DUSHANBE, February 15, 2011, Asia-Plus — Two women wearing the hijab were arrested in Dushanbe Monday evening on suspicion of extremist activities, according to the Ministry of Interior (MoI).
They were detained when they were sticking subversive leaflets in one of Dushanbe’s neighborhoods, the source said, noting that the women managed to stick more than 40 leaflets.
Criminal proceedings have been instituted against then under the provisions of Article 307 (1) of Tajikistan’s Penal Code – calls for extremist activity. An investigation is under way.
We will recall that speaking at a February 10 meeting of the Security Council, President Emomali Rahmon expressed concern about increase in extremism manifestations in the country. The president drew attention of those present to increasing manifestations of religious extremism in separate regions of the country, in particular in Rasht Valley, Sughd province and some districts of Khatlon province, as well as Dushanbe and Roudaki, Vahdat and Hissar districts. He also said the unchecked proliferation of mosques and religious schools posed a major threat to stability. According to him, some mosques have turned into “places for recruiting youths to the ranks of extremists.”
