Following a speech by President Emomali Rakhmonov stating that three suspected Tajik terrorists have been held by the USA in Guantanamo Bay, the operation of a medressah [=Islamic educational institute] in northern Tjikistan is being prevented, 152 mosques were closed down, loudspeakers removed from many and 20 per cent of Imams removed from office, Forum 18 News Service has learned. State officials claimed that there were too many mosques. There have also been claims that the authorities compel written confirmation from young couples that they will marry in the 'European manner', with music and dancing. This claim has been denied by the local official dealing with religious affairs
The authorities in the town of Isfara, 100km east of
Khudzhand, the principal town in the northern Tajik region of Sogdi, are
continuing to prevent the operation of a medressah [=Islamic educational
institute] in Isfara district, the vice-chairman of the local branch of the
Islamic Renaissance Party told Forum 18 News on 28 July. "It is the only
medressah in Isfara district," Mukhamadali Abdumalakov remarked.
"According to the Tajik law on religion, it is forbidden to teach religion
without a graduate certificate from a religious institution. The question
arises - who is going to teach people religious doctrine, if the authorities
have closed down the only functioning medressah in the district? There have
already been cases in which people were fined for teaching religious doctrine
illegally."
The authorities closed down the Isfara district medressah last July. In the
same month Tajik President Emomali Rakhmonov stated in a speech that three suspected
terrorists held by the United States at the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base came from
the Isfara area, and expressed concern about the possible appearance of civil
strife in northern Sogdi region motivated by radical Islam .
Control over Muslim religious life in Isfara district was imposed after the
president's speech. According to Rakhmonov, at least 33 of Isfara district's
152 mosques were closed down. To justify this, state officials explained that
the area had too many mosques, and that some had not been properly registered.
The authorities also ordered the removal of over one fifth of the district's
imams, who were accused of political activity.
Isfara district is an exceptional area in northern Tajikistan since, as a
whole, the population is more devout than in other districts in Sogdi region.
Thus, in the Tajik parliamentary elections in 2000, the Islamic Renaissance
Party won a large majority in and around Isfara district. In one village,
Chorku, the same party gained 93 per cent of the vote.
Although the mosques which were closed are functioning again, said Abdumalakov,
the authorities continue to prevent the operation of the medressah. In his
view, this is not the only instance in which the authorities are exerting
pressure on believers. Approximately a year ago loudspeakers through which the
faithful are called to prayer were removed from every mosque in the district
apart from the central one, he said. He also maintains that the authorities
compel written confirmation from young couples that they will marry in the
'European manner', with music and dancing. "According to the canons of
Islam, stage music is unacceptable. But the authorities literally force people
to incorporate stage music into their wedding celebrations," said Abdumalakov.
"All the documents necessary for the registration of Isfara medressah have
now been collated," Dzhamuluddin Rakhmonov, the official dealing with
religious affairs in Isfara district, told Forum 18 on 29 July. According to
Rakhmonov, the documents would soon be sent to the Tajik capital Dushanbe and
then, after they had been scrutinised by the Council for Religious Affairs
attached to the Tajik government, the medressah would be able to begin
functioning. Rakhmonov also claimed that loudspeakers had been removed from
only a few mosques. "This was done for the convenience of believers. Calls
to prayer were being sounded at different times from different mosques, with a
time difference of several minutes. A Muslim is supposed to drop everything
when he hears the call to prayer. It turned out that Muslims hardly had any
time for their personal affairs due to this lack of co-ordination in the timing
of the calls to prayer." Rakhmonov also categorically denied that the
authorities interfered in wedding celebrations. "That's nonsense. I have
personally attended Muslim weddings where there was no music," he said.
"The repercussions of President Rakhmonov's speech last year continue to
be felt to this day," Negmatullo Mirsaidov, editor-in-chief of
Tajikistan's Varorud Information Agency commented to Forum 18 in Khudzhand on
30 July. "In Kanabadam district [30km north of Isfara], for example, ten
mosques remain closed."