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    Categories: 2018

F18News: Tajikistan – Almost 2,000 mosques closed in 2017

FORUM 18 NEWS SERVICE, Oslo, Norway
https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.forum18.org_&d=DwIBaQ&c=clK7kQUTWtAVEOVIgvi0NU5BOUHhpN0H8p7CSfnc_gI&r=LVw5zH6C4LHpVQcGEdVcrQ&m=1wRBDgYYyb3G2Ucu9auhlOSjT6gHdQ-jqy2XZpPvck0&s=Yi7uIPztdJpRu8947c0914Vnhyp50D_WOvN2cw4NAs0&e=

The right to believe, to worship and witness
The right to change one's belief or religion
The right to join together and express one's belief

=================================================

Monday 
TAJIKISTAN: ALMOST 2,000 MOSQUES CLOSED IN 2017

Tajikistan has claimed to have closed almost 2,000 mosques in 2017.
Officials claimed they were closed at the request of local residents, but
have not been able to explain why they only allow mosques with a capacity
far below the possible numbers of worshippers.

TAJIKISTAN: ALMOST 2,000 MOSQUES CLOSED IN 2017
https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.forum18.org_archive.php-3Farticle-5Fid-3D2356&d=DwIBaQ&c=clK7kQUTWtAVEOVIgvi0NU5BOUHhpN0H8p7CSfnc_gI&r=LVw5zH6C4LHpVQcGEdVcrQ&m=1wRBDgYYyb3G2Ucu9auhlOSjT6gHdQ-jqy2XZpPvck0&s=i5wj9_fzzRXhdNF0i5bk1_7YDzwocFloYFtLjyC69WE&e=
By Mushfig Bayram, Forum 18

On 5 February 2018 Tajikistan's State Committee for Religious Affairs and
Regulation of Traditions, Ceremonies and Rituals (SCRA) claimed that 1,938
mosques were in 2017 forcibly closed and converted to secular uses.
However, human rights defender Faizinisso Vokhidova noted that the SCRA's
claims that the mosques were illegal is not credible. She also noted that
many closed mosques had refused to complain about their closure, even when
offered legal assistance in bring court cases. "They were afraid to do so",
Vokhidova told Forum 18 (see below).

Press conferences were in early January held in various parts of Tajikistan
to announce local mosque closures and the alleged reasons for this. Two
typical examples were in the northern Sogd Region, in Isfara and in
Bobojon-Gofurov District. In both cases, officials claimed the mosques were
closed at the request of local residents. In neither case were officials
able to explain to Forum 18 why they only allow mosques with a capacity far
below the possible numbers of worshippers (see below).

The authorities are highly dismissive of questions about the mosque
closures. When Forum 18 on 19 February asked the SCRA official responsible
for work with mosques why so many have been closed, he put the phone down
and then put on a recorded message with a female voice repeatedly saying:
"Who are you, where are you calling, what an idiot". His phone continued to
play this message with a male voice the following day (see below).

Imprisoned Jehovah's Witness prisoner of conscience Daniil Islamov is
preparing to appeal for the last time to the Supreme Court against his
six-month jail term imposed in October 2017 for refusing compulsory
military service (see forthcoming F18News article). On 28 November the
Supreme Court ruled that his case should be sent back to the first instance
Court for "correction of mistakes in the decision". On 5 October the United
Nations (UN) Working Group on Arbitrary Detention publicly stated that
Tajikistan should release prisoner of conscience Islamov "immediately" (see
F18News 5 December 2017
<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.forum18.org_archive.php-3Farticle-5Fid-3D2337&d=DwIBaQ&c=clK7kQUTWtAVEOVIgvi0NU5BOUHhpN0H8p7CSfnc_gI&r=LVw5zH6C4LHpVQcGEdVcrQ&m=1wRBDgYYyb3G2Ucu9auhlOSjT6gHdQ-jqy2XZpPvck0&s=1zA2vYy8tiCv48kmguGvjPD-pCaud8ONNnGArG163d0&e=>).
 This has not
happened.

