Bishkek, Kyrgyzistan - Head of the state agency for religious affairs at the Kyrgyz government Toigonbek Kalmatov has advocated tougher control over the activity of religious organizations.
"Measures to tighten control over the activity of religious organization are highly needed, because some of them work illegally," Kalmatov told journalists.
"Five bills introducing tougher equirements on the activities of religious organizations are being developed," the official said.
"Currently, 2,142 of such organizations have been officially registered in the country. However, the activity of some 500 [organizations] is illegal," he said. "These are the Hizb ut-Tahrir radical party, the Tabligi Daavata movement, Satanists, the White
Brotherhood, the Maharishi Cult and others," he said. "Some of these movements are banned in the SCO member states as well," the director of
the state agency said.
"Many religious movements were founded in the country in 1991-1996, when the state did not exercise control over their activities," he said. "The state agency for religious affairs began operating in 1996 only," the head of the agency said.
"In general, laws on religious organizations are rather mild in Kyrgyzstan. The only thing required to register a religious organization is that its charter does not contradict the national legislation," Kalmatov said, adding that "a full-fledged legal base is required to guarantee tougher control," he said.