Kyrgyzstan | May 14, 2024
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On 8 August 2023, Radio Free Europe (RFE/RL) reported that Kyrgyz authorities had shut down 39 mosques and 21 Islamic schools in the Osh region since 20 July 2023: “Kyrgyzstan's State Committee of National Security said the move followed an investigation that revealed noncompliance with the law on religious freedom and religious organizations, construction standards, hygiene and fire safety.”
World Watch Research analyst Rolf Zeegers comments: “21 organizations, among them Hizb ut-Tahrir, are banned in Kyrgyzstan. It is likely that the real reason for the closures reported by RFE/RL was that the mosques and schools in question were seen as a threat to national security. Kyrgyzstan is known to be one of the most Islamic countries in Central Asia and the Osh region borders the Fergana Valley, known for its particularly conservative Islamic population in Uzbekistan. The presence of Islamic extremism in the country will not only be of concern to the government of Kyrgyzstan. There is no doubt that Christians will also be on the radar of any radicalized elements – especially converts to Christianity and those carrying out evangelistic activities.”
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