Kazakhstan's Supreme mufti: Problem with radical Islamists will resolve itself

Kazakhstan's Supreme mufti (Islamic scholar who is an interpreter or expounder of the Islamic law) thinks that the problem with radical Islamists will solve itself if religious schools keep educating new imams (worship leaders of mosques and the Muslim community), Diapazon newspaper writes. Absattar kazhi Derbissali is sure that nobody will listen to extremists if well-educated imams are everywhere. During his trip to Aktobe he noted that 11 new imams were sent to the region. "I met with imams from Turkey and they say that there are no radicals over there. They study and preach genuine Islam. Nobody lets extremists into the mosques and they are told to disappear if they approach. We will come to such situation eventually. We already have 9 schools; we will educate our own imams and the problem will disappear. We will send the graduates who know the traditions and Islam into the regions. There will be no need in other preachers and nobody will listen to them,” mufti told about measures taken after the disturbing events in Aktobe oblast. The mufti said that it will take 2 years to provide all mosques with the required staff, while it takes 4 years to graduate from a muslim school as an imam.