DUSHANBE, August 9, 2011, Asia-Plus – Secretariat of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation expresses concern over the adoption of a new law on parental responsibility for education and upbringing of children and asks the official Dushanbe for explanation.
The law, which was initiated by the President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon, entered into force on August 6 following publication in the press.
Some sections of the law created discussions in society. People in and outside the country ask questions about the norm that forbids children to attend mosques.
“Organization of Islamic Cooperation raised this issue and waits for explanation from the Government of Tajikistan. This is our first step and now we wait for explanation from the Government of Tajikistan. We expressed our concerns and now wait for the official reply,” Foteh Okai, a spokesman for the OIC Secretariat, said in his interview to Radio Ozodi.
He said that the law is the internal affair of Tajikistan and OIC is not going to interfere into internal affairs of its member states.
“We are not authorized to influence on such situations. However, praying namaz at mosques is one of Islamic values and is not just our organization’s Charter. Namaz is one of the five pillars of Islam,” OIC’s spokesman has said. “Those efforts the Government of Tajikistan undertakes do not contradict the OIC’s Charter but their contradict the norms of Islam.”
Okai stressed that these steps will not affect relations between organization and Tajikistan.
“We have good relations with the Government of Tajikistan and I’m sure that our relations in the future will be improving…Anyway, we are not religious organization and do not want to put pressure on member states on religious issues. We are a diplomatic organization and deal with diplomatic issues only,” he added.
OIC is the legal successor of the Organization of Islamic Conference with Headquarter in Jeddah which was renamed on June 28 this year.
This is one of the largest international structures which unites 57 Muslim states. Tajikistan joined the organization in 1992 and held the rotating presidency till July this year.
