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Religious Leaders Congratulate Muslims on Kurban Bayram in Almaty

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Posted By
Arman Arenbayev
Posted On
07/12/2024

On June 16, 2024, as the entire Muslim world celebrated Kurban Bairam, leaders of various religious communities in Almaty, Kazakhstan, came together to congratulate the Muslims of the city, as well as the leaders of the Muslim community, which is the largest religious community in the country. The City of Almaty’s Department of Religious Affairs played a major role in this meeting, not only inviting all religious leaders to gather together but also initiating and holding it.

About 25 leaders of various religious communities, as well as employees of the Department of Religious Affairs of the city of Almaty, gathered together in a yurt (a national Kazakh tent used by nomads as a place to live) on the territory of the Central Mosque of the city of Almaty, where they shared festive food, communicated, and simply enjoyed communication together. No one talked about theology or the differences in our beliefs, despite the fact that the reason for gathering together was a religious holiday.

In April, LYNC organized the Religious Leaders Training in the USA, and several members of this religious club participated. During a joint lunch, those who participated in this training had the opportunity to share and talk about their experiences. The main goal of the LYNC training in the USA was to share the experience of conducting multi-faith round tables, as well as the experience of developing relations between representatives of different religions.

During this event, three things became obvious: first, the leaders of religious associations in the city of Almaty not only treat each other with tolerance but also develop strong friendly relations with each other despite differences in religious beliefs. Secondly, the Almaty city administration, represented by the Department of Religious Affairs, plays a significant role as a connecting link in the process of building inter-religious dialogue. Thirdly, the example of relations between the leaders of religious communities becomes an example for the entire society in the city.

Arman Arenbayev has been the pastor of the Presbyterian Church in Kazakhstan for 13 years and is LYNC’s representative in Kazakhstan.

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