Residents of Stavropol territory opposed to mosque construction

Residents of Vinsady have collected 3,500 signatures against construction of a mosque in their village. A petition was sent to the local parliament, SKFO.ru reports.

State Duma member Victor Goncharov said that the document had no legal value.

Residents of Pyatigorsk, Lermontov and Yessentuki approved the protests started in Vinsady. Head of the Predgorny District Nikolai Gulbyakov said that the construction will undergo public hearings.

Regional Mufti Muhammad Rakhimov said that his administration will try to persuade the residents and Cossacks to stop the protests.

The mosque construction was permitted in the Predgorny District last month.