DUSHANBE, September 13, 2011, Asia-Plus  -- 50 more five-time prayer mosques may appear in Dushanbe soon.

“Following the request by the Dushanbe mayor’s office, the Committee for Religious Affairs (CRA) under the Government of Tajikistan has reviewed status of 57 public places that were used by Dushanbe residents for corporate prayer,” said Solehjon Zavqiyev, an official with CRA, “Fifty-one of these places may aspire to the status of mosques for daily prayers (five-time prayer mosques)”

The religion law limits the number of mosques that may be registered within a given population area.  Friday mosques are allowed in districts with 10,000 to 20,000 persons; five-time mosques are allowed in areas with populations of 100 to 1,000. The quotas are higher for Dushanbe, where Friday mosques may function in areas with 30,000 to 50,000 persons; five-time mosques are allowed in areas with populations of 1,000 to 5,000.

According to CRA, Dushanbe now has one Islamic Center, 38 five-time prayer mosques, twenty Friday prayer mosques (larger facilities for weekly Friday prayers), and four central Friday prayer mosques.