Shali residents treat mosque named after Ramzan Kadyrov as excessive

The construction of a mosque named after Ramzan Kadyrov in the city of Shali is coming to an end, the Mayoralty has reported. A mosque capable to house 20,000 believers in the city with a relatively small population is not needed; for the convenience of residents, it would be worthwhile to build several small mosques in different parts of the city, local residents told the "Caucasian Knot".

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that in 2012, the construction of a new Ramzan Kadyrov mosque was launched in Shali, located in the south-east of Chechnya. Initially, it was designed for 10,000 believers, and its opening was scheduled for 2015. However, then the plan was amended; the capacity was doubled; and the deadline for the object was postponed. The construction of the mosque is funded by the Akhmat Kadyrov Foundation.

On March 13, the press service of the Mayoralty reported that the Ramzan Kadyrov will be opened in May.

Residents of Shali told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent that they saw no need to build such a large mosque in a city with a relatively small population.

“Of course, the mosque is needed, it's really very beautiful ... But there was no need for such a large one here. It would be enough to build a mosque for five to ten thousand parishioners or several small mosques in different parts of the city so that people do not have to go far. A mosque for 20,000 believers in the city with the entire population of less than 54,000 is too large," said Magomed, a resident of Shali.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on March 14, 2019 at 06:00 am MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.