 Ioannis Michaletos | |
| 29 Sep 2011 | |
The Balkan Islamic extremism, although it is considered as a taboo theme by most of the mainstream media, is still an issue debated in high-level and sensitive discussions between policy makers across the world, due to importance of the region as a historical fault line between the West and the East, in parallel with the ongoing interstate competitions that are cantered around South-eastern Europe. In a leaked cable of the U.S State Dept, dated back in 2005, the then Ambassador of the States in Bulgaria, John Beyerle noted that "Foreign international organizations and institutions praise Islamic extremism in Bulgaria...the official Islamic charities depend financially on them...Muslim Bulgarian women in Southern Bulgaria are imitating Arabic looks". The cable was classified as secret and events that have happened over the past few years have testified the existence of the aforementioned findings. According to information by various international security services, in the Balkans and in Bulgaria in particular, quite a few Islamic extremist groups are functioning and a number of Arabic descent Bulgarians are assisting organizations such as Hezbollah in financial terms by diverting a part of the profits they make through trafficking, car theft and narcotics trade. Moreover, Chechen Islamic extremists operate in Bulgaria and deal drugs sending capital to their brethren in the Caucasus. The Kurdish KGK is also active in Bulgaria and Iranian diplomats have been noted taking part into radicalizing segments of the Pomak minority in the South of the country which is primarily Muslim. Read the rest on:  | |
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