BATKEN, Kyrgyzstan -- All Islamic clerics in Kyrgyzstan's southern Batken region will be required to attend a one-month training course administered by the state, RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service reports.
The program -- which will last for about two years so that all Islamic clerics in the region can take it -- is aimed at improving the educational level of all imams and to teach local mullahs how to recognize and battle against extremist Islamic organizations such as Hizb ut-Tahrir.
There are currently 262 registered Islamic clerics in Batken and about 15 mullahs will take the course each month.
Sultan Hajji Gafurov, chief of Batken's religious board, told RFE/RL that the courses will begin on June 1 and trainees will receive certificates at the conclusion of the course.