Tajikistan: Parliament to mull repressive religious legislation

Igor Rotar 7/16/07

Draft legislation pending in parliament would roll back religious freedom in Tajikistan. In its present form, the legislation would effectively institute limits on the number of mosques allowed to function in the country, and would make it virtually impossible for most religious denominations to gain official registration

Tajik legislators are expected to mull adoption of the legislation soon after the current parliamentary recess ends in mid-August. Beyond the restrictive nature of the draft legislation, opponents criticize the secretive manner in which the government has acted to date, complaining that the full text of the draft law is not readily obtainable. "‘Essentially, the current legislation is being made anonymously," complained Ibadullo Kalonzoda, an influential Islamic theologian and the imam at the Nur mosque in the northern city of Khujand.

The draft law would prohibit religious education of any kind for children under the age of seven, as well as ban all forms of religious instruction in private homes. It would also bar foreign nationals from heading a state-approved religious organization in Tajikistan. In addition, the legislation would strictly regulate the number of mosques, specifying one mosque per 20,000 inhabitants in rural areas, and one per 30,000 in urban areas. In the capital, Dushanbe, the law would permit only one mosque per 60,000 residents

According to Hikmotulla Sayfullozoda, head of the analytical center of Islamic Revival Party of Tajikistan, the legislation, if enacted, would exacerbate what is already a shortage of mosques in Dushanbe. Sayfullozoda contended that, at present, most Dushanbe mosques are unable to accommodate the number of people seeking to worship on Fridays. Yet, under the population formula contained in the draft legislation, the number of mosques in Dushanbe could be reduced from 28 currently to 16. "Adopting this legislation would be simply absurd. Mosques [now] aren't able to accommodate even half of believers," Sayfullozoda said. He indicated that the two members of the IRP who hold seats in parliament intend to introduce an alternative, more lenient draft law on religion when the new parliament session opens.

The government-sponsored framework under discussion would replace the 1994 Law on Religion, which was amended several times, the last time being in 2001. According to political analysts, the government's motivation for trying to tighten oversight of the country's religious life is a desire to curtail the influence of radical Islam. [For background see the Eurasia Insight archive]. A banned underground organization, Hizb-ut-Tahrir, reportedly has attracted a growing number of Tajik followers in recent years. [For background see the Eurasia Insight archive]

While many leaders of Tajikistan's Muslim community take a dim view of the draft law's potential restrictions on Islam, they are far less critical of provisions that are widely seen as prejudicial to other faiths. For example, stringent registration requirements will make it next to impossible for Christian denominations, including the Roman Catholic Church and Protestant churches, from being able to operate legally in the country. The draft legislation mandates that for the state to officially register a denomination, it must have a certain minimum number of followers (In Dushanbe, for example, the minimum is set at 1,200 members). According to some estimates there are only 3,000-4,000 Protestants of all denominations in Tajikistan, with no single one having more than several hundred members. Provisions in the draft legislation also prohibit missionary activities, including proselytizing

In June, representatives of 22 Christian and other religious organizations active in Tajikistan dispatched a joint letter to President Imomali Rahmon and members of parliament voicing profound concern that the draft legislation would erode existing constitutional protections governing freedom on conscience. Adoption of the new regulations "will mean that believers are doomed to confess their faith illegally, which will in [the] future [lead to] repression," the letter said, according to a report distributed by the Forum 18 news service.

Editor's Note: Igor Rotar is the Central Asian correspondent for EurasiaNet

Posted July 16, 2007 © Eurasianet