BULGARIAN-SPEAKING MUSLIMS - Lalev

exclusion and marginalization followed. This scenario certainly fits the treatment of the Pomaks in
Bulgaria, whereby the authorities’ persistent attempts to assimilate this Muslim community have
resulted in acceptance of those who embraced the assimilation, and marginalization of the majority
who resisted it.
3. Pluralistic Approach to Interpretation Needed
Whereas the Acadian and Melungeon heritages may be cultural inventions, the process of
constructing a dignified self-image is a legitimate way for both communities to contest identities that
have been imposed on them by outsiders in a disparaging manner. The ability of vernacular cultures
to reject demeaning notions as a matter of right becomes even more compelling when the imposer is
the nation-state, or at least an entity endorsed by the establishment. Nation-states and national
identities, too, have been forged in opposition to imperial master narratives as the case of Scotland
illustrates. However, while no nation-state is immune to constructing and imposing master
narratives in the shared cultural domain, it behooves a democratic society, at the very minimum, to
foster a public space free from suppression of dissenting (minority) narratives.
Arguing in favor of pluralistic heritage interpretation, this dissertation sets out to preserve
in writing engaging aspects of the contested Pomak heritage and, so far as possible, bring it into the
public domain. As no single issue of the Pomak narrative is more important than the rest, I felt
justified in the freedom to select specific cases to study instead. In the process, I identified,
researched, and narrated five separate stories with the help of archival papers, oral narratives,
available literature, and compelling imagery. Each of these case studies, not only contains a
fascinating storyline (independently of my storytelling abilities), but also belongs among the most
prominent identifiers of Pomak history and culture. Specifically, they relate to (1) the Pomak
Christianization (pokrastvane) of 1912-1913 (Chapter II); (2) the communist revival process of 1972-
1974 (Chapter III); (3) Ramadan Runtov’s life of political dissent against the forced assimilation
(Chapter IV); (4) the elaborate wedding rituals of Ribnovo (Chapter V); and (5) the forgotten legacy
of the Ottoman governor of Pomak origin, Salih Aga of Paşmaklı (Chapter VI). While known only
locally, the personalities of Ramadan Runtov and Salih Aga personify the composite image of
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