The Kyrgyz mufti's office, known as the Kyrgyz Muslims' Religious Directorate, issued a statement on June 4 condemning the recent desecration of the Central Asian national flags in the southern Jalal-Abad region. Last week, unknown people removed Kyrgyz national flags from two schools in the Suzak district and burned them. The perpetrators replaced the flags with white flags carrying religious statements in Arabic. The Kyrgyz mufti's office called on the former Soviet republic's citizens to "respect religious values and our country's national symbols, including the national flag" to "preserve the integrity of our people, peace in our homeland, and the strength of our state." To read the original story by RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service, click here.
Kyrgyz Mufti's Office Condemns Desecration Of National Flags
A Kyrgyz flag flies at a police station in Bishkek.