'Common goals of religious communities to provide world security, peace and calmness'

"One of the common goals of the religious communities not only in Europe, but also in the world must be providing the whole world with security, peace and calmness, by opposing to all kinds of conflicts," Dr Mustafa Hadzhi, the Grand Mufti of Bulgaria, said this in an interview.
According to the census of 1992, there are just 53,074 Catholics (0.63%) out of a total Bulgarian population of 8,487,417. Orthodox believers number 7,274,592 (85%) and Muslims 1,110,295 (14%). Unofficially, there are approximately 1.5 million followers of Islam who have lived in the country for many centuries. Bulgaria, a country of almost 8 million, has a history of largely trouble-free religious co-existence between its churches and faiths.
According to Dr Hadzhi, "There are approximately 1,500 Muslim boards and about 1,500 mosques, in addition to approximately 50 tekkes and turbes, approximately 1,000 imams, and approximately 450 summer Qur'an courses held in six school centres, three religious high schools, and a High Islamic Institute. There are 11 regional Muslim Councils with 5-11 members, 11 regional Muftis with several permanent employees - regional Mufti, deputy regional Mufti, director of Waqfs etc. The General Mufti has a team of about 20 people overseeing Waqfs, education, publishing, administration, and finances, etc."
The Muslim community has a vital presence in contemporary Bulgarian society, especially in defence of human rights. Muslims make up a large minority - more than a million Muslims - who have lived for centuries in Bulgaria with non-Muslims, most of them Orthodox Christians. The General Mufti unites different ethnic groups - Turks, Pomaks, Roms etc, as brothers and sisters in one faith.
Speaking about the Muslim community in Bulgaria, the Grand Mufti said, "The Muslims have been living in Bulgaria for centuries. They are born citizens of the country. They comprise 20 percent of the total population. Majority of them live in the villages; very few are in the cities."
"They are not many immigrant Muslims. There are some, say 15 to 20,000 immigrant Muslims, who are only in the capital and big cities," noted the Grand Mufti of Bulgaria.
About their economic condition, Dr Hadzhi said, "It is difficult to say about the economic condition of the Muslims. Most of them are cultivators, working in agriculture. The older generation are cultivators and shepherds. But the younger ones are going to schools, colleges and universities."
As for Islamic education in Bulgaria, the Grand Mufti said, "Islam is being taught in the state schools. There is Islamic education in the state schools, but not everywhere, because Muslims are not everywhere. If there is one then he can study Islam in the school otherwise not. Islam is taught in the schools but it is only general religious education about Islam. Islamic education and religious training are taught in the mosque, such as reading Qur'an etc. There are three Islamic High Schools."
Speaking about the higher education on Islam and Islamic Studies, the Grand Mufti said, "We have many young people studying abroad about Islam - in Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Syria, and Turkey; not in the eastern European countries. When they come back after completing their education on Islam; they work as teachers at the Da'wah and Guidance sector and as Imams or religious leaders. They also work as Muftis."
About mosques and prayer places, the Grand Mufti said, "There are 1,500 Mosques all over the country; out of these, 1,000 are purpose-built mosques and 500 are flats or houses converted into Mosques. There is only one Mosque in Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria."
Explaining the position of Mufti in Bulgarian Muslim society, Dr Hadzhi said, "after the democratic changes in Bulgaria, there was unification of Muslim Turks and Pomaks under one Mufti. During the first years after democracy, Muftis were again established in Pleven and Gotse Delchev and in 2000 there were two more, in Kaskovo and Krumovgrad. In 2006 therewere 11 regional Muftis."
Speaking about the responsibilities of the Grand Mufti, Dr Hadzhi said, "The General Mufti ruled on marriages and divorces, on written wills, and on the question of property and inheritance, and directly managed the school boards of Muslim schools. The Muftis also administered the Waqfs - charity funds established during the Ottoman period. The Waqfs in large measure guaranteed the economic independence of Muslims."
