ians , ▁had ▁converted ▁to ▁Islam . ▁Therefore , ▁the ▁nation ▁emer ged ▁as ▁a ▁Muslim - major ity ▁country ▁after ▁Alban ia ' s ▁independence ▁in ▁November ▁ 1 9 1 2 . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁North , ▁the ▁spread ▁of ▁Islam ▁was ▁slower ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁resistance ▁of ▁the ▁Roman ▁Catholic ▁Church ▁and ▁the ▁region ' s ▁mountain ous ▁terrain . ▁In ▁the ▁center ▁and ▁south , ▁however , ▁Catholic ism ▁was ▁not ▁as ▁strong ▁and ▁by ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 7 th ▁century ▁the ▁region ▁had ▁largely ▁adopted ▁the ▁religion ▁of ▁the ▁growing ▁Alban ian ▁Muslim ▁el ite . ▁The ▁existence ▁of ▁an ▁Alban ian ▁Muslim ▁class ▁of ▁p ash as ▁and ▁be ys ▁who ▁played ▁an ▁increasing ly ▁important ▁role ▁in ▁Ott oman ▁political ▁and ▁economic ▁life ▁became ▁an ▁attract ive ▁career ▁option ▁for ▁most ▁Alban ians . ▁W ides p read ▁ill iter acy ▁and ▁the ▁absence ▁of ▁educated ▁cler gy ▁also ▁played ▁roles ▁in ▁the ▁spread ▁of ▁Islam , ▁especially ▁in ▁northern ▁Alban ian - in hab ited ▁regions . ▁During ▁the ▁ 1 7 th ▁and ▁ 1 8 th ▁centuries ▁Alban ians ▁converted ▁to ▁Islam ▁in ▁large ▁numbers , ▁often ▁under ▁soci opol it ical ▁dur ess ▁experienced ▁as ▁re per cuss ions ▁for ▁reb elling ▁and ▁for ▁supporting ▁the ▁Catholic ▁powers ▁of ▁Ven ice ▁and ▁Austria ▁and ▁Orth odox ▁Russia ▁in ▁their ▁wars ▁against ▁the ▁Ott om ans . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁ 2 0 th ▁century , ▁the ▁power ▁of ▁Muslim