Ongoing forced mosque closures

All exercise of the freedom of religion and belief is under tight state
control and surveillance, with Muslims being particularly targetted for
restrictions. There are, for example, severe limitations on the numbers of
mosques permitted and activities allowed inside those mosques. These
limitations are backed by repeated mosque and Islamic prayer room closures
(see Forum 18's Tajikistan religious freedom survey
<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.forum18.org_archive.php-3Farticle-5Fid-3D2138&d=DwIBaQ&c=clK7kQUTWtAVEOVIgvi0NU5BOUHhpN0H8p7CSfnc_gI&r=LVw5zH6C4LHpVQcGEdVcrQ&m=1wRBDgYYyb3G2Ucu9auhlOSjT6gHdQ-jqy2XZpPvck0&s=wkXZDqM4HJB9gSKNsqakePS8GOjXSJw7s3Q2X_8-Mfk&e=>).
 The state continues
to forcibly close Mosques and Muslim prayer rooms as well as impose
increased surveillance and controls on the mosques they do permit (see eg.
F18News 6 May 2016 
<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.forum18.org_archive.php-3Farticle-5Fid-3D2175&d=DwIBaQ&c=clK7kQUTWtAVEOVIgvi0NU5BOUHhpN0H8p7CSfnc_gI&r=LVw5zH6C4LHpVQcGEdVcrQ&m=1wRBDgYYyb3G2Ucu9auhlOSjT6gHdQ-jqy2XZpPvck0&s=od80UocZoPsp49B4ca8JgoUr-FruD1R3NZX56aYQ5Cw&e=>).
Officials also repeatedly attempt to stop Muslim man wearing beards and
Muslim women wearing the hijab (headscarf) (see eg. F18News 2 August 2017
<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.forum18.org_archive.php-3Farticle-5Fid-3D2301&d=DwIBaQ&c=clK7kQUTWtAVEOVIgvi0NU5BOUHhpN0H8p7CSfnc_gI&r=LVw5zH6C4LHpVQcGEdVcrQ&m=1wRBDgYYyb3G2Ucu9auhlOSjT6gHdQ-jqy2XZpPvck0&s=R9xZzI9Qt9q43x9DqtMiT5P-OoVs50UzLOasn-pCsf8&e=>).
 

At least nine Muslim men - including an imam and a well-known heart surgeon
- are known to have been jailed as prisoners of conscience since August
2017 in the northern Sogd Region in three separate cases. All received five
years or more jail terms. Officials refused to explain what they had done
wrong (see F18News 4 December 2017
<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.forum18.org_archive.php-3Farticle-5Fid-3D2336&d=DwIBaQ&c=clK7kQUTWtAVEOVIgvi0NU5BOUHhpN0H8p7CSfnc_gI&r=LVw5zH6C4LHpVQcGEdVcrQ&m=1wRBDgYYyb3G2Ucu9auhlOSjT6gHdQ-jqy2XZpPvck0&s=XMECp32aYadD4OPJptFNM7OW59k4G2_E1q-CoLEi6hc&e=>).
 

Religion Law changes in 2018 have imposed further restrictions, including:
allowing the state to restrict manifestations of freedom of religion or
belief on a wide range of grounds not permitted under international human
rights obligations; increasing religious organisations' requirements to
report all their activity to the state; requiring state approval for the
appointment of all Imams; and increasing state control both on religious
education at home, and on those travelling abroad for such education. The
changes also make it even more difficult for Muslims who are not Sunni and
Hanafi (the only permitted Islamic school) to establish mosques (see
F18News 19 February 2018
<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.forum18.org_archive.php-3Farticle-5Fid-3D2354&d=DwIBaQ&c=clK7kQUTWtAVEOVIgvi0NU5BOUHhpN0H8p7CSfnc_gI&r=LVw5zH6C4LHpVQcGEdVcrQ&m=1wRBDgYYyb3G2Ucu9auhlOSjT6gHdQ-jqy2XZpPvck0&s=z23saEqhT48aGiHZmrjw-4A_JK1VGokmGdBKaTnmzuQ&e=>).

