Бизнес

Once again, Sarnitsa's name was embroiled in a scandal related to international tourism. The occasion this time was the famous by several names Tony Radev, whom Spanish media accused of close contacts with the perpetrators of the bloody attack on Madrid's Atocha station on March 11, 2004. The official Bulgarian authorities, led by the Chief Secretary of the Interior, Boyko Borisov, denied there was evidence of Bulgarian involvement in the attack. However, Sarnitsa's name became famous again, as it turned out that for more than a year Tony or Naim, who, according to many media, has in his biography links to Islamists and terrorists, is being trained at the school for imams in Sarnitsa. After last week's scandal gained momentum, he has left Sarnitsa and is missing.
Outside the investigation of the authorized authorities, we sought for comment the mayor of Sarnitsa Shukri Yakubov. He shared that there are already a lot of people in Sarnitsa who do not approve that because of the school for imams the name of the city is constantly involved in such incidents and therefore it is better that the educational institution is not in Sarnitsa. Our people do not study there, stressed Mr. Yakubov. Over the years, the attacks on the school for imams were many, the former Grand Mufti Nedim Gendzhev publicly declared it illegal because the procedure for its opening was not followed and radical Islam was taught. In 2001 Sarnitsa's name even reached the world media with doubts that terrorists associated with Osama Bin Laden and the banned worldwide fundamentalist organization "Muslim Brothers" were being trained here. The then Grand Mufti Selim Mehmed and Chairman of the Supreme Muslim Spiritual Council Mustafa Hadzhi brought to Sarnitsa the ambassadors of Palestine, Morocco, Indonesia and Algeria, advisers from the embassies of Russia, USA, Greece and Turkey. The diplomats looked at the school and spoke with Principal Said Motlu. Last year, a new scandal ensued: convicted of illegal religious activity A. Ahmed from Pazardzhik found himself connected with the school for imams in Sarnitsa. The case of Toni Radev is another one that inflames public opinion.
Justified or unfounded, but the attacks on the school for imams hinder Sarnitsa's image, according to Mayor Shukri Yakubov. So far, unofficially, it is gaining momentum the idea that it is better that the Directorate of Religions at the Council of Ministers does not extend the school's term of existence. A day after his election as Grand Mufti on 21 March in front of BNT Mustafa Hadzhi announced in connection with the last case in Sarnitsa that the situation really needs to be changed. Tuition in the courses is 1 year, not a diploma, but only a certificate. According to the Grand Mufti, the MES is preparing a law for Islamic religious schools that will restrict in them the access of students and teachers with unclean intentions. He also recommended better control by the regional muftis.
Elena Baeva