TOLERANCE FOUNDATION
an associated member of
"Human Rights Without Frontiers International"

Press Release
Sofia, November 22 2001

Bulgaria: Local Muslim Mufti discusses the problem for the restitution of the mosque's property with the US Ambassador

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The day before yesterday the US Ambassador in Bulgaria Mr. Richard Miles visited Haskovo1 and had a meeting with the Local Mufti, Radio Free Europe reported. A considerable part of the population of both Haskovo and the surroundings are Muslims. Because of this Mr. Miles had a talk with the local Mufti Mr. Faik Hadjimurad2.

The Local Mufti Hadjimurad told Mr. Miles one of the main problems before the Muslim community in Bulgaria is the issue about the restitution of the property of the Mosques here in Bulgaria. He especially mentioned the case of the Mosque in Stara Zagora3. It was confiscated by the Communist regime and was closed. Now it is closed and semi-ruined but because it is state owned Muslim community are not able to open it, to repair the building and to use it as a place for worship

Mr. Hadjimurad stated that there are a lot of similar cases. The state continues to hold many so called 'vakhaf ' properties (buildings, pieces of rural land etc.). Thus the Muslim community canoot get incomes. 'That is the reason we are forced to accept do-nations from various Islamic sources and some of them may be are not the best ones', said the Local Mufti. He added when the state gets back the confiscated properties the Muslim community would leave off getting money from foreign sources.

As it is well known the problem with the restitution of the forced confiscated church property is a too serious one. More than ten years after the beginning of the democratic changes a great part of the property of the churches has continued to be state owned. There are many - both political and juridical obstacles before the process of restitution. On July 27, 2001 Tolerance Foundation made a special seminar devoted on the process of restitution of the church and continues to work on the problem4. The above mentioned conversation between the Local Mufti in Haskovo and the Ambassador of the USA is an additional confirmation of the seriousness of the problem.

Endnotes:
[1] Haskovo is a town situated on the southeastern part of Bulgaria. back

[2] According to the above mentioned information the Ambassador handed over to the Mufti the Congratulatory Address of President Bush to the Muslims all over the world on occasion of the Holy Month of Ramadhaan. back

[3] A big town situated on the eastern part of the country. back

[4] For more details on the topic see the Press Release of Tolerance Foun-dation dated August 02, 2001: "BULGARIA: A Conference of Religious Leaders In-sists on Adopting a Special Bill for Restitution of the Confiscated Church Property", now available on WEB site of the Bulgarian Helsinki Committee http://bghelsinki.org also on the site 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
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E-mail: toleranc@geobiz.com

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