08:57, 24 August 2013

Chechnya opens its fourth Hafiz school

The fourth school of Hafizes (people who know Quran by heart), launched in construction in August 2012, was opened on August 23 at the south-western Chechnya, in the city of Urus-Martan.

The new school will accommodate 200 students and will be the largest of all the republic's schools for training Quran experts.

Local residents are ambivalent about the appearance of a large number of religious institutions in Chechnya. Some believe that it is "necessary and pleasing to Allah," others believe that such actions of the republic's leadership lead to the total Islamization of the Chechen society.

In the opinion of Mayrbek I., a local resident, Chechnya today needs economic development much more than the improvement of religious education. "Germany and Japan after World War II were in a much worse situation than we are today, but in some 20-30 years they made great strides, fully recovered and became economic giants. And we still rejoice at opening new mosques, madrassas, and Hafiz schools, instead of advancing the economy," said the source.

Author: Muslim Ibragimov

Source: CK correspondent