The Sakawllam forest area and a hill top of Muimah in Tedim town have been reportedly surveyed and compared for the location of the mosque. Sakawllam hill top belongs to the ‘Laipian Religion’, the traditional religion of the Chin people, while the hilltop in Muimah is at the top of the Reverend Cope Memorial Baptist Church.  

The preparation for the construction of the mosque in Tedim is being patronized by the Defence Ministry of the Burmese government. The people of Chin state favouring the construction will receive subsidies from the government.

Funds for the construction of the mosque in Tedim have been raised from abroad. Workers on the construction site will be paid in US Dollars, sources added.

The proposed mosque has thrown up much discussion among the Chin people. Frequent hot discussions, debates and information sharing through various internet forums have been reported.

A reputed Chin democracy activist opined that it might be a strategy of the Burmese military junta to counter the recently formed Chin National Council. Meanwhile, some feel that the preparation is a political tactics of the junta to counter Christianity as Buddhism has failed to spread in Northern Chin state.

About 95 percent of the populations in Tedim Township are of the Christian faith while five percent are from other religious groups. The percentage of Muslims in Tedim Township is reportedly zero. -KNG