REMEMBRANCE IN TIME - Index of

Iliyana GANCHEVA: State Intervention in the Personal and Cultural Life… 221
outlets themselves were even deliberately closed on Friday, so that the faithful coming
from neighboring villages and hamlets of the mosque to be unable to buy food, and thus
seeking to limit visits to religious services. So at the beginning of the 60s the pressure for
change in the traditional clothing is intensified and became a major manifestation of state
policy towards the Bulgarian Muslims [4].
In the 70s the assimilation policy towards the Bulgarian Turks began raising. In 1974,
then the chief-ideologue of the Communist Party – Alexander Lilov insisted to replace
traditional clothing and mainly Muslim holidays and rituals with a corresponding system
of socialist holidays and customs. The introduction and promotion of new holidays and
customs are likely to be assigned to the Fatherland Front. However, this step isn’t
manifestly been met with much success. At a meeting of the Fatherland Front in 1980 on
"The role of the Fatherland Front for the further strengthening of the socialist way of
life," the secretary of the district committee of the Fatherland Front in Razgrad reported
that the Islam practiced in 1973 still by 42.1% of the whole population of the county,
showed a remarkable ability to resist. For example, the newly established civil burial
ritual, was used only by 42% of people. Continue to occur and some conservative
customs and traditions, dedicated to the founding family, the birth of children, the
funerals, the mourning rites and the circumcision for children of Bulgarian Turks. To
overcome that, they had to win the support of the Turkish women, who enjoyed a great
honor as carriers of the household traditions. Measures for further education, but also
courses such as "How to furnish my home," "How to celebrate my birthday" and "How to
call my child" should awaken the interest of the women. Feasts and fashion shows were used
for additional bait. Also in Kardzhali District was held this or similar events. But at the same
time, the Delegate of municipal Fatherland Front-Committee noted: "Our successes are
undeniable. But we worry about the stubborn adherence to some conservative traditions and
petty tendencies. Still a terrible custom is honored that is prescribed by the Islam, the
"circumcision" of young boys. It takes place in the family of Bulgarian Turks, and many of the
descendants of forcibly converted to the Islam in the past." [2].
By the early 90s of the twentieth century, the state policy towards the Turkish population in
the country, made by the Bulgarian Communist Party, has been characterized by its
inconsistency and even contradiction. There are various options - from complete tolerance of
its ethnic specificity in attempts to total obliteration. In the second option, depending on the
extent and the scope of its application, there’s always an element of violence - physical, but
significantly more psychological. The target of government policy chiefly was the conservative
lifestyle, the low education level and the characteristics of the demographic and social structure
of the minority, and the attempt to implement a socialist mode of conduct and content in the
customary ritual system of the Bulgarian Turks.
Bibliography
1. Баева, И., Калинова, Е. Етнически и религиозни общности в следвоенна
България. – В: Изследвания по история на Социализма в България 1944-1989. Т2,
С., 2010, 517-559. Baeva, I., Kalinova, E. Ethnic and religious minorities in the
postwar Bulgaria. In: Studies in History of Socialism in Bulgaria 1944-1989., Vol 2,
Sofiya, 2010.,p. 517-559 See: [1]
2. Бюксеншютц, У. Малцинствената политика в България. Политиката на БКП
към евреи, роми, помаци и турци (1944-1989). С., 2000. Byuksenshyutts, U.
Minority policy in Bulgaria. The BCP’s policy to Jews, Roma, Pomaks and Turks
(1944-1989). Sofiya, 2000. See: [2]