QURGHON TEPPA, June 29, 2012, Asia-Plus — 75 mosques illegally functioning in the southern Khatlon province have been turned into teahouses, school classes, libraries or first-aid posts.
Tolibjon Azimov, a senior assistant to the Khatlon prosecutor, told Asia-Plus today that 229 illegally functioning mosques have been revealed in the province since the beginning of this year and 75 of them have been turned into teahouses, school classes, libraries or first-aid posts. “Founders of 61 mosques have lodged documents for registration and the fate of the remaining 93 mosques will be decided by local authorities,” the prosecutor said.
According to him, of 1,052 mosques functioning in the Qurghon Teppa region of the province area, only 176 have appropriate opinion letters from local sanitary and epidemiological station. “Of 551 mosques functioning in the Kulob region of the province, only 58 have the opinion letters from local sanitary and epidemiological station,” Azimov said.
The Khatlon agency for environmental protection has reportedly inspected 36 mosques in the province for compliance with environmental requirements and 48 instances of violation of environmental requirements have been recorded.
The prosecutor also noted that all penal colonies located in Khatlon, except penal colony # 9/7, have special premises for performing prayers.
