Grand Mufti participated in international conference in the Council of Europe

The Grand Mufti Dr. Mustafa Hadzhi was on a three-day visit to Brussels in the beginning of this week in connection with his participation in an international conference, organized by the NGO European Muslim Initiative for Social Cohesion (EMISCO) in cooperation with the Council of Europe (CoE) and the participation of representatives of a number of organizations from Europe and Azerbaijan. The title of the conference was “A new inclusive and optimistic Europe: celebrating and learning from good inter-cultural practice”

During his speech at the conference in the Council of Europe the Grand Mufti gave an example with the interfaith dialogue and peaceful co-existence of different religious denominations in Bulgaria which cooperate and help each other when needed. At the same time he expressed regret of the fact that the Denomination still faces difficulties in a number of areas which make the Muslim community to be discriminated and marginalized. As an example he showed the difficulties for the reinstatement of the property of the waqf estates despite the existence of a special law as well as the problem with the legitimacy of the decisions of the Muslim conferences in which the Muslim community in the country expresses its democratic will to chose their religious leaders, which easily could be void with the disagreement of malevolents and provocateurs.

His Eminence Torbjørn Frøysnes, Head of the Liaison Office in the Council of Europe Brussels Office, reminded in his speech about the fundamental principles laid in the basic document of the Council of Europe, and namely the democratic values and the co-existence of the different religious and ethnic groups. He quoted Art.1 of the CoE Statute, which states: “The aim of the Council of Europe is to achieve a greater unity between its members for the purpose of safeguarding and realizing the ideals and principles which are their common heritage and facilitating their economic and social progress.” Frøysnes said that since its establishment the Council of Europe has created more than 200 documents, a number of standards, charters and conventions which facilitate the work of the countries, but some countries do not have the good will to implement them. Ambassador Frøysnes also stressed on the importance of education, language and the preservation of the rules and the laws that help people to adapt better in the different countries where they live and this makes them citizens of the world.

Education was also the main topic of the report of Dr. Jean-Marie Heydt Chairman of the Executive Committee of the North-South Centre at the Council of Europe. According to him education is the only tool through which people can open any door they want in their life.

“If you feel as a foreigner in the country where you live, this means that justice is not respected in that country” said in his speech Milikh Yevdayev, General Rabbi of the Jewish community in Baku, Azerbaijan. He added that tolerance and respect start from the family, from the education of the children and that people above all are brothers.

In connection with this Elnur Efendiev, the press attaché of the Orthodox church of Azerbaijan added: “Tolerance and respect towards the others is a matter of mentality. Multinationality is wealth. Azerbaijan is an example for this”.

During the opening of the conference the Secretary General of EMISCO Bashy Quraishy called upon the attendees for a minute of silence for those innocent citizens who died in different countries in the world, including Paris.

Among the participants in the forum were also the representatives of the European Network Against Racism (ENAR), Jewish and Muslim organizations.

During his official visit the Grand Mufti met with the Vice-President of the European Commission Kristalina GEorgieva, Bulgarian MoEPs, and our Ambassador in the Kingdom, HE Veselin Valkanov and Bulgarian immigrants professing Islam.