BULGARIA: REACHING OUT TO THE MUSLIM COMMUNITY

UNCLAS SOFIA 000286

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: BU KIRF KISL PGOV PHUM
SUBJECT: BULGARIA: REACHING OUT TO THE MUSLIM COMMUNITY


1. (SBU) Summary: Ambassador McEldowney highlighted
President Obama's Cairo speech in a meeting with Bulgaria's
chief Mufti, stressing our determination to establish a new
way forward for U.S. relations with the Muslim world. The
Ambassador raised ideas for promoting religious tolerance and
voiced support for new initiatives to improve the treatment
of Muslims in Bulgaria. The Mufti cautioned about increasing
intolerance toward Muslims here, noting that cases of ethnic
and religious friction are on the rise. The Mufti agreed
with the Ambassador on the importance of launching an
interfaith dialogue and reaching out to the new government
once Bulgaria concludes its July 5 national elections. End
Summary.


2. (SBU) The Ambassador met with Bulgaria's chief Mufti, Dr.
Hadji, on June 5, showcasing the President's Cairo speech and
underscoring U.S. commitment to a healthy and positive
relationship with Muslims. The Mufti readily accepted the
path-breaking initiative by the President, and was grateful
we met with him on the same day as the speech. Before the
speech, his spokesperson said that the tone of the new
Administration toward Muslims was a significant improvement
and that it positively impacted Muslims in Bulgaria. Hadji
raised Bulgaria's unique circumstances. He represents a
Muslim community in Bulgaria of over 1 million (around 10-15%
of the population) including ethnic Turks, Roma and Pomaks
(ethnic Bulgarians converted to Islam during the Ottoman
period). He noted that the enduring presence of these
communities in Bulgaria leads many to cite 'the Bulgarian
ethnic model' as a multiethnic success in the Balkans. But
he cautioned that ethnic and religious tensions, as seen in
the 1980's violent campaign to force ethnic Turks to take on
Slavic names, are not yet fully resolved.


3. (SBU) Hadji warned that negative attitudes in the media
and by politicians towards Muslims have increased as the July
5 election date nears. The nationalist Ataka party, as one
example, regularly makes very offensive remarks about
Muslims, yet little is done to reign in or condemn their
hate-speech. While such political speeches will likely
decrease after the elections, the damage to the image of
Muslims will remain. He added that there have been over 100
attacks and acts of vandalism against mosques in the last two
years but no suspects have been charged or arrested. The
impunity with which people can insult Muslims and damage
property and the authorities' indifference causes great
concern.


4. (SBU) The Ambassador recommended several ways to promote
tolerance and reduce discrimination towards Muslims, notably
organizing an inter-faith dialogue. If done early with the
new government, such a meeting could be a strong positive
symbol. The Mufti agreed, looking forward to a sustained
dialogue with us to pursue additional initiatives to improve
the treatment of Muslims in Bulgaria. Positive developments
here would help shape Muslim attitudes towards the West and
the U.S.
McEldowney