The mosque closure campaign parallels similar forced closures when
Tajikistan was part of the Soviet Union. Throughout all the territory of
the Soviet Union very large numbers of mosques, churches and other places
of worship were closed, and their buildings confiscated for secular uses.

Almost 2,000 mosques converted in 2017 to secular uses

On 5 February 2018 Khuseyn Shokirov, who is responsible for the SCRA's work
with mosques, claimed at a press conference that "1,938 illegal mosques
were in 2017 converted to cultural and medical centres, kindergartens,
teahouses and so on".  Shokirov also claimed that 231 mosques were given
more time to prepare documents. He claimed that the closed mosques "did not
have proper documents for land, and some of them were not officially
registered as religious communities", Asia-Plus noted on 5 February. This
type of excuse is normal when the authorities close mosques (see Forum 18's
Tajikistan religious freedom survey
<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.forum18.org_archive.php-3Farticle-5Fid-3D2138&d=DwIBaQ&c=clK7kQUTWtAVEOVIgvi0NU5BOUHhpN0H8p7CSfnc_gI&r=LVw5zH6C4LHpVQcGEdVcrQ&m=1wRBDgYYyb3G2Ucu9auhlOSjT6gHdQ-jqy2XZpPvck0&s=wkXZDqM4HJB9gSKNsqakePS8GOjXSJw7s3Q2X_8-Mfk&e=>).

The authorities also used the excuse that "many of those mosques did not
have proper certificates from the State Land Committees or the SCRA",
Faizinisso Vokhidova, an independent human rights defender from the capital
Dushanbe, told Forum 18 on 20 February. 

However, human rights defender Vokhidova pointed out that this does not
make the mosques illegal.  "Without the endorsement of the local
authorities and Land Committees the mosques could not have been built," she
stated, "because otherwise the authorities would have raided these
buildings and closed them down a long time ago." She also noted that some
of the closed mosques were at least 50 years old, and so were built during
the Soviet period.

Human rights defender Vokhidova also pointed out that "it is the duty of
the Land Committee and the SCRA to provide existing communities with all
necessary documents for their mosque buildings and not wait for them to
request them". So they cannot be described as illegal because of certain
missing papers.

Fear

Many in Tajikistan fear discussing freedom of religion and belief and other
human rights violations, for fear of state reprisals (see Forum 18's
Tajikistan religious freedom survey
<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.forum18.org_archive.php-3Farticle-5Fid-3D2138&d=DwIBaQ&c=clK7kQUTWtAVEOVIgvi0NU5BOUHhpN0H8p7CSfnc_gI&r=LVw5zH6C4LHpVQcGEdVcrQ&m=1wRBDgYYyb3G2Ucu9auhlOSjT6gHdQ-jqy2XZpPvck0&s=wkXZDqM4HJB9gSKNsqakePS8GOjXSJw7s3Q2X_8-Mfk&e=>).
 Human rights
defender Vokhidova stated that she knew of many closed mosques had refused
to complain about their closure, even when offered legal assistance in
bring court cases. "They were afraid to do so", Vokhidova told Forum 18.

Press conferences were in early January held in various parts of Tajikistan
to announce local mosque closures and the alleged reasons for this. Two
typical examples were in the northern Sogd Region, in Isfara and in
Bobojon-Gofurov District.

Isfara: "Discrepancy with sanitary rules" ?

On 24 January Dilshod Rasulzoda, then-Head of Administration in Isfara,
told a press conference that 45 mosques were closed in the city in 2017 due
to "discrepancy with sanitary rules and inappropriate conditions in them".
He then claimed that local residents asked for the mosques to be converted
to secular uses.

However, a former Imam of a mosque in Isfara forcibly closed in 2017 stated
on 21 February 2018 that Muslims from his district now have to go to a
mosque in a neighboring mahalla (residential area). "Many of the Muslims
from my mosque are old and some are ailing. It is hard for them to walk
several kilometers on unlit streets, especially in the early morning and
late evening". The Mosque had existed since Soviet times.

