Discussion “Violence and tolerance” – What happened seven years after the assault against “Banya Bashi” mosque?

A discussion on the seventh anniversary of the assault against the mosque in Sofia “Banya Bashi” took place on May 20 in the Center for Media and Culture of Grand Mufti’s Office.

Speakers within the discussion were Dr. Sefer Hasanov from HII and Prof. Evgenia Ivanova from NBU, and a moderator was Dr. Ahmed Lyutov – expert at “Internal Audit” Department of Grand Mufti’s Office.

Dr. Hasanov is also one of the witnesses of that bloody assault in May 2011.

Sefer Hasanov remembers, and he could hardly ever forget it, that during that day on Friday he had a lesson in the mosque, as every week. But suddenly something unexpected happened. The mosque was attacked by people, who did not want to hear the adhan (call for prayer) and to see Muslims praying around the mosque. “When I saw what happened, the only thing I said was that the true Muslim is the one who keeps what is around him, the one who cares about the others and under no circumstances we should succumb to provocations. And that we care about this land and about this country. And we must not let something bad to happen to anyone.”

There were clashes, people were injured, and the police interfered.

However, years after the event it is still said that “The assailants are not found”. And this, according to Dr. Hasanov, shows our inability as a society to stop violence.

„I am a witness that the Muslims did their best to prevent this provocation. Maybe this is what today we have to note, that today in fact we mark an anniversary of the failure of the attack against “Banya Bashi” mosque”, said Dr. Hasanov.

Regarding the question if there are changes in the attitudes of the Muslims after that event, Prof. Evgenia Ivanova from NBU, who has researches on issues, related to the Muslims in Bulgaria, said: “Of course, the attack against the mosque played a role in changing the attitudes among the population. The traumatic events enter the memory of the community and the memory of the entire society.”

According to Prof. Ivanova during the recent years, especially after the attack against the mosque in Sofia, among the minority groups can be seen a certain encapsulation, mistrust. The planned amendments in the Criminal Code, the planned amendments in the Law on the Religious Denominations” are things that also tense the atmosphere among the minority groups.

According to the SMC Chairman Vedat Ahmed, marking this event is important for the lessons to be learnt. A lesson that this must never be allowed to be repeated.

It is a fact that the crime went unpunished. Seven years have passed since that event. “If we check the archives from that time we will see that all institutions then spoke against the assault and the assailants. But unfortunately after seven years there is still no result on that case”, further said Vedat Ahmed.

But good always lives among people. Muslims have not forgotten also that after the assault a big part of the Bulgarian society showed empathy and solidarity with the Muslims, offering flowers in front of “Banya Bashi” mosque.

And when there is empathy and understanding to the other, hope for unity and cohesion will always exist.

Author: Yuzlem Tefikova