PAVLODAR, Kazakhstan -- Pavlodar's central mosque, Mashkhur Jusup, recently opened a free dorm for needy male college students, the Spiritual Administration of Muslims of Kazakhstan (DUMK) said in a November 14 statement.
"Our goal is to attract youth to spiritual development," the mosque's chief imam, Nariman Isenov, said. "If we don't care about the needy, they could be influenced by representatives of various pseudo-religious movements."
Students living in the dorm will have the chance to take courses on religious literacy.
The mosque's leaders intend to open a similar dorm for female students next year.
