DUSHANBE, August 9, Asia-Plus — Municipal authorities’ initiative on putting public places in the city in good order should not be considered as purposeful pulling down of mosques, Shamsiddin Nouriddinov, the head of the religious-affairs department of the Dushanbe mayor’s office, remarked at a news conference in Dushanbe on August 9.
According to him, the resolution on putting the public places in order was not extraordinary or unexpected. “The first such a resolution was singed in June 2005 already, and an authoritative commission comprising 16 persons was set up for implementation of it,” said Nouriddinov, “In April 2006, another resolution on registration of prayer houses and public places was issued. The third, last resolution was signed in October 2006 and aimed at putting the public places in good order.”
He confirmed that over the last weeks, two unauthorized mosques had been pulled down in the city. “They were constructed illegally and did not meet construction requirements,” the Dushanbe official said.
“Under the present legislation, the minucipal authoriies could shut down some 400 buildings, which are currently used as msoques or places ofr holding private ceremonies, because they do not meet consturction requirements and are in poor state,” said Nouriddinov, “However, the municipal authorities have not done that; on contrary, after the last resolution adopted in October 2006, the numbe rof msosques in Dushanbe increased from 29 to 57.”
According to him, 57 mosques now function in Dushanbe; of them, 16 are the Friday (main) mosques Masjidi Jome and 47 are for the five-time prayers.
According to some media, more than 3,000 mosques now function in Tajikistan, and up to 90 percent of them lack registration.
In the meantime, the August 8 “RFE/RL News and Analysis” article titled “Tajikistan: Authorities Impose Religious Tests On Imams” says that hundreds of local imams in the mosques of Dushanbe have been ordered to take a special test of religious knowledge to prove their fitness for the job. “The head of the religious-affairs department in the Dushanbe mayor”s office, Shamsiddin Nouriddinov, told RFE/RL that mosque leaders who fail to pass the exam will be sacked and replaced with other clerics.” Nuriddinov says Tajikistan”s Council of Clerics has set up a special commission that is expected to complete the tests by the end of August.
