New Supreme Mufti of Kazakhstan elected
The Kurultai underway at the National Library is attended by Kazakh Minister of Religious Affairs and Civil Society Nurlan Yermekbayev, members of the Presidium, the Council of the Ulemas of the Spiritual Administration of the Muslims of Kazakhstan, theologians, representatives of intelligentsia, and delegates from the country's regions.
It is reported that during the meeting, Head of the Spiritual Administration of the Muslims of Kazakhstan Yerzhan kazhi Malgazyuly named the candidacy of his deputy Serikbay kazhi Oraz for the post of the Supreme Mufti. Having voted for Serikbay kazhi Oraz, 300 delegates of the Kurultai elected him to the post of Supreme Mufti.
Serikbay Oraz Satybaldyuly was born on 12th April 1975. In 1992, he graduated from the Madrassa for Quran reciters in Tashkent. From 1992 to 1994, he studied at the Al-Azhar University in Egypt. He graduated from the Abai State University with a degree in Legal Studies. In 2014, he studied Religious Studies in Nur-Mubarak Egyptian University of Islamic Culture. The same year he gained a Master's degree in Management at the M. Dulatov Kostanay Engineering and Economic University. He also received a Master's degree in Economics. Besides, he was the Naib Imam of the Almaty mosque, a professor of the Islamic Institute, a rector of the Islamic University, the entrusted Imam of Astana, the Deputy Chairman of the Spiritual Administration of the Muslims of Kazakhstan, and the Head of the Religions Department of the Almaty City Administration. He is married and has seven children.