Rasulzoda refused to talk to Forum 18 on 16 February, as has has been
dismissed from his position. Isfara Administration Press Secretary Ikbol
Teshayev told Forum 18 on 20 February that Rasulzoda's dismissal was not
related to mosque closures. When asked about the mosque closures, he
refused to discuss them and then claimed "We still have 100 five-fold
mosques functioning, and they can attend those".

Five-fold mosques are the smallest size of mosque permitted, and are
intended for districts with a population of between 100 and 1,000 people
(see Forum 18's March 2011 Tajikistan religious freedom survey
<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.forum18.org_archive.php-3Farticle-5Fid-3D1553&d=DwIBaQ&c=clK7kQUTWtAVEOVIgvi0NU5BOUHhpN0H8p7CSfnc_gI&r=LVw5zH6C4LHpVQcGEdVcrQ&m=1wRBDgYYyb3G2Ucu9auhlOSjT6gHdQ-jqy2XZpPvck0&s=aXwFJAzK55BK0HowfYBRnyil3tjEUaPIX97NC1n-UmQ&e=>).
 As Isfara has a
population of over 250,000 people, Forum 18 asked what would happen if more
than the maximum mosque capacity of 10,000 wanted to attend mosques.
Teshayev refused to answer the question and then refused to talk more to
Forum 18.

Bobojon-Gofurov District: Local residents asked for mosque closures?

Zarif Valizoda, Head of Bobojon-Gofurov District Admnistration, told a 30
January press conference that 46 mosques were closed down in the District
in 2017 "because they were built illegally. Some of them were built 50
meters away from each other". Like his then-colleague Rasulzoda of Isfara,
Valizoda also claimed that local residents asked for the mosques to be
converted to secular uses.

When Forum 18 asked Valizoda on 20 February why these previously-existing
mosques have become illegal, he claimed that "I never said they were
illegal." Asked why they were closed, Valizoda claimed that "we did not
close down the mosques, but the local residents asked us to convert their
mosques into various facilities and use them for different purposes".

Administration head Valizoda then claimed to Forum 18 that "all the mosques
that were closed down only had up to 30 people attending". Similar excuses
have long been used by the authorities (see eg. F18News 10 October 2007
<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.forum18.org_archive.php-3Farticle-5Fid-3D1032&d=DwIBaQ&c=clK7kQUTWtAVEOVIgvi0NU5BOUHhpN0H8p7CSfnc_gI&r=LVw5zH6C4LHpVQcGEdVcrQ&m=1wRBDgYYyb3G2Ucu9auhlOSjT6gHdQ-jqy2XZpPvck0&s=CvuRHyH6O7uOBJhIL2VaMA_QLy5WDAnadt-PSxi9CVo&e=>).

Valizoda claimed that there were still 136 five-fold mosques in the
district. When Forum 18 asked how their maximum permitted capacity of
13,600 could accommodate the roughly 360,000 people in the District who
might attend Friday prayers, Valizoda would not answer.

Q: Why are mosques being closed? A: "What an idiot".

The authorities are highly dismissive of questions about the mosque
closures. When Forum 18 on 19 February asked Shokirov of the SCRA why so
many mosques were forcibly closed, he claimed that he could not hear the
question and then put the phone down. When Forum 18 rang back, a recorded
message with a female voice repeatedly said: "Who are you, where are you
calling, what an idiot". On 20 February Shokirov's phone was answered with
the same recorded message, but this time with a male voice.

SCRA Legal Expert Abdurakhmon Mavlanov refused to discuss the enforced
mosque closures on 15 February, and did not answer his phone at any time
between 15 and 19 February.

In videos from October 2017 seen by Forum 18, SCRA representative Shokirjon
Holdorov is apparently seen demanding the closure of a mosque in Rudaki
District, to the south of Dushanbe. In one video Holdorov is apparently
drunk according to others in the film. Holdorov then threatens the imam and
mosque attendees using foul language. "I have been warning you for six
months. If you don't shut this down, I will label you all Salafis and you
will all go to jail", the man who appears to be Holdorov states.

