KULANAK, Kyrgyzstan — After the death of a 14-year-old Baptist boy in Kulanak in central Kyrgyzstan, the local imam and a village mob prevented his burial in the village, even in land allocated two years earlier for Christian burials, local Baptists said. Some people in the mob were drunk as they threatened the Isakov family, and the police did nothing to protect them. Instead the police forced their way into the family’s house, stole the body and buried it "in a disrespectful manner" 25 miles away, the Baptists said.
Talay Jakypov of the spiritual administration of Muslims of Naryn region said the decision not to allow the burial in the village came in writing from the district authorities. However, a spokesperson for the regional administration denied this, saying "the whole village" was against the burial.
Raya Kadyrova of the Foundation for Tolerance International said this is the latest of many such cases. She said the boy’s right to choose his faith must be respected. "In this case the state institutions decided that their decision is more correct. This is absolutely wrong."
Share with others: