Kyrgyzstan: Massive mosque opens in Osh on anniversary of clashes
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 11 June 2012 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Kyrgyzstan: Massive mosque opens in Osh on anniversary of clashes, 11 June 2012, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/4fdb2f5d1e.html [accessed 17 September 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
By RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service
June 11, 2012
OSH, Kyrgyzstan – Kyrgyzstan's largest mosque has formally opened in the southern city of Osh on the second anniversary of ethnic clashes in the country that killed more than 400 people and left tens of thousands displaced.
Several days of violence between local Uzbeks and Kyrgyz was sparked in Osh on June 10, 2010.
President Almazbek Atambaev told a crowd at the opening ceremony that Islam is "a religion of unity" and that every citizen of Kyrgyzstan should remember they are part of "a single nation."
The mosque has a maximum capacity of 20,000 people.
It was built using money raised by local citizens, as well as with financial support from the governments of Turkey and Saudi Arabia.
With reporting by Interfax
Link to original story on RFE/RL website