Tajikistan--Christian Persecution in Tajikistan

Asia: Tajikistan Tajikistan Report Last Updated: October 2001 Code: Not Rated (Click here for a code description.)
	(Click here for a list of ICC articles on Tajikistan.) List of Articles Last Updated: December 18, 2000

 Religious Atmosphere:

• 95% of the population considers itself Muslim although 85% of these are only nominal adherents. There are small populations of religious minorities, including Russian Orthodox and Baptists as well as other Christian denominations and Baha'is.

Extremist Groups:

• The government identifies several Muslim groups as extremist groups. This definition is likely based on whether or not the Muslim groups are seen as a threat to the government.

Government:

• Freedom of religion is protected by the Constitution.
      
• Although the majority of the population is Muslim, the government seeks to maintain a secular state in order to counter Islamic fundamentalism. This secularization is often anti-religious in nature.
         
• In May of 1998 the government passed a law to prohibit the creation of political parties with a religious orientation. This restriction has since been lifted and two members of an Islamic party sit in the lower House of Parliament.
        
• Religious organizations must be registered with the government under the Law on Religion and Religious Organizations. This is to ensure that religious groups act in accordance with the law and do not become overly political in nature.
      
• Missionaries of registered groups are allowed to proselytize openly, according to law, although their activities are usually not welcomed by society.
     
• The government has declared two Islamic holidays as state holidays.

Recent Actions:

• October 17, 2001 – Salijon Valiyev, mayor of Kurgan-Tyube, has refused to register the Evangelical Christian Church.  Yusef Mahmedov, a senior field assistant at the office of the Organisation for Security and Co-Operation in Europe stated, ‘Firstly, it is a missionary organization, and the authorities are not keen on Christian expansion.   Secondly, both the leader of the community and several of its members are Tajiks.   The population of Kurgan-Tyube is very devout and local residents react extremely negatively when Tajiks convert to Christianity.” (Keston)
       
• December 31, 2000 -- A Russian Orthodox church and a Seventh Day Adventist church were both severely damaged by bombs. Another attempt to bomb a church was foiled when an evangelist noticed something suspicious in a basket of chocolates that had been delivered to the church. The basket was then carried outside where it exploded in the street. The latter church is a daughter congregation of the Sonmin Grace church that had been bombed in October. That bombing was reportedly incited by a Muslim cleric who urged his students to do something about the growth of the Christian church.
       
• October 31, 2000 - All members of the Sonmin Grace Church were released from prison and 3 Islamic extremists were charged in the bombing of the church on October 1st. The attack may possibly have been aimed at Muslims who converted to Christianity.
        
• October 1, 2000 - Two bombs exploded inside of the Sonmin Grace Church in Dushanbe. Ten members of the church were killed in the explosion and at least 49 others were injured. The church also suffered significant damage, rendering it unusable. Twelve members of the church were arrested in connection with the bombing. The 12 were beaten and denied access to visitors. The church, which was founded by South Korean missionaries, had formerly been targeted by police, who on at least three occasions had raided the church and punished some members for "illegal missionary propaganda."
           
• September - November 2000 - Three Protestant churches have been banned in Sarband, southern Tajikistan. Two Baptist churches and an evangelical church have been unable to hold any services because they are not properly registered with the government. Two of the churches had attempted to register but were refused. Members of all three churches have been arrested by the Security Ministry (formerly the KGB) on various occasions. Believers have been held for several days and some reported having been beaten. The Committee for Religious Affairs (CRA) has promised to investigate the churches' claims of police harrassment.
            
• March 2000 - A Baptist congregation was fined 1000 Tajiki rubles for their failure to register with the government. The group refused to register on the grounds that the church is a member of the larger All-Baptist Churches, which is controlled by leadership in Moscow.

Prisoners: 

ICC has no reports of prisoners being held for their Christian beliefs at this time.

Suggested Actions you might take:

• Pray for the Christians of Tajikistan that they may be protected from harm and that the Christian message may be heard and received by all.
        
• Write a respectful letter to one or more of the government officials listed below. Express your continuing concern for the safety and well being of the Christian community in Tajikistan. Request information about what steps the government is taking to ensure their protection and freedom to practice their faith as laid out in the UN's Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international human rights documents as well as their recently passed decree of religious freedom.
        
• Contact the elected national officials (Senators, Congressman etc.) for your area as well as the U.S. State Department and express concern for the well being of the Christians in Tajikistan asking them to make an inquiry into their status.
        
• Please keep us informed of any replies or results you may receive! Contact ICC by email at icc@persecution.org.

Offical Contacts:

*Note - Tajikistan does not have an embassy in the United States.

POSTED:  October 25, 2001

ICC Articles on Tajikistan:

• November 2000 - Prayer Points - Greece, Nepal, Nigeria, Sudan, Tajikistan