religious freedom

“The attempt of radical neophytes to fob off foreign religious ideals on the society, including in the form of the archaic attire, is a blatant challenge to our traditional principles and values.” This is what the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Kasym-Zhomart Tokayev said at the National Kurultai (assembly). Who was the message addressed to and what does it mean for the social and economic life of the country? (more…)

Kazakhstan should live according to Sharia law, according to Nurtas Adambai, a prominent Kazakh actor and director. How does the republic assess this statement? (more…)

“My daughter wears a headscarf and she is not allowed to attend public school. I teach her at home, and she also attends the course of English at the training centre,” a mother based in West Kazakhstan region said wondering why her child cannot pursue secondary education. (more…)

The problem of Kazakhstan, as well as other ex-Soviet countries, is the assurance that religion a priori carries threat, in particular, to the political structure and cultural identity, experts say. Therefore, religion laws contain provisions that discriminate against religious people. (more…)

Schoolgirls wearing hijabs and headscarves have divided the society of Kazakhstan. Some call the ban on wearing religious head covering the oppression of girls. Others believe this ban is a normal practice in a secular state. Still others develop the model of a headscarf acceptable for schools. (more…)

The Institute for War and Peace Reporting (IWPR), along with the Legal Media Center and the Association of Religious Organizations of Kazakhstan, organized two briefing meetings for government agencies, experts, and representatives from religious communities in the cities of Karaganda and Shymkent. These events were conducted with the assistance of the Committee for Religious Affairs of the Ministry of Information and Social Development of the Republic of Kazakhstan, as well as local departments for religious affairs.
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The office of the Institute for War and Peace Reporting in Kazakhstan is pleased to announce the launch of a new project “Freedom of Religion in Kazakhstan”.

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