DUSHANBE, April 22, Asia-Plus — A large consignment of Injil (Gospel in the Tajik language), totaling 100,000 copies, that has arrived in Tajikistan has been sent back, Idibek Ziyoyev the head of the main directorate for religious affairs (DRA) within the Ministry of Culture (MoC), announced at a press conference in Dushanbe on April 21.
According to him, the consignment has been sent back because its addressee, Baptist organization, violated the country’s legislation.
Under regulations on delivery of religious literature, worked out by a MoC, an organization ordered for it should send a copy of the ordered book to the ministry for examination a month before the delivery of the literature. “If it meets all requirements of the country’s legislation, DRA gives a written permit for delivery of it to the country,” Ziyoyev said.
“In this case, the large consignment (100,000 copies) has arrived in the country, where more than 95 percent of the population are Muslim,” said the DRA head, “Moreover, the Baptist organization that ordered for this literature has not more than 1,000 members. Question arises – What for does it need so many copies of this book?”
Ziyoyev noted that the issue had been considered at the ministry’s board meeting and it decided to send the consignment back.
Speaking in an interview with Asia-Plus, Culture Minister Mirzoshorukh Asrori noted that many registered non-Islamic organizations – missionary centers (85 such centers are currently active in the country, according to him) – ignore or do not quite understand the country’s laws. “Our objective is to control implementation of these regulations in accordance with the RT Law “On Freedom of Conscience and Religious Organizations,” the minister said.
