Kadyr Malikov: Religious figures should not interfere in politics

Candidate for presidency Omurbek Babanov said at a recent press conference that people more often say that religious figures interfere in politics.

«I would like to address the mullahs. People come to you to receive a blessing, some knowledge. Therefore, they should not be campaigned for this or that candidate. We need to educate people, call for peace and unity, for the development of Kyrgyzstan. And each person will decide whom he will support. Religion and politics should go separately. And we should not engage mullahs in politics. They must do their job — to call people to morality,» Omurbek Babanov said.

Theologian Kadyr Malikov agrees with him. According to him, imams, mullahs, religious figures should not use their jobs, their status for propaganda or campaigning for a particular political party.

«This is spelled out both constitutionally and legally. As for the very principles of Islam, then, of course, the believer has the right as a citizen to vote or not to vote, he can even be an agitator for some party, but in no case should use his position, his post. I believe that Babanov’s words are the right call not to use not only an administrative resource, but religious as well,» Malikov said.

Religious figures, imams in the first place should be neutral arbitrators, not to divide people on regional or political grounds. Political parties should not use mosques for their campaigning, mosques shouldn’t be politicized

Kadyr Malikov