Exhibit that Proves the Exception to the Rule I attended the
excellent presentation at the Holocaust Museum on Jan. 29 and
was impressed by the photos and film portraying the courageous
acts of heroism among Muslims in occupied Albania during World
War II. No other Muslim community displayed such a commitment to
humanitarian aid to their Jewish neighbors. When the question is
asked why was not similar behavior encountered anywhere else in
the Muslim world in that period, it is imperative to understand
what made the Albanian brand of Islam so different, and the Besa
tradition of hospitality and honor so wholly atypical. Indeed it
was startling to see Albanian Muslims proudly displaying their
Certificates of Honor from Israel, listening to Albanian
politicians boasting of their close ties with friends and
colleagues in the Albanian-Israeli Friendship Association and
listening to veterans among the former partisans who fought
against the German and Italian occupying forces recount their
exploits and members of t