iraq in recent years.

However, concerns remain over the possible return of some tens of ‘foreign fighters’ from Kosovo, Macedonia and Albania who may have trained in ISIS camps.

In May 2016, the Serious Crimes Court of Albania delivered a 126 years prison sentence for 9 radical imams who had been arrested on terrorist charges in the country.