Kyrgyzstan, a multiethnic nation, populated with people with variant religions coexisting peacefully. Sunni Muslims form 83% of the total Kyrgyzstan population. The Remaining mixture is that of Orthodox Russian Christians, Lutheran German Christians and Catholics. A very small population of Buddhist and Jewish people exist throughout the nation.
The Kyrgyzstan constitution guarantees freedom of choosing their religion.
This has resulted in building a huge congregation of atheists.
Places Where The Religions Function-
The small Jewish community operates and organizes humanitarian services, chiefly food assistance for the elderly and persons with disabilities regardless of faith and internal cultural studies in a synagogue in Bishkek.
The Roman Catholics serve in three churches, in Talas, Jalalabad and Bishkek.
Kyrgyzstan has different Protestant houses of worship, 240 of which have been registered with 10 affiliates and approximately 11,000 members. 40 per cent of the Protestants are the ethnic Kyrgyz people.
Kyrgyzstan also has one Buddhist temple to serve the small Buddhist community.
Kyrgyzstan grounds 12 registered Bahai worship houses.
There are 30 churches operated by the Seventh-day Adventist Church throughout the country.
Protestant groups include Pentecostals, Charismatics, nondenominational Protestants, Baptists, Presbyterians, Lutherans, and Protestant congregations.
Religious Laws
All the religious associations in Kyrgyzstan are left to administer with relative freedom. The law “On the Freedom of Conscience and Religious Organizations in the Kyrgyz Republic” affirmed in 2009 limited the apostle work and required 200 members for religious groups to be able to register. The State Commission for Religious Affairs traces religious groups and their actions.
Different religions flourished after the end of forced atheism of the Union Soviet. Initially, there were 25 Orthodox churches and 39 mosques in Kyrgyzstan during Russian Colonisation.
However, by the 21st century, there were 20 churches, 1,338 mosques and 200 prayer rooms of different Christian cults.
About 4,585 Kyrgyz Muslims visit Saudi Arabia for the Hajj every year.
Religious Education-
Kyrgyzstan also has religious educational centres mostly for the Muslims and the Christians. Ground to a Christian and 10 Muslim higher education institutes Kyrgyzstan has a ‘Commission for Religious Affairs’ to monitor their working.
Kyrgyzstan being a secular democracy has no official state religion. People have the freedom to choose and practise a religion of their choice that is guaranteed by the constitution.
While in Kyrgyzstan, all the religions are equally respected and valued. The diversity in religious affairs has helped form a huge congregation of a variety, all living together on the same grounds.
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