DUSHANBE, March 20, Asia-Plus – Some 350 illegal mosques and praying rooms have been revealed in Tajik capital, the Dushanbe prosecutor Qurbonali Muhabbatov said.
According to him, inspections by the prosecutor’s office have revealed some 350 public sites in the city that were illegally used as praying rooms. “148 of them have to date been legalized, while 13 others are not subject to legalization,” Muhabbatov said.
He termed the illegal construction of three-story building that was used for daily praying and religious ceremonies in microrayon 91 as an example of illegal mosque. According to him, criminal proceedings have been instituted and the building is to be pulled down.
“The prosecutor’s office just issue a ruling while the further fate of illegal mosque or praying room is decided by authorities of the district, where they are located,” the prosecutor said.
The Dushanbe prosecutor’s office says that the capital city has 16 registered mosques.
According to unofficial sources, there are not less than 3,000 mosques and paring rooms in Tajikistan.
