Kyrgyz authorities move to restrict mosques, religious sites

New draft regulation seeks to limit number and proximity of religious buildings in Muslim-majority country amid rising concerns of state-imposed secularism.

BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan (MNTV) – Authorities in Kyrgyzstan have proposed a controversial draft resolution that would limit the construction of mosques, prayer rooms, and other religious facilities in populated areas—deepening concerns over what critics see as growing state efforts to impose secularism in a predominantly Muslim society.

The proposal, submitted by the State Commission for Religious Affairs, sets strict distance requirements for new religious buildings. If enacted, future mosques and prayer rooms would need to be built at least two kilometers apart in villages, three kilometers apart in rural municipalities, and four kilometers apart in cities. Existing religious facilities would remain unaffected by the new rules.

Officials argue the regulation is necessary to control the rapid and unregulated proliferation of religious sites. Since 2021, the government has undertaken a national campaign to register previously unrecognized religious buildings. 

The commission reported discovering 644 unregistered religious institutions during that process. By early 2023, more than 200 additional facilities were identified as under construction.

“Many of these buildings are being constructed without a proper assessment of community needs. In some areas, up to ten religious facilities are clustered within close range,” said the commission in a public statement. It also noted a surge in requests for financial assistance from local authorities to complete these constructions.

This proposal is seen as part of a broader trend toward restricting religious expression. Kyrgyzstan, where over 90% of the population identifies as Muslim, has seen increased state control over religious practices in recent years—often justified as a safeguard against extremism.

This latest move follows the endorsement by the Spiritual Administration of Muslims of Kyrgyzstan (DUMK) of a separate government ban on wearing the niqab in public. The DUMK labeled the traditional face-covering “alien to society,” aligning itself with the state’s increasingly secular stance.

For many observers, the alignment between state policy and religious authorities raises questions about autonomy, as well as the erosion of traditional Islamic practices in public life.