, ▁Catholic ▁and ▁Orth odox ▁cler gy ▁was ▁weak ened ▁during ▁the ▁years ▁of ▁mon archy ▁and ▁it ▁was ▁er adic ated ▁during ▁the ▁ 1 9 4 0 s ▁and ▁ 1 9 5 0 s , ▁under ▁the ▁state ▁policy ▁of ▁ob liter ating ▁all ▁organized ▁religion ▁from ▁Alban ian ▁territ ories . ▁ ▁During ▁the ▁Ott oman ▁invasion ▁the ▁Muslim s ▁of ▁Alban ia ▁were ▁divided ▁into ▁two ▁main ▁communities : ▁those ▁associated ▁with ▁Sun ni ▁Islam ▁and ▁those ▁associated ▁with ▁Be kt ashi ▁Sh i ism , ▁a ▁myst ical ▁Der v ish ▁order ▁that ▁came ▁to ▁Alban ia ▁through ▁the ▁Alban ian ▁Jan iss aries ▁that ▁served ▁in ▁the ▁Ott oman ▁army ▁and ▁whose ▁members ▁pract iced ▁Alban ian ▁pag an ▁r ites ▁under ▁a ▁nom inal ▁Islam ic ▁cover . ▁After ▁the ▁Be kt ash is ▁were ▁b anned ▁in ▁Turkey ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 5 ▁by ▁At at ür k , ▁the ▁order ▁moved ▁its ▁headquarters ▁to ▁Tir ana ▁and ▁the ▁Alban ian ▁government ▁subsequently ▁recognized ▁it ▁as ▁a ▁body ▁independent ▁from ▁S unn ism . ▁Sun ni ▁Muslim s ▁were ▁estimated ▁to ▁represent ▁approximately ▁ 5 0 % ▁of ▁the ▁country ' s ▁population ▁before ▁ 1 9 3 9 , ▁while ▁Be kt ashi ▁represented ▁another ▁ 2 0 %. ▁There ▁is ▁also ▁a ▁relatively ▁small ▁minor ity ▁which ▁belongs ▁to ▁the ▁A hm adi y ya ▁Muslim ▁Community . ▁Muslim ▁populations ▁have ▁been ▁particularly ▁strong ▁in ▁eastern ▁and ▁northern ▁Alban ia ▁and