Bulgarian National Party Provokes Muslims in Prayer at Main Mosque

The Bulgarian Chief Mufti's Office has protested against what they describe as a ill-minded provocation on part of the nationalist party Ataka during the Friday prayer in the leading mosque of the capitol, Sofia.

A car of the Ataka party is reported to have appeared with loudspeakers near the Banya Bashi mosque (pictured) in the very center of Sofia during Friday's prayer playing Orthodox Christian songs and the sound of church bells.

The Banya Bashi mosque ihas loudspeakers that sound Muslim prayers in the entire area around it – which has been a focus of grievance taken up by nationalists and other Sofia residents.

The Banya Bashi mosque is located near an Orthodox cathedral, a synagogue, and a Catholic church.

"Is this the tolerance of the Bulgarian politicians?" the leadership of the Bulgarian Chief Mufti's Office asked in a public declaration protesting Ataka's provocation on Friday saying that the prayers of more than 1,500 Muslims were disrupted.

The mosque staff called the police, who arrived shortly thereafter and escorted the car of the nationalist party off the scene.

According to the Chief Mufti's Office, the nationalist party Ataka has lost momentum and public trust, and is trying to attract attention and support by raising anti-Islam slogans and staging provocations against the Bulgarian Muslims.

"Such actions will probably be the major and leading motive in the party's campaign for the upcoming elections, and we expect a growing antagonism against us. We underscore that their plans have been deciphered. We call upon the Muslim community not to succumb to such provocations but we also state that we won't bear with such frivolities denigrating the dignity and freedom of the citizens trying to observe their religion in accordance with the Constitution and laws of the state," said the Chief Mufti's Office in its declaration.

The Chief Mufti's Office also promised to alert the Prosecutor's Office, the Interior Ministry, and the State National Security Agency DANS because such threats are said to be dangerous to Bulgaria's national security and public order and can escalate in unexpected ways.