On April, 17th, at 12pm, in the Republican Palace of Kishinev took place the solemn action devoted to a significant event in the history of Muslims of Moldova – for the first time Islam as a religious cult received the official status in the country.
Muslims of the republic had an opportunity openly to profess their religious prescriptions, safely to declare their identity and to become active members of the society. Members of the government and officials of the Republic of Moldova, the deputies of the EuroParliament, ambassadors, diplomats, representatives of the Muslim people of the country were invited to the solemn action. A number of electronic and printing mass-media were accredited, too.
Islam was brought in the national register of Moldova as religion which can be professed officially on the territory of the country.
Hard history
For many years local Muslims, despite a constitutional law freely to profess their faith on the basis of the convention on protection of human rights and basic freedoms, all the same had no possibility openly to perform collective prayers, to gather for Friday sermons, to celebrate holidays of Id al-Fitr and Id al-Adha.
Also there was no possibility to build a mosque, to be engaged in Islamic educational activity.
Moreover, any collective religious activity of Muslims was stopped by keepers of law and order.
Muslims could only partially realize their religious requirements within the limits of actions at the social cultural organizations or fraternities.
Representatives from Muslims of Moldova repeatedly addressed different instances, in particular in the European structures, with requests to affect the situation with Islam in the republic.
As a result, official representatives from Europe managed to convince the government of the Republic of Moldova of importance of giving to Islam the official status in the country.
