Courtesy Photo | The Dadwal Mosque in the Mando Zayi District, Afghanistan, received new carpet March...... read more read more
Subscribe
KHOWST PROVINCE, Afghanistan – The Khowst Provincial Development Council, a project approval authority and part of the local Afghan government, approved and initiated mosque “repair kits” to refurbish religious centers throughout Khowst Province, Afghanistan, recently.
The project, approved by the PDC in January, started making visual improvements in the province in March, after several weeks of planning and fundraising.
Mullah Shah Mohammad, the director of Ulema Council, said, “Many mosques were in bad condition; people appreciate these refurbishments.”
He said he thinks this will increase attendance and people will consequently expect refurbishments in other mosques throughout Khowst province, which is good because they will call upon their government to make these changes.
While some private work was done on mosques in the past, many have not been refurbished for more than six years, according to Mohammad. But through the efforts of the PDC, large-scale refurbishments to mosques around the province have begun.
Local contractors funded by Provincial Reconstruction Team Khowst assessed various mosques and tailored repairs and refurbishments to each mosque, picking improvements from an overall list.
The list of available improvements includes loudspeaker systems, carpeting, plaster, paint, wood stoves, heaters, curtains and solar panels to power the loudspeakers.
“These refurbishments are essential,” said Mohammad Akbar Zadran, the District Governor of Gorbuz. “This is an Islamic community and our people love to worship together in these places,” he said.
Mosques in 10 of Khowst’s 13 districts were identified for refurbishment and are currently undergoing construction or analysis.
A contractor who is working on the mosques reported many people cite Khowst provincial Gov. Abdul Jabbar Naeemi as a good man and leader because he takes care of his people through programs such as the mosque refurbishment kits.
“This will help show people not to believe in insurgent propaganda saying that coalition forces and the government disgrace mosques,” said Zadran. “This is clearly not the case; in fact, they honor them.”
| Date Taken: | 04.01.2011 |
| Date Posted: | 03.31.2011 18:57 |
| Story ID: | 68062 |
| Location: | KHOWST PROVINCE, AF |
| Web Views: | 50 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Mosque refurbishments give Afghans faith in government, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
