Grand Mufti Dr. Mustafa Hadzhi met Prime Minster Boyko Borisov in connection with the adopted amendments to the Law on the Religious Denominations

Today, October 12, 2018 the Grand Mufti of the Muslims in the Republic of Bulgaria Dr. Mustafa Hadzhi held an extraordinary personal meeting with the Prime Minister Boyko Borisov. The meeting took place at the premises of the Council of Ministers and was requested on behalf of the Muslim Denomination. Occasion for it were the adopted yesterday at first reading amendments to the Law on the Religious Denominations.

According to the common bill, submitted by GERB, BSP and DPS, a new model of funding of the religious denominations in Bulgaria is adopted. These of them followers of which exceed 1% of the total population of the country will be subsidized by the state. In the Bulgarian case – this includes only Eastern Orthodox and Islam. For them is foreseen a state subsidy of no more than 15 million BGN per year. The other religious denominations in Bulgaria will be funded by the budget and by the Directorate on Religious Denominations at the Council of Ministers as it has been so far.

The second bill, submitted by the “United Patriots” foresees “termination of the foreign influence on some Bulgarian religious denominations, which is a threat to the national security”, as well as “prevention of radicalism as a global phenomenon with its manifestations in our country”. It is also proposed the clerics to be only Bulgarians and the sermons to be led obligatory only in Bulgarian language.

During his meeting with the Prime Minister Boyko Borisov this morning the Grand mufti Dr. Mustafa Hadzhi expressed his objections about the texts of the two bills, which were united by a decision of the MPs.

“It is important for us with the adoption of the amendments to the Law on the Religious Denominations, the High Islamic Institute to be accredited, in order to be able to prepare the necessary staff to serve in the mosques in Bulgaria and along with this – not to be under foreign influence. We also insist in case of need to ask for help from a foreign country – the High Islamic Institute for example does not have staff with academic rank to teach there. So at this stage for us it is necessary to invite visiting professors. We will do our best if they can be provided through the European Union, to make it from there. But if we do not manage – we do insist to be able to do this from another country” –the Grand Mufti said after his meeting with the Prime Minister Borisov.

With regard to the funding of the religious denominations the religious leader of the Muslims in Bulgaria said that for the Muslim Denomination is important to have a minimal limit for salaries of the clerics. Because if there is no fixed one it could happen that the Denomination will not be able to finance them.

The Grand Mufti shared with the media his personal opinion that the religious communities in our country which are under than 1 % of the total population also have to be subsidized by the state. “Because they are Bulgarian citizens, not less Bulgarians than us, they are also part of this society and they have to find their place in it.”  - argued his position Dr. Mustafa Hadzhi.

Despite the objections to the texts of the bills not only from the Muslim Denomination, but also from other religious denominations in the country, there is not a decision to withdraw the bills so far but to be amended between the first and the second reading. It is expected to be established a working group with the participation of representatives of the different political parties and religious denominations, which to specify the texts after which they to be finally voted.

The Grand Mufti expressed his hope that till the second reading the texts of the bills on the religious denominations to be specified indeed and the problems – resolved, and he also hopes that the objections of the Muslim Denomination expressed within the meeting with the Prime Minster Borisov, to be taken into consideration.

Author L. Chausheva