Declaration

of the Supreme Muslim Council of the Muslim Denomination in the Republic of Bulgaria, unanimously adopted on 11^th of January, 2016 during a regular session in the city of Sofia

We, members of the Supreme Muslim Council (SMC), directly elected by the representatives (delegates) of the Muslim community in the republic of Bulgaria during the National Muslim Conference held on 12^th of February, 2011, being a central collective managing body of the Muslim Denomination (MD) in the Republic of Bulgaria, state:

On 12^th of February ends the mandate of the elected central managing bodies of the Muslim Denomination, in the face of the Supreme Muslim Council, the Grand Mufti and the SMC Chairman, which within 5 years performed their obligations prescribed by the Statute of the Muslim Denomination according to the will of the Muslim community and the existing legislation in the Republic of Bulgaria.

The Muslim Denomination highly appreciates and sticks up to the conformity with the law of its decisions and actions and strictly observes for their transparency and high public evaluation. That is why at its regular session held on 13^th of December, 2015 it made the decision to convene of a Regular National Muslim Conference (RNMC) on 24^th of January, 2016. This decision of SMC is a natural expression of the will of the leaders of the Muslim Boards of Trustees throughout the country. They clearly and categorically stated their wish in front of the SMC with a petition for convening of National Muslim Conference in the relevant time.

Implementing the will of the Muslim community and the SMC were formed commissions for the organization of RNMC. For this purpose the SMC decisions were timely announced in two national daily newspapers, on the website on MD, the regional mufti’s offices and the Muslim Boards of Trustees, and the general public was informed through the media. In connection with this invitations were sent to senior statesmen, diplomats, public figures, representatives of the non-governmental sector and international observers.

Implementing the will of the Muslim community and the SMC decisions at the end of December, 2015 and in the beginning of January, 2016 were convened general meetings (GM) for the Muslims in the different settlements. GM were preliminary duly announced in the designated for this places – mosques, town halls and other public places. In accordance with the defined dates and agenda over 1200 GM are held so far where were elected delegates to participate in RNMC on 24^th of January, 2016 which will be held in Hall 1 of the National Palace of Culture in Sofia from 10:30 o’clock.

The delegates have full rights to represent the Muslims during the supreme forum and to exercise their right of religion through free choice – for changes in the Statute, choosing central managing bodies, as well as to expose the problems of the Muslim community and to make proposals for their solution. 

SMC members express their categorical will for fruitful carrying out of RNMC which will make the best decisions for the development of the religious life of the Muslims on Bulgaria. In connection with this we invite all delegates and representatives of the Muslim community actively to participate in the decision making as well as to declare their nominations for the central managing bodies. We do hope that the mass media will objectively inform the Bulgarian society for the order and the course of the supreme forum of the Muslims in Bulgaria.

In a period of an intense preparation for RNMC in terms of the active political processes and unlawful use of the name of the Muslim Denomination and its managing bodies in them we are obliged to refute the intimations that the Muslim Denomination has attitude to what is happening in politics.

Being a legitimate and official representative of the Islamic religion and of the Muslims on Bulgaria MD is a depoliticized religious organization which has its own agenda and area of performance. Main objectives of the Denomination are: quality organization of the religious-educational process of the Muslims in the country, ensuring the freedom of conscience and belief, respecting the rights and the freedoms of the citizens to the extent in which they apply them.

Religion is a supreme form of communion with the Almighty and in this sense it does not differentiate its followers based on whatever sign. Religious beliefs are a sacred part of the essence and the life of the man which does not allow they to be replaced by transitional philosophies and doctrines. A natural feature of religion is to unite, to ennoble and brings people together.

The Muslim Denomination is a state constructive institution which visibly puts the priorities and the problems of the Muslims in the country, such as: the need of accredited university for quality education of religious personnel in the country; legitimate demands of the Muslim community for reinstate of the bequeathed from their ancestors cultural and religious temples, confiscated during the communist regime; timely prevention of possible malicious and radical influences; effective and transparent management of the religious affairs and their presentation to the society in an understandable language.

We believe that the problems of the Muslim community can be solved thanks to the far-sight policy, based on the European values and democratic ways. Only then we could be able to say that we feel as real European citizens of Bulgaria.

The free articulation and suggestions in the public space with regard to the Muslim Denomination create unreal image of the institution which we clearly and categorically refute with the abovementioned. We do not accept the accusations the MD is a function of one or another political force and we categorically oppose the attempts to suggest us the functions of political engineering.