President of Kyrgyzstan, Sadyr Japarov, has signed a decree to implement measures under the “Law on Burial and Funeral Affairs,” as reported by the presidential press service and relayed by the “Adyrna” national portal.
The decree suggests that the Kyrgyzstan Muslim Religious Authority issue a fatwa prohibiting the construction and installation of monuments, statues, headstones, and fences. However, exceptions may be made for burial sites of historical and cultural significance.
According to Islamic law, it is prohibited to place expensive stones, photographs, iron fences, or to use cement and concrete on Muslim graves. In a July interview with the “Kabar” agency, Japarov explained that such customs do not benefit the deceased but instead bring suffering to their spirit through the use of burned materials or the construction of roofs over graves.
The president urged citizens to stop installing metal and stone monuments in cemeteries, emphasizing that remembering the deceased through daily recitation of the Quran, or simply holding them in memory, is sufficient. He stated that metal monuments and two-story mausoleums are not part of traditional customs.
According to the decree, tombstones and fences should be made from wood and not exceed 0.7 meters in height. Such measures aim to prevent wastefulness in the construction of grave monuments. The Muslim Religious Authority, the State Commission on Religious Affairs, regional representatives of the President, local authorities, and other organizations have been tasked with conducting regular educational outreach to the public on burial practices.
The Agency for Architecture, Construction, and Housing and Communal Services has been instructed to develop and approve model regulations within three months, setting ecological and sanitary standards for urban planning documents, as well as for the placement, design, maintenance, and upkeep of burial sites.
