Imam-khatib of Dushanbe’s Friday Mosque named after Mavlono Yaqubi Charkhi on June 25 told parishioners to come to Friday prayer only with a COVID-19 absence certification form or a vaccination certificate.
“Those who have not been vaccinated can come to the mosque with a passport and immediately get vaccinated in mobile vaccination clinics deployed at the mosque and then enter the mosque. In the absence of a vaccination certificate, parishioners will not be allowed to enter the mosque,” the imam-khatib said.
Meanwhile, the Committee on Religious Affairs under the Government of Tajikistan (CRA) says imam-khatibs only recommend getting vaccinated.
“Those who wish can be vaccinated at the mobile vaccine units deployed by the Health Ministries at mosques,” CRA spokesman Afshin Muqim told Asia-Plus in an interview.
According to him, the mobile vaccine units have been deployed at all Friday mosques and they will also operate in the coming weeks.
Emomali Mirzoyev, a spokesman for Ministry of Health and Social Protection of the Population (MoHSPP), says the vaccination is voluntary.
Since June 24, the mobile vaccine units have operated in public places (mosques, bazaars ad others) to vaccinate people for free,” Mirzoyev said, adding that “the mobile group will continue its work for some time.”
