Tajik government violates religious freedom, survey suggests
The Norway-based human rights organization Forum 18 released its survey on Tajikistan's "continuing violations of freedom of religion or belief and related fundamental human rights such as the freedoms of expression and association" in 2015.
The rights group's survey cites abuses that include a "ban on all exercise of freedom of religion or belief without state permission; severe limitations on the numbers of mosques permitted and activities allowed inside those mosques; the banning of Central Asia's only legal religious-based political party, the Islamic Renaissance Party of Tajikistan (IRPT), and the arrest of its senior party figures as prisoners of conscience; forcing imams in state-controlled mosques to preach state-dictated sermons; forcible closure of all madrasahs (Islamic religious schools); a ban on all public exercise of freedom of religion or belief, apart from funerals, by people under the age of 18; and state censorship of and bans on some religious literature and websites."
The organization mainly focuses on Central Asian countries, and reports on religious freedom by Forum 18 widely used by international organizations such as Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch (HRW) and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).
Tajik Justice Minister Rustam Shohmurod said on Jan. 13 that "foreign," especially Arabic-sounding names, have caused divisions in Tajik society. Previously in May 2015, representatives were debating whether to ban Arabic names and Arabic words in Tajik as part of an ongoing campaign against Islam. Names derived from prominent figures in Islam, such as Sumayyah, Aisha and Asiya, were once almost nonexistent in Tajikistan, a Muslim-majority country, but have become the most popular names for girls in recent years. Muhammad, Yusuf and Abu-Bakr are among the most popular names for boys. Some Tajik members of parliament were reportedly demanding that existing Arabic-sounding names should be changed to Tajik-Persian names.
The Tajik Justice Ministry announced in August 2015 that the non-parliamentary IRPT could not legally continue its activities because it did not have enough members to qualify as a registered party. Tajik prosecutors said 23 top officials of the banned IRPT was arrested in September 2015. The Tajik Supreme Court ruled that the IRPT was "extremist and a terrorist organization" before banning it. The ministry said all the party's branches in 58 cities and districts across Tajikistan had been closed. The IRPT played an important part in Tajikistan's 1992 to 1997 civil war, which left tens of thousands dead and more than 1 million people displaced.
Tajik officials maintain tight restrictions on religious freedoms, including religious education and worship, Forum 18 said. Regulations also restrict religious dress. Under the pretext of combating extremism, Tajikistan continues to ban Muslim groups. Headscarves are banned in educational institutions and beards are prohibited in public buildings. "At least 50,000 signatures must be collected to build a mosque in Tajik provinces. Women and those under 18 are banned from mosques," Muhiddin Kabiri, the leader of the IRPT said.
A law was also approved banning children under 18 from attending Friday prayers. Tajiks under the age of 35 were banned from the hajj in 2015 by the State Committee on Religious Affairs (SCRA). Wearing black was banned for women in the northern district of Khujan, and importing black dresses was banned to diminish the "Shiite effect" in April 2015. Tajik parliament rejected a proposed law to allow prayer in public and workplaces. Some activities of religious groups have been restricted by the requirement for them to register with the SCRA. Religious groups that do not have a physical structure are not allowed to gather publicly for prayer. Failure to register can result in large fines and the closure of places of worship.
The rights group's survey cites abuses that include a "ban on all exercise of freedom of religion or belief without state permission; severe limitations on the numbers of mosques permitted and activities allowed inside those mosques; the banning of Central Asia's only legal religious-based political party, the Islamic Renaissance Party of Tajikistan (IRPT), and the arrest of its senior party figures as prisoners of conscience; forcing imams in state-controlled mosques to preach state-dictated sermons; forcible closure of all madrasahs (Islamic religious schools); a ban on all public exercise of freedom of religion or belief, apart from funerals, by people under the age of 18; and state censorship of and bans on some religious literature and websites."
The organization mainly focuses on Central Asian countries, and reports on religious freedom by Forum 18 widely used by international organizations such as Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch (HRW) and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).
Tajik Justice Minister Rustam Shohmurod said on Jan. 13 that "foreign," especially Arabic-sounding names, have caused divisions in Tajik society. Previously in May 2015, representatives were debating whether to ban Arabic names and Arabic words in Tajik as part of an ongoing campaign against Islam. Names derived from prominent figures in Islam, such as Sumayyah, Aisha and Asiya, were once almost nonexistent in Tajikistan, a Muslim-majority country, but have become the most popular names for girls in recent years. Muhammad, Yusuf and Abu-Bakr are among the most popular names for boys. Some Tajik members of parliament were reportedly demanding that existing Arabic-sounding names should be changed to Tajik-Persian names.
The Tajik Justice Ministry announced in August 2015 that the non-parliamentary IRPT could not legally continue its activities because it did not have enough members to qualify as a registered party. Tajik prosecutors said 23 top officials of the banned IRPT was arrested in September 2015. The Tajik Supreme Court ruled that the IRPT was "extremist and a terrorist organization" before banning it. The ministry said all the party's branches in 58 cities and districts across Tajikistan had been closed. The IRPT played an important part in Tajikistan's 1992 to 1997 civil war, which left tens of thousands dead and more than 1 million people displaced.
Tajik officials maintain tight restrictions on religious freedoms, including religious education and worship, Forum 18 said. Regulations also restrict religious dress. Under the pretext of combating extremism, Tajikistan continues to ban Muslim groups. Headscarves are banned in educational institutions and beards are prohibited in public buildings. "At least 50,000 signatures must be collected to build a mosque in Tajik provinces. Women and those under 18 are banned from mosques," Muhiddin Kabiri, the leader of the IRPT said.
A law was also approved banning children under 18 from attending Friday prayers. Tajiks under the age of 35 were banned from the hajj in 2015 by the State Committee on Religious Affairs (SCRA). Wearing black was banned for women in the northern district of Khujan, and importing black dresses was banned to diminish the "Shiite effect" in April 2015. Tajik parliament rejected a proposed law to allow prayer in public and workplaces. Some activities of religious groups have been restricted by the requirement for them to register with the SCRA. Religious groups that do not have a physical structure are not allowed to gather publicly for prayer. Failure to register can result in large fines and the closure of places of worship.
Last Update: January 15, 2016 21:47