The Salafi school of thought is banned in Tajikistan, even though no
official has been able to explain to Forum 18 what if any crimes these
Muslims have committed (see Forum 18's Tajikistan religious freedom survey
<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.forum18.org_archive.php-3Farticle-5Fid-3D2138&d=DwIBaQ&c=clK7kQUTWtAVEOVIgvi0NU5BOUHhpN0H8p7CSfnc_gI&r=LVw5zH6C4LHpVQcGEdVcrQ&m=1wRBDgYYyb3G2Ucu9auhlOSjT6gHdQ-jqy2XZpPvck0&s=wkXZDqM4HJB9gSKNsqakePS8GOjXSJw7s3Q2X_8-Mfk&e=>).
 Courts have jailed
Salafis for up to 16 years even though no official has been able to
describe to Forum 18 any alleged crimes that were committed (see F18News 19
February 2018 
<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.forum18.org_archive.php-3Farticle-5Fid-3D2354&d=DwIBaQ&c=clK7kQUTWtAVEOVIgvi0NU5BOUHhpN0H8p7CSfnc_gI&r=LVw5zH6C4LHpVQcGEdVcrQ&m=1wRBDgYYyb3G2Ucu9auhlOSjT6gHdQ-jqy2XZpPvck0&s=z23saEqhT48aGiHZmrjw-4A_JK1VGokmGdBKaTnmzuQ&e=>).

The mosque was later closed, and Holdorov was "given a verbal warning for
his behaviour" Eurasianet reported on 5 February 2018. (END)

More coverage of freedom of thought, conscience and belief in Tajikistan is
at 
<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.forum18.org_Archive.php-3Fquery-3D-26religion-3Dall-26country-3D31&d=DwIBaQ&c=clK7kQUTWtAVEOVIgvi0NU5BOUHhpN0H8p7CSfnc_gI&r=LVw5zH6C4LHpVQcGEdVcrQ&m=1wRBDgYYyb3G2Ucu9auhlOSjT6gHdQ-jqy2XZpPvck0&s=W7HMi-2N9LtLQsv3XzIj6UUOohgzRAEqFMbVLpPV1Ew&e=>.

For more background see Forum 18's Tajikistan religious freedom survey at
<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.forum18.org_Archive.php-3Farticle-5Fid-3D2138&d=DwIBaQ&c=clK7kQUTWtAVEOVIgvi0NU5BOUHhpN0H8p7CSfnc_gI&r=LVw5zH6C4LHpVQcGEdVcrQ&m=1wRBDgYYyb3G2Ucu9auhlOSjT6gHdQ-jqy2XZpPvck0&s=qZ6njbPmFhQJ5ksjIwxl2KG8fHO5yZcHzJyRgLP96tg&e=>.

A compilation of Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe
(OSCE) freedom of religion or belief commitments can be found at
<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.forum18.org_Archive.php-3Farticle-5Fid-3D1351&d=DwIBaQ&c=clK7kQUTWtAVEOVIgvi0NU5BOUHhpN0H8p7CSfnc_gI&r=LVw5zH6C4LHpVQcGEdVcrQ&m=1wRBDgYYyb3G2Ucu9auhlOSjT6gHdQ-jqy2XZpPvck0&s=Di3R-EQLXJCx9R9t0hYl2fWav2gbGWwwYP0cOWdHzLU&e=>.

A printer-friendly map of Tajikistan is available at
<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__nationalgeographic.org_education_mapping_outline-2Dmap_-3Fmap-3DTajikistan&d=DwIBaQ&c=clK7kQUTWtAVEOVIgvi0NU5BOUHhpN0H8p7CSfnc_gI&r=LVw5zH6C4LHpVQcGEdVcrQ&m=1wRBDgYYyb3G2Ucu9auhlOSjT6gHdQ-jqy2XZpPvck0&s=1JAuXu5vnuiZx751AN20GZvvO_h02SNMHDgrAvNuySI&e=>.

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