Dear Chairperson of the National Assembly,
Dear Ladies and Gentlemen of the National Assembly,
Dear Bulgarian citizens,
February 1, the Day of Acknowledgement and Remembrance of the Victims of the Communist Regime, gives us much to think about. As you all know, on this date in 1945, death sentences were carried out by the so-called People's Court.
There are several myths surrounding this day in 1945 which need to be clarified. At that time as well, the ruling establishment claimed to be carrying out the will of the allies who were victorious in the war - which is deeply untrue.
Many of the death sentences carried out on February 1, 1945, preceded the Paris Peace Treaty which was signed on February 10, 1947, more than 2 years later. These sentences were carried out under the so-called Moscow Armistice of October 28, 1944, and there is no doubt that the Bulgarian establishment was trying hard to get rid of its political opponents.
The date of 1 February is not only a commemoration of the victims of the People's Court of 01.02.1945, but also a date of remembrance of all the victims of the totalitarian regime which wanted to subdue the various, disobedient, different-thinking, and worthy defenders of their name, faith and dignity. Therefore, on February 1, we honour all the victims of the Bulgarian Muslim community, which for decades has been subjected to repression, restrictions and humiliation. This violence was not limited to the changing of their names, but has been accompanied by various forms of forced assimilation – deletion of memory, restriction of religious rites, prohibition of the use of the mother tongue, attempts to erase culture and traditions. The Muslim community, in the form of Turks, Pomaks, Roma, Millets and other non-Muslim minorities, have countered oppression peacefully and have never spoken out against their homeland, never rebelled against the nation, never called for violence. They have given dear sacrifices, endured and suffered their pain, looked for ways to preserve self-awareness. They have organised peaceful forms of resistance to injustice and restrictions, but always stated clearly and proudly:
"I am not a foreigner
I am your son.
And my tears are yours –
of both joy or sadness. ”
"Bulgaria!
I am your son and my ways are your ways”
Even today, decades later, no one has been convicted, there has been no justice, no consolation, and we owe it not only to the history and the victims, but also to those young people who need to know that in Bulgaria we should all live peacefully, freely and together. Driven by a sense of responsibility towards victims and history, we advocate for a fair trial and effective sentences for the perpetrators of the so-called "Revival Process". In this spirit, a letter has been sent to the Military District Prosecutor's Office by Mr. Delyan Peevski, the Chairman of the MRF-New Beginning, in order to seek the truth and to protect all those oppressed during the hateful assimilation process. We will continue to seek justice, to remember the events of the period of the totalitarian regime and to fight for the only right path for Bulgaria – democracy, rights, freedoms, equality, peace, tolerance and brotherly love. This is our thinking, this is our policy, this is our appeal to all MPs, to the entire Bulgarian nation, to our fellow citizens here and abroad, to be united in remembrance of the victims, to be responsible not only to history, but also to the future of our nation, in the knowledge that, in order to prosper and to have our future, we must know and want one thing for all of us – to live according to faith and culture, to abide by the laws and to be proud citizens. So today, I, personally as a Muslim, will pray to God, to the victims, to their memory, for the Most High to have mercy on their souls. Today is Friday, a day of celebration for Muslims, and I call on all Muslims to pray for all victims, for all those who have suffered to achieve this democracy. Know that we will continue to fight against all restrictions, including those which try to restrict us in political rights by stating who can and cannot be the Chairman of our party, against all those who try to set the tone for a political party which has a duty to represent all Bulgarian citizens without distinguishing between ethnicity, religion and any other factors. The struggle will continue! Let us be united in our efforts! Thank you! And may God save Bulgaria!