14^th national meeting of the Graduates of higher Islamic education took place in Momchilgrad

The national meeting of the Muslims from Bulgaria, who graduated with higher Islamic education in the country and abroad, took place for the 14^th time. It was a 3-day meeting – it took place on July 27, 28 and 29 at the training base of the Religious School – Momchilgrad and was attended by nearly 80 people.

The meeting which is annually held and has already become a tradition was officially opened with reading of Qur’an and welcoming address on behalf of the Grand Mufti of the Republic of Bulgaria Dr. Mustafa Hadzhi.

“For a first time the event this year was held in a little different form than the previous years. Focus were the so called workshops – “Education”, “Irshad” and “Publishing”. Each of the participants had the opportunity to join one of them according to his interests. Each of the workshops presented the activities, the projects, the innovative working methods of the relevant department in the structure of Grand Mufti’s Office. And the participants had respectively the opportunity to share their ideas, proposals, to express constructive criticism…” – said for Grandmufti.bg the expert from “Irshad” Department of Grand Mufti’s Office Resim Shamatarev.

The program of the 3-day meeting included also a lecture of Prof. Evgenia Ivanova on the topic “Laws and legislative initiatives in the field of religion”, as well as an workshop within which the Departments of “Irshad” and “Education” presented the summer Qur’an courses which are taking place in the country. All the participants had the opportunity to join a number of discussions dedicated to different fields of the work and the activities of Grand Mufti’s Office.

During the last day of the event there was a discussion during which the results of the three workshops which took place the previous day were officially presented. The participants had the opportunity to get acquainted with all proposed ideas, proposals for each of the three fields – education, publishing and Irshad.

According to unofficial information the Muslims from Bulgaria who graduated with higher Islamic education are more than 400. And according to the expert Resim Shamatarev “The aim of this and similar events is the people in Bulgaria who graduated with higher Islamic education, to be involved in the work of Grand Mufti’s Office. Not to feel isolated but to work together with it, where everyone to have the possibility to see in which field he is strongest and where he can give the best of himself in order to support the work of the institution.”

Within the working meeting was also held the meeting of the Bulgarian Association of the Graduates with Higher Islamic Education – the organization which develops its activities already 5 consecutive years.

With a closure speech and a dua (supplication) for baraqah (prosperity) and fruitful work this year’s 14^th meeting of the graduates of higher Islamic education was closed on Sunday, July 29 by the Grand Mufti of Bulgaria Dr. Mustafa Hadzhi.

Author L. Chausheva