Regional Muslim Conference was held by Mufti’s Office of Blagoevgrad

Regional Muslim Conference was held on 21^st of March, 2016 from 10:00 o’clock in the House of Culture of the town of Gotse Delchev. The Conference was attended by 53 from 60 delegates in total. The Conference was opened with the anthems of Bulgaria and the European Union. The imam of Ablanitsa Shukri Hane welcomed the participants after which gave the floor to Osman Kutrev – imam of the village of Debren to read verses from the Holy Qur’an.

The Regional Mufti of Blagoevgrad Aydan Mohamed also delivered a welcoming speech and wished that the participants will make fruitful and wise decisions.

The Conference was also attended by Vedat Ahmed – Chairman of the Supreme Muslim Council. He welcomed the delegates and shared about the difficulties which we faced during the past period. He stressed on the importance of the decisions which are about to be made in the framework of the present conference.

Besides the SMC Chairman Vedat Ahmed, the Regional Muslim Conference in Blagoevgrad was also attended by the regional muftis of Sofia, Pazardzhik and SMolyan – respectively Mustafa Izbishtali, Abdullah Salih and Nedzhmi Dabov. Ali Hodzha, deputy regional mufti of Blagoevgrad region, was among the participants as well. Among the official guests were also municipal mayors, chairmen of Muslim boards of trustees and public figures.

After presenting the procedure and the rules for carrying out the conference by the imam of the village of Lazhnitsa, who is also a SMC member, the delegates elected as a speaker of the Conference Mehmed Hadzhi, Chairman of the Muslim Board of Trustees – Breznitsa, and as a minutes keeper – Ahmed Abdurahmanov, imam of the village of Satovcha.

After voting the agenda of the Conference the Regional Mufti Aydan Mohamed delivered a report on the activities of the Regional Mufti’s Office during the past mandate, the period 2011 – 2016, and informed the participants about the achieved results during the last five years, focusing on important topics such as the summer and the year-round Qur’an courses, the Week of Islamic Education, Orphans’ Week, Week of Mosques, the celebrations of Kutlu Dogum, the social and administrative activities and others.

After the delivered report the delegates actively joined the discussions on the problems in the region, among which are the violations towards the mosques in Blagoevgrad, Gotse Delchev,, as well as towards the building of the mufti’s office. There was also discussed the problem with photographing women with headscarves for personal identification documents and the summons of imams by the security services. There was also discussed the pressing need of a mosque in the town of Gotse Delchev.

During the elections of a regional mufti of Blagoevgrad with one vote “against” and three “abstention” the delegates almost unanimously nominated the proposed candidature of the former Regional Mufti Aydan Mohamed who performs this function since year 2000.

In the framework of the Conference the delegates also adopted a Declaration which to be sent to the President of the Republic of Bulgaria, the National Assembly and the Prime Minister.

The Regional Muslim Conference in Gotse Delchev was closed with a dua (supplication) made by the re-elected mufti Aydan Mohamed.