▁En ver ▁H ox ha ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 5 , ▁his ▁successor , ▁Ram iz ▁Al ia , ▁adopted ▁a ▁relatively ▁toler ant ▁st ance ▁toward ▁religious ▁practice , ▁referring ▁to ▁it ▁as ▁" a ▁personal ▁and ▁family ▁matter ." ▁É migr é ▁cl erg ymen ▁were ▁permitted ▁to ▁re enter ▁the ▁country ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 8 ▁and ▁offici ate ▁at ▁religious ▁services . ▁Mother ▁Ter esa , ▁an ▁eth nic ▁Alban ian , ▁visited ▁Tir ana ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 9 , ▁where ▁she ▁was ▁received ▁by ▁the ▁foreign ▁minister ▁and ▁by ▁H ox ha ' s ▁wid ow . ▁In ▁December ▁ 1 9 9 0 , ▁the ▁ban ▁on ▁religious ▁observ ance ▁was ▁officially ▁lifted , ▁in ▁time ▁to ▁allow ▁thousands ▁of ▁Christians ▁to ▁attend ▁Christmas ▁services . ▁ ▁The ▁at he istic ▁campaign ▁had ▁significant ▁results ▁especially ▁to ▁the ▁Greek ▁minor ity , ▁since ▁religion ▁which ▁was ▁now ▁criminal ized ▁was ▁tradition ally ▁an ▁integral ▁part ▁of ▁its ▁cultural ▁life ▁and ▁identity . ▁ ▁Relig ions ▁ ▁Islam ▁▁ ▁Islam ▁was ▁first ▁introduced ▁to ▁Alban ia ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 5 th ▁century ▁after ▁the ▁Ott oman ▁con quest ▁of ▁the ▁area . ▁It ▁is ▁the ▁largest ▁religion ▁in ▁the ▁country , ▁representing ▁ 5 8 . 7 9 % ▁of ▁the ▁population ▁according ▁to ▁the ▁ 2 0 1 1 ▁census . ▁One ▁of ▁the ▁major ▁leg a cies ▁of ▁nearly ▁five ▁centuries ▁of ▁Ott oman ▁rule ▁was ▁that ▁the ▁majority ▁of ▁Alban