DUSHANBE, March 29, 2015, Asia-Plus — “As leader of the political party, which has always fought and continues fighting against ideas of the Islamic Revival Party (IRP), I consider that putting ban of the IRP’s activities and persecution of its members may lead to unfortunate results,” the Communist Party (CPT) leader Shodi Shabdolov told Asia-Plus in an interview.
“Under the present realities existing in Tajikistan, sober-minded politicians realize that it would be ignorance to drive the Islamic Revival Party into underground, because it may lead to the loss of control over it,” CPT leader noted.
According to him, it would be unfair to ban the activities of the IRP after it recognized the secular constitutional system of Tajikistan and its armed formations laid down arms after singing of a general peace agreement in 1997.
“It is unrealistic to ban the activities of this party in Tajikistan,” Shabdolov said.
“The Tajik authorities must understand that it is impossible to ban ideology whether it is the Communist ideology or the Islamic ideology. In such cases the only way is cooperation.”
CPT leader further added that terrorists and extremists of every stripe do not have their own ideology and views, “the only thing they recognize is force, and it is they who must be banned and against whom the fight must be conducted.”
