DUSHANBE, January 11, 2016, Asia-Plus — The government has prepared amendments to the country’s parental responsibility law and the draft amendments have been sent for consideration to the parliament.
“The draft amendments, in particular, stipulate that internet service providers must give parents free information about websites their children visit at their request,” a source in the government told Asia-Plus in an interview.
According to him, the amendments aim at preventing children from joining extremist and terrorist organizations and protecting hem against violence and. Tastelessness.
We will recall that the parliament approved a controversial parental responsibility bill, which has been heavily criticized by local religious communities, on June 15, 2011.
The legislation has generated controversy by explicitly barring children under the age of 18 from “participating in the activities of religious organizations,” which include mosques and other places of worship. Local analysts believe that the ban is aimed at preventing Tajik children from becoming radicalized.
The law was initiated by Tajikistan’s President Emomali Rahmon during his meeting with the country’s academics and teachers in December 2009. Rahmon described the initiation of the law as an attempt to define the responsibilities and key roles of parents in raising and educating their children. In December 2010, the Tajik president presented a draft bill for public consultation in an effort to ensure broad support for the initiative. The president’s press service noted in April 2011 that the nationwide discussion of the bill resulted in more than 8,000 comments, most of which were incorporated in the final draft.
