site.btaGrand Mufti's Office Opposes Istanbul Convention Ratification

Sofia, January 24 (BTA) - The Grand Mufti's Office of the Muslim Denomination in the Republic of Bulgaria Wednesday issued an opinion according to which the Istanbul Convention jeopardizes Bulgarian Muslims' identity.

"Forty-four countries have signed the so-called Istanbul Convention so far, including 28 EU Member States, but just 17 of them have ratified it. This also applies to Bulgaria, but the discussion of the fate of the convention has divided the Bulgarian public," the opinion reads.

The document states that while over one million cases of domestic violence against women have been recorded in this country, the religious denominations, human rights activists, young people who are concerned whether they will have grandchildren, lawyers, researchers and others, have taken a stand together against the Convention approved by the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers.

According to the Grand Mufti's Office, the ratification of the document entails amendments to the Family Code, the Protection against Discrimination Act, the Ministry of Interior Act, the Youth Act, the Legal Aid Act, as well as other laws. It also presupposes the adoption of acts against domestic violence against women and provision of additional measures to protect the victims of physical or mental violence during the perpetration of the crime.

"The Quran defines women as mothers, daughters and wives, as well as their legal status. These all underlie Muslim traditions and family relations," the opinion says. "Violence against women has never been approved by Bulgarian Muslims. They are faithful to the Prophet Mohammed's behests that women should be treated with respect and that their rights are inviolable. The Istanbul Convention is not a privilege to Bulgarian Muslims. It spells risks to their identity, as, under the guise of deterring violence against the female sex, it targets the stability of our families, 'Uprooting' violence against women, which is at the core of the Istanbul Convention, is not our natural problem addressing our pressing needs," the Grand Mufti's Office argues.