President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Japarov signed a decree on the Concept of State Policy of the Kyrgyz Republic in the Religious Sphere for 2021-2026, the presidential press service reported.
According to the document, as of the beginning of 2021, 3,348 religious associations have been registered with the State Commission on Religious Affairs. At least 2,930 of them are Islamic and 404 — Christian, as well as 12 Bahá’í communities, one Jewish and one Buddhist community.
The largest of them is the Spiritual Directorate of the Muslims of Kyrgyzstan, which ensures the preservation of the Hanafi madhhab and Maturidite beliefs among the Muslims.
«Taking into account modern security challenges, the need to develop dialogue and religious tolerance, religious associations carry out activities to preserve tolerance, unity and diversity of cultures. As part of the implementation of the concept of state policy in the religious sphere for 2014-2020, work has begun in a number of areas,» the document says.
The registration of religious associations has been streamlined, in connection with which the number of associations that illegally carry out their activities has been reduced; actions were taken to improve the legal regulations in the religious sphere and bring them into line with the Constitution of the Kyrgyz Republic and international human rights standards; platforms for sustainable dialogue between government bodies and religious associations, including an interfaith council and other expert councils, have been created and are being developed; within the framework of cooperation with the SDMK, assistance was provided in the formation of a system of certification and advanced training of clergy; the foundation was laid for the functioning of the system of providing religious education, the process of systematizing educational institutions, developing and approving requirements for them in terms of the content of education and material and technical support; the potential of the authorized state body for religious affairs of the Kyrgyz Republic has been strengthened: the expert level has been increased, international cooperation has been established, the positions of representatives in the regions have been established, a center for the study of the religious situation is functioning; measures have been taken to carry out explanatory and preventive work among the population in order to increase legal literacy and prevent conflicts on religious grounds.
