ı
ˆnva ˘t ¸at ¸i, Sibiu, 2001; B.O.R. va ˘zuta ˘ de ca ˘la ˘torii stra ˘ini (sec. XV- XIX), Sibiu, 2001;
Logos s ¸i Cultura ˘, Sibiu 2005. He received the Gold Medal “St. Ap. Pavel” from the
Diocese of Veria (Greece) and other national and international diplomas and
medals. (Selejan 2012).
BAGIJ SANGHIRAI, former Head of the Muftiate in Romanian, was followed
by MUURAT IUSUF the current Head of the Muslim Cult in Romania (born
August 18, 1977 at Medgidia, Constant ¸a County) was elected at September
15, 2005 when he was only 28 years old, the youngest in this office, with
19 votes of the 25 expressed by the members of Sura-Islam (a Synode Council)
composed of 15 clerics, 8 laymen, the Mufti in office and the director of “Kemal
Atatürk” Theological College. (Muftiyat 2016) He studied in Turkey where he
graduated from the Theological High School of Edirne in 1994. Then, during
1995–2000, Muurat Iusuf followed the Faculty of Theology of the “19th May”
University in Samsun. After graduation he worked in the service of the community.
In Romania, he taught Islamic religion at “Constantin Br^ ancus ¸i” School in
Medgidia and High Schools “Traian”, “Ovidius” and at “Mircea cel Ba ˘tr^ an”
National College in Constant ¸a and in 2001 he was nominated as Member of the
National Commission for the elaboation of the national syllabuses programmes for
the theological disciplines. Since 2001 he was Cult Consellor for the Mufti Muslim
Office in Romania. He continued the graduate studies at the Faculty of Theology of
the Valahia University ı
ˆn T^ argovis ¸te graduating the Master’s with the thesis
Juridical Islamic and Christian Ethos in Dobruja. At present he is a PhD candidate
of the Faculty of Theology, “Ovidius” University, Constant ¸a, under the scientific
coordination of Professor Priest Nicolae Dura ˘, PhD, working on the thesis Human
Rights in conformity with the Islamic Law and the Canonic Law. He is a speaker of
Arab, English, Romanian and Turkish. (Muftiyat 2016).
His Scientific Master’s and the PhD studies develop the idea that monotheistic
religions have in common the ten commandments which are easing our lives and
the pursuing of intercult good relations.“What is a joy, for Dobrujan muslims, is
that we are living with our Christian brothers in good convivial terms. we are proud
of this model which His Excellency the Archbisop, myself, and the representatives
of the other cults attempt to continue to promote and it is a source of pride that we
are Romanian citizens and we can promote our religious identity on this Dobrujan
lands, too”, declared for Constant ¸a NEWS Mufti Iusuf Muurat. (Andrei 2016).
Another important idea in his social and religious activity as well as in his
scientific works is the one captured in a few words by His Excellency the Archbishop of Tomis, Teodosie: “Muslims here in Dobruja are very warm people. They
always want to help. We know that since the beginning of freedom in Dobruja,
these Muslim Turkish and Tatar belivers were always ready to help Churches.
There are no conflicts among the Orthodox Christians and the Muslims and for me
the Mufti is someone close to me, who is a partner in helping the peers in need.
Charity is both in Orthodoxy and in Islam extremely pleasing in the eyes of God and
people are brothers when they join their forces to do good. And we feel close to
each other because if He set us next to each other, we should respect this boundless
love, freed from ethnic or faith limits.” (Boioglu 2016)
3 Dobruja: A Unique, Intercultural and Spiritual Realm at the Black Sea
61
ˆnva ˘t ¸at ¸i, Sibiu, 2001; B.O.R. va ˘zuta ˘ de ca ˘la ˘torii stra ˘ini (sec. XV- XIX), Sibiu, 2001;
Logos s ¸i Cultura ˘, Sibiu 2005. He received the Gold Medal “St. Ap. Pavel” from the
Diocese of Veria (Greece) and other national and international diplomas and
medals. (Selejan 2012).
BAGIJ SANGHIRAI, former Head of the Muftiate in Romanian, was followed
by MUURAT IUSUF the current Head of the Muslim Cult in Romania (born
August 18, 1977 at Medgidia, Constant ¸a County) was elected at September
15, 2005 when he was only 28 years old, the youngest in this office, with
19 votes of the 25 expressed by the members of Sura-Islam (a Synode Council)
composed of 15 clerics, 8 laymen, the Mufti in office and the director of “Kemal
Atatürk” Theological College. (Muftiyat 2016) He studied in Turkey where he
graduated from the Theological High School of Edirne in 1994. Then, during
1995–2000, Muurat Iusuf followed the Faculty of Theology of the “19th May”
University in Samsun. After graduation he worked in the service of the community.
In Romania, he taught Islamic religion at “Constantin Br^ ancus ¸i” School in
Medgidia and High Schools “Traian”, “Ovidius” and at “Mircea cel Ba ˘tr^ an”
National College in Constant ¸a and in 2001 he was nominated as Member of the
National Commission for the elaboation of the national syllabuses programmes for
the theological disciplines. Since 2001 he was Cult Consellor for the Mufti Muslim
Office in Romania. He continued the graduate studies at the Faculty of Theology of
the Valahia University ı
ˆn T^ argovis ¸te graduating the Master’s with the thesis
Juridical Islamic and Christian Ethos in Dobruja. At present he is a PhD candidate
of the Faculty of Theology, “Ovidius” University, Constant ¸a, under the scientific
coordination of Professor Priest Nicolae Dura ˘, PhD, working on the thesis Human
Rights in conformity with the Islamic Law and the Canonic Law. He is a speaker of
Arab, English, Romanian and Turkish. (Muftiyat 2016).
His Scientific Master’s and the PhD studies develop the idea that monotheistic
religions have in common the ten commandments which are easing our lives and
the pursuing of intercult good relations.“What is a joy, for Dobrujan muslims, is
that we are living with our Christian brothers in good convivial terms. we are proud
of this model which His Excellency the Archbisop, myself, and the representatives
of the other cults attempt to continue to promote and it is a source of pride that we
are Romanian citizens and we can promote our religious identity on this Dobrujan
lands, too”, declared for Constant ¸a NEWS Mufti Iusuf Muurat. (Andrei 2016).
Another important idea in his social and religious activity as well as in his
scientific works is the one captured in a few words by His Excellency the Archbishop of Tomis, Teodosie: “Muslims here in Dobruja are very warm people. They
always want to help. We know that since the beginning of freedom in Dobruja,
these Muslim Turkish and Tatar belivers were always ready to help Churches.
There are no conflicts among the Orthodox Christians and the Muslims and for me
the Mufti is someone close to me, who is a partner in helping the peers in need.
Charity is both in Orthodoxy and in Islam extremely pleasing in the eyes of God and
people are brothers when they join their forces to do good. And we feel close to
each other because if He set us next to each other, we should respect this boundless
love, freed from ethnic or faith limits.” (Boioglu 2016)
3 Dobruja: A Unique, Intercultural and Spiritual Realm at the Black Sea
61