Tajikistan Says 350 Mosques Functioning Without License
September 01, 2007
September 1, 2007 (RFE/RL) -- The regional prosecutors' office in Tajikistan's northern Sughd province says 350 mosques in the region have been functioning without proper registration.
The authorities said on August 31 they do not intend to close down the mosques, but have given a deadline to the mosques' imams to complete their paperwork.
Several unregistered mosques were closed down or destroyed earlier this month in the capital, Dushanbe, amid heavy criticism by religious leaders and the public.