(International Herald Tribune) Nicholas Wood - Since 2002, rival members of Bulgaria's Muslim community, most of whom are ethnic Turks, have been in a dispute over the appointment of Bulgaria's chief mufti. The courts have appointed a triumvirate of three Muslim leaders to govern in the chief mufti's place, who control the religious teaching in Muslim schools and the community's considerable assets. Former chief mufti Nedim Gendzhev has begun a campaign focusing on the triumvirate's connections with religious groups in Saudi Arabia, revealing that one of the three, Fikri Sali, had traveled there in July as the guest of Al-Waqf Al-Islami, a charity that promotes Wahhabi Islam.
2004-11-02 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive