TOLERANCE FOUNDATION
an associated member of "Human Rights Without Frontiers International"
Press Release
Sofia, November 12 2001

Bulgaria: An unprecedented meeting between the heads of both Orthodox Christians and Muslims calls on for joint struggle against the "destructive sects" and for restitution of the church property

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On November 6, 2001 an unprecedented meeting between Patriarch Maxim, head of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church and Chief Mufti Selim Mehmed, head of the Muslim community in Bulgaria took place. According to the press coverage of the event the Chief Mufti was the initiator of it. The talk was a part of wider campaign of the leaders of the Muslim community in Bulgaria to persuade the public that there are not haunts of radical Islam bases of Osama bin Laden in Bulgaria as well. A part of that campaign was the special organized attendance of Western diplomats to the Muslim school in Sarnitza 1 that took place on the end of October. The visit had to demonstrate that the school educates Muslim priests in a spirit of traditional Islam but not in a radical one 2.

Two leaders have agreed that the joint struggle against the "invasion of the dangerous sects" is very important task before both of the communities. They also have talked on the problems connected with the restitution of the church property in Bulgaria 3.

The Chief Mufti stressed on the problems with the education of Islam in the schools (in the areas, where the Muslims are majority of the population). The Patriarch underlines the importance of fight against both atheism and "sects". The two leaders said it was too early to talk about concrete cooperation between the two religious communities in the sphere of charity, but it is possible in the future.

The meeting between the two religious leaders was the first in the whole history of Bulgaria. Undoubtedly it is a positive sign for the future interrelations between the two main religious communities in Bulgaria. Nevertheless Tolerance Foundation is worried that the joint statement of the two spiritual leaders may encourage the government to strengthen the measures against so-called -sects- and thus to restrict the religious freedom in Bulgaria.

Endnotes:
1 It is a small village located in the Southeast part of the country; the population of the village consists of so-called "pomaks" - i.e. people speaking Bulgarian and Muslims by their faith. back

2 Some days before the visit the British newspaper Guardian wrote the school in Sarnitza educates its students in the spirit of the radical Islam. back

3 For more details on the topic see the Press Release of Tolerance Foundation dated August 02, 2001: "BULGARIA: A Conference of Religious Leaders Insists on Adopting a Special Bill for Restitution of the Confiscated Church Property", now available both of web sites of the Bulgarian Helsinki Committee: http://www.bghelsinki.org and of the Greek Helsinki Monitor: http://www.greekhelsinki.gr back

On behalf of Tolerance Foundation:

Emil Cohen, President

__________________________
The TOLERANCE FOUNDATION is a human rights group monitoring the freedom of conscience and the religious freedom practices in Bulgaria, providing legal assis-tance to victims of discrimination based on religion, as well as propagating the idea of tolerance towards religious and other convictions.

The group was founded in 1994. Mr. Emil Cohen is President of the Tolerance Foun-dation. Since April 2001 the organization has been an associate member of Human Rights without Frontiers International.

Address: 1000 Sofia, 163A Rakovski Str
Phone/fax: (+359 2) 981 23 57
Phone: (+359 2) 988 31 36
E-mail: toleranc@geobiz.com

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