DUSHANBE, May 4, 2011, Asia-Plus — Committees and commissions of the lower house (Majlisi Namoyandagon) of parliament will consider the bill on holding parents responsible for their children’s action and education until July 1, when parliament will go into recess.
Chairperson of the Majlisi Namoyandagon Committee on Science, Education, Culture and Youth Policy, Ms. Marhabo Jabborova, says a joint meeting of the lower house’s committees and commissions to discuss the parental responsibility bill is scheduled for May 15. “The Majlisi Namoyandagon will consider the bill at its regular sitting before July 1, when parliament will go into a three-month recess,” she noted.
We will recall that the bill on parental responsibilities in the upbringing of their children was worked out last year on president’s initiative. After detailed discussion at an October 29 government session the bill was returned as requiring improvement. The government considered the bill repeatedly at a December 14, 2010 meeting. Addressing the meeting, President Emomali Rahmon offered to submit the bill for a nationwide discussion.
More than 8,000 proposals have reportedly been offered over three and half months of the nationwide discussion and a special working group has held 15 meetings over the report period.
In the meantime, many believers in the country are critical of the parental responsibility bill that would ban children under 18 from worshipping in mosques, churches and other houses of worship.
Some local experts say the main target of the parental responsibility law is the Muslim children that the government wants to ban from going to mosques in an attempt to prevent them from becoming radical Muslims.
