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Fri, Feb 10 2012
Mosque in Bulgaria torched to the ground
Chief Mufti Mustafa Alish at a meeting with Boiko Borissov in November 2008.
Photo: Nikolai Doichinov
A hundred-year-old mosque was burnt to the ground on October 7 2009 in the Bulgarian town of Nikopol. Firefighters arrived swiftly on the scene, according to several eyewitness reports, but the blaze already had engulfed the entire structure.
Imam Gyursel Mimishev told Bulgarian National Television (BNT) that the fire was an act of arson by local activists from the Movement of Rights and Freedoms (MRF), the party led and supported in the main by Bulgarians of ethnic Turkish descent. He said that their motivation was that he is a supporter of Prime Minister Boiko Borissov's GERB Government.
Nikopol mayor Valerii Zheliaskov rejected allegations that this was a case of politically-motivated arson. He said it was simply an accident. Police have declined to comment as the investigation is continuing.
On October 7 2009, Mimishev told Bulgarian news agency BTA: "I believe that this was arson – mind you, not emanating from ethnic hatred or anything like that, but politically-motivated".
Zheliaskov said: "There is no ethnic tension in Nikopol, and there never was. People here get on with their daily lives, and religion here is not an issue, I don’t believe that this was perpetrated with any sinister motive, I think it was an accident".
There were 110 attacks on mosques and Islamic places of worship in the country in 2008, according to Bulgaria’s Chief Mufti. He said that no one had been brought to justice. Authorities say that in 2000 another mosque in Nikopol was torched, but the perpetrators were still at large.
Meanwhile authorities have pledged 25,000 leva for the restoration of the two mosques in Nikopol and the one in Blagoevgrad, which was also recently subjected to acts of vandalism, a Government press release announced on October 8
Imam Gyursel Mimishev told Bulgarian National Television (BNT) that the fire was an act of arson by local activists from the Movement of Rights and Freedoms (MRF), the party led and supported in the main by Bulgarians of ethnic Turkish descent. He said that their motivation was that he is a supporter of Prime Minister Boiko Borissov's GERB Government.
Nikopol mayor Valerii Zheliaskov rejected allegations that this was a case of politically-motivated arson. He said it was simply an accident. Police have declined to comment as the investigation is continuing.
On October 7 2009, Mimishev told Bulgarian news agency BTA: "I believe that this was arson – mind you, not emanating from ethnic hatred or anything like that, but politically-motivated".
Zheliaskov said: "There is no ethnic tension in Nikopol, and there never was. People here get on with their daily lives, and religion here is not an issue, I don’t believe that this was perpetrated with any sinister motive, I think it was an accident".
There were 110 attacks on mosques and Islamic places of worship in the country in 2008, according to Bulgaria’s Chief Mufti. He said that no one had been brought to justice. Authorities say that in 2000 another mosque in Nikopol was torched, but the perpetrators were still at large.
Meanwhile authorities have pledged 25,000 leva for the restoration of the two mosques in Nikopol and the one in Blagoevgrad, which was also recently subjected to acts of vandalism, a Government press release announced on October 8
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This comment has been removed by the moderator because it contained Обиди, дискриминация, срещу журналисти
Leonard, What the hell do you mean that their hearts are in the right place? Do you support these Mosque burnings and if so why? This is the last thing Bulgaria needs is a division between it's people. If this is your position then shame on you. You are part of the problem not the solution. I know that Bulgarians and Turks have a long history of hatred towards each other but this was so long ago, it's time to move on and fight for the rights for all Bulgarians, Turks alike. They are just trying to get along in [...]
Read the full comment a country where there are enough problems and don't need this kind of hatred. If I misunderstood you then you have my apologies. But all Bulgarians should be condeming this kind of behavior. THis people are not terrorist, they are Bulgarians, same as you. I think the Govt needs to use all of the resources available to find out who is doing this and set an example of how unexceptable this is and should not be tolerated.
Cant see a problem here, just make sure you dont burn down the local pub.
This is very dangerous game, played by some Bulgarian-Turkish politics, who have been involved in economic crime. They are under investigation and now they want to distract the attention.
Nice to see some people with their heart in the right place.