. ▁ ▁Commun ism ▁▁ ▁Before ▁the ▁Commun ists ▁took ▁power ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 4 , ▁it ▁was ▁estimated ▁that ▁of ▁Alban ia ' s ▁population ▁of ▁roughly ▁ 1 , 1 8 0 , 5 0 0 ▁persons , ▁about ▁ 7 0 % ▁belonged ▁to ▁Islam ic ▁sect s ▁while ▁ 3 0 % ▁belonged ▁to ▁Christian ▁sect s . ▁Among ▁the ▁Muslim s , ▁at ▁least ▁ 2 0 0 , 0 0 0 ▁( or ▁ 1 7 %) ▁were ▁Be kt ash is , ▁while ▁most ▁of ▁the ▁rest ▁were ▁S unn is , ▁in ▁addition ▁to ▁a ▁collection ▁of ▁much ▁smaller ▁orders . ▁Among ▁the ▁Christians , ▁ 2 1 2 , 5 0 0 ▁( 1 8 %) ▁were ▁Orth odox ▁while ▁ 1 4 2 , 0 0 0 ▁( 1 2 %) ▁were ▁Catholic . ▁ ▁The ▁Agr arian ▁Reform ▁Law ▁of ▁August ▁ 1 9 4 6 ▁national ized ▁most ▁property ▁of ▁religious ▁institutions , ▁including ▁the ▁est ates ▁of ▁monaster ies , ▁orders , ▁and ▁dioc eses . ▁Many ▁cler gy ▁and ▁bel ie vers ▁were ▁tried , ▁tort ured , ▁and ▁executed . ▁All ▁foreign ▁Roman ▁Catholic ▁pri ests , ▁mon ks , ▁and ▁n uns ▁were ▁exp elled ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 6 . ▁ ▁Relig ious ▁communities ▁or ▁branches ▁that ▁had ▁their ▁headquarters ▁outside ▁the ▁country , ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁Jes uit ▁and ▁Francis can ▁orders , ▁were ▁hence for th ▁ordered ▁to ▁terminate ▁their ▁activities