"The Grand Mufti is looking after the Islamic life of the Muslims; Islamic schools, mosques, Waqf properties. These things are dealt by the Grand Mufti. The Grand Mufti also represents the Muslim community before the government," noted Dr Hadzhi.
About the participation of the Muslims in Bulgaria politics, the Grand Mufti said, "Muslims are in different political parties. Thirty-two Muslims are in the parliament."
The Muslims face some problems, said the Grand Mufti. He said, "We have some problems in Bulgaria, getting back the Waqf properties. Muslims have not widely benefited from them. The Waqf issue has been a serious challenge from 1878 to the present."
The Grand Mufti also noted about other concerns of the Bulgarian Muslims, such as "Islamic education in all state schools; wages; marriages. We cannot build mosques in some places. But this situation is now better than before."
INTER-FAITH AND INTER-RELIGIOUS RELATIONS:
Commenting on the state of human rights of Muslims the Grand Mufti said, "of course, in the past as well during the recent years we witnessed encroachment upon the rights and freedoms of the people, but it was not due to beliefs; rather to the wrong decisions and thought of the states, nations and people that in the majority pursue their own economic or political aims."
Speaking about the Muslim community's dialogue and collaboration with the Christian and Jewish religious communities, the Grand Mufti said, "This relationship and co-existence is due to the recognition of the culture and traditions of the ethnic groups.
"One of the common goals of the religious community not only in Europe, but also in the world must be providing the whole world with security, peace and calmness, by opposing to all kinds of conflicts" he observed.
Speaking about dialogue, the Grand Mufti said about "is dialogue that based on the culture values and the religious identity, mutual respect, tolerance, straightforward, reciprocity. Its purpose must be getting to know each other, not enforcing one's own cultural values and models on others."
"The efforts to changing the cultures by force always evokes a negative response, since, as such a change is not a question of political decisions, but a question of historical tide. In short, the dialogue is a form of conversation, a way of mutually enriching and making of new values."
Suggesting about the type and form of dialogue, the Grand Mufti said, "The dialogue and alliance have to be based on the search for fairness and support on the part of the sincere believers in all the nations. The dialogue must not be limited to meetings and conferences, but also has to be a regular collaboration between the defenders of moral and ethical values - the people who will struggle for the peace and understanding and search for lasting solution solutions of the common problems."
"We, who are honest, scrupulous, tolerant, responsive, compliant, sensible, chaste, and peace-loving and we, who strive for life and extending the scope of the divine morals, have to disseminate the virtue all over the world," observed the Grand Mufti of Bulgaria.
The Grand Mufti maintained, "Allah has created man with an excellent appearance by giving him a free will in order to be able to choose his way of life. This is the main reason for existing differences in the people. However, this does not mean that the people have to hate each other. Justice, love and virtue are written into human nature. Man must discover these in himself, to bring them to the fore and to show them to the people."
Dr Hadzhi also said, "The fact that the religion is the main source for virtues obliges the religious people to be an example in this aspect. Good deeds are the backbone of positiveness and happiness. We learn this from what the Almighty Allah tells us: "Surely those who believe, and those who are Jews, and the Christians, and the Sabians, whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day and does good, they shall have their reward from their Lord, and their is no fear for them, nor shall they grieve." (The Cow verse, 2:62)."
He also added, "This verse gives us the chance to understand the justice and the mercy of Allah, as in this world He grants His goods to everybody no matter what their religion, sex, or colour of skin. Muhammad (May the blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) orders: "Love those who are on the earth, in order to love you the One who is in the heavens."
"After the holy words of the Prophet of Allah there is nothing else but to practise them in our life, as by doing this we will find happiness in this world, as well as in the hereafter," the Bulgarian Grand Mufti observed.
(Dr Mustafa Hadzhi completed his Bachelors Degree in the department of Shari'ah in Jordan, Masters in Religion and History in Bulgaria and Ph.D. from Turkey.)
- Courtesy: The Muslim World
Interview with Dr Mustafa Hadzhi, the Grand Mufti of Bulgaria.