SMC awarded for third consecutive year five persons for outstanding contribution to the life of the Muslim community

For third consecutive year the Supreme Muslim Council (SMC), central collective body of the Muslim Denomination, presented the annual awards “Hodzhazade Mehmed Muhyiddin Efendi”. The awarding ceremony took place on December 8 (Sunday), 2019 from 7:30 o’clock in “Concert” Hall of the Central Military Club in Sofia.

The five awarded during this year’s official ceremony – all of them representatives of different ethnicities, religions and social circles, but having something in common which connects them – their outstanding merits to the life of the Muslim community and the development of the Muslim Denomination in our country.

The honorary first award of the SMC this year was presented to the Chairman of the Bulgarian Helsinki Committee Assoc. Prof. Krasimir Kanev.

“Assoc. Prof. Kradimir Kanev was nominated in connection with his longtime, nearly 30 years work in the field of human rights protection and mainly for defending the religious rights of the Muslims in Bulgaria” – said for Grandmufti.bg the SMC Chairman Vedat Ahmed.

Awarded with a prize on the name of Mehmed Muhyiddin effendi for 2019 was also the 80-year-old Salih Osman from Shumen, who is a prominent public figure and activist in the Turkish-Muslim circles over the years and after the democratic changes in our country he became one of the founders of Religious School “Nyuvvab” in the city of Shumen.

The Muslim Yakub Hyummet from the village of Potochnitsa, Krumovgrad region, received an award for his example as a father and a head of a family in the Muslim community. The family of Hyummet raised three daughters, providing them religious and secular education. As a result of the father and parental efforts today the descendants of Yakub Hyummet are active activists in the field of religion and education.

For contribution in giving voice to the problems of the Muslim community and the media coverage of the Islamic cultural heritage in our country and abroad was also awarded the longtime journalist Sevda Dyukyandzhi, who deserves to be called “the media voice of the Turkish-Muslim community on our country”. Already 25 years Dyukyandzhi is among the famous journalists in the Turkish section of the Bulgarian National Radio. 

Among the awarded this year was also the devoted young and ambitious Muslim cleric from the village of Dolen, Zlatograd region, Hyusein Kamberov. He is imam in his home village and vaiz (preacher) at Regional Mufti’s Office – Smolyan, with his activeness and the bright example as imam, who meets quite successfully all challenges nowadays.

“The nominations for the “Hodzhazade Mehmed Muhyiddin effendi” awards are made by officials in the structures of the Muslim Denomination, and proposals are also received from the ordinary Muslims through collected petition. The nominations are considered by a specialized 3-member committee at the Supreme Muslim Council, and every year at least one of the awarded is a non-Muslim, because the award is not only for people from the Muslim community, but for everyone concerned of the problems and the life of the Muslims in our country” – said for Grandmufti.bg the SMC Chairman Vedat Ahmed.

According to Ahmed the nominations this year were twice more compared to those from the previous year.

The awarded with the honorary prize “Hodzhazade Mehmed Muhyiddin effendi” were publically recognized at the official solemn ceremony on Sunday evening, and their awards were presented personally by official guests of the event. The ceremony in the Central Military Club was attended by diplomats of Muslim and non-Muslim countries in Bulgaria, MPs, representatives of different religions communities in our country, officials of the Muslim Denomination and many other guests.

The prestigious award named after the first grand mufti of the Muslims in the Republic of Bulgaria is presented on December 8 not accidentally. Exactly on this date in 1910 Mehmed Muhyiddin effendi took his office as a spiritual leader of the Muslims in our country.

The purpose of the annual awards is to honor with public recognition individuals with achievements and significant contribution to the development of the Muslim Denomination in Bulgaria and for the life of the Muslim community in general. The aim is the exemplary deeds to be promoted hoping that the people doing good deeds will become even more, and the scope of their good acts will enlarge.

Author: L. Chausheva