▁Despite ▁this , ▁Be kt ashi ▁te kk es ▁in ▁the ▁South ▁and ▁Catholic ▁churches ▁in ▁the ▁North ▁were ▁both ▁used ▁by ▁the ▁national ist ▁movement ▁as ▁places ▁of ▁dis sem ination ▁of ▁national ist ▁ide als . ▁ ▁Modern ▁ ▁Independ ence ▁▁ ▁During ▁the ▁ 2 0 th ▁century ▁after ▁Independ ence ▁( 1 9 1 2 ) ▁the ▁dem ocr atic , ▁monarch ic ▁and ▁later ▁the ▁total itar ian ▁reg imes ▁followed ▁a ▁system atic ▁der el ig ion ization ▁of ▁the ▁nation ▁and ▁the ▁national ▁culture . ▁Alban ia ▁never ▁had ▁an ▁official ▁state ▁religion ▁either ▁as ▁a ▁republic ▁or ▁as ▁a ▁kingdom ▁after ▁its ▁rest oration ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 2 . ▁Relig ious ▁toler ance ▁in ▁Alban ia ▁was ▁born ▁of ▁national ▁exped iency ▁and ▁a ▁general ▁lack ▁of ▁religious ▁conv ict ions . ▁ ▁Mon archy ▁▁ ▁Origin ally ▁under ▁the ▁mon archy , ▁institutions ▁of ▁all ▁conf essions ▁were ▁put ▁under ▁state ▁control . ▁In ▁ 1 9 2 3 , ▁following ▁the ▁government ▁program , ▁the ▁Alban ian ▁Muslim ▁con gress ▁conven ed ▁at ▁Tir ana ▁decided ▁to ▁break ▁with ▁the ▁C ali ph ate , ▁established ▁a ▁new ▁form ▁of ▁prayer ▁( standing , ▁instead ▁of ▁the ▁traditional ▁sal ah ▁rit ual ), ▁ban ished ▁pol yg amy ▁and ▁did ▁away ▁with ▁the ▁mand atory ▁use ▁of ▁ve il ▁( h ij ab ) ▁by ▁women ▁in ▁public , ▁which ▁had ▁been ▁forced ▁on ▁the ▁urban ▁population ▁by ▁the ▁Ott om