Mosques built without permission to be destroyed in Kazakhstan

The government of Kazakhstan said it would demolish mosques in the country that have been built without obtaining the necessary permissions.

 

 

The government of Kazakhstan said it would demolish mosques in the country that have been built without obtaining the necessary permissions.

According to Dunya Bulteni website, the Astana government has adopted a strict policy when it comes to construction of mosques.

Over the past 13 years, permissions have been issued for building only 8 mosques in the vast Central Asian country.

Recently the government has announced plans for demolishing all mosques built without permission.

An official said those who have built the unlicensed mosque should themselves demolish them.

A directive issued by the government in May ordered the destruction of all prayer halls and mosques in schools and universities all over Kazakhstan that are larger in area than 300 square meters.

Kazakhstan is the world’s largest landlocked country and the ninth largest in the world, with an area of 2,724,900 square kilometers.

It extends from the Caspian Sea in the west to the Altai Mountains at its eastern border with China and Russia.

Islam is the largest religion practiced in Kazakhstan, as more than 70 percent of the country’s population is Muslim.