President Saparmurat Niyazov has signed a decree amnestying 9,000 prisoners, turkmenistan.ru reported on 24 October. The amnesty will take place on the Muslim holiday of Laylat al-Qadr, known in Turkmen as Gadyr Gijesi, which falls on 10 November. On 23 October, the president signed a decree raising salaries, pensions, and stipends 50 percent as of 1 January. Niyazov also opened \"the largest mosque in Central Asia\" on 22 October in his native village of Kipchak, Turkmen TV reported. Niyazov said that his parents\' remains will be moved to the mosque. He took the opportunity to comment on the separation of church and state, saying, \"We keep religion pure and we will not use it for political purposes, nor will we allow anyone else to use religion for their personal ambition.\" The mosque, which can accommodate 10,000 worshippers and features four 90-meter-high minarets, cost $100 million to build. (RIA-Novosti)