KONIBODOM, July 7, 2008, Asia-Plus — Salafis are currently worshipping in two Friday mosques in the northern city of Konibodom.
Activity of an unregistered Islamic group of the Salafi sect was discussed at a July 5 meeting of Hoji Amonullo Nematzoda, chairman of the Shuroi Ulamo (Council of Religious Scholars) of Tajikistan, and Ms. Odinamo Murodova, the deputy head of the Tajik directorate for order of observing traditions and rites, with the Konibodom administrators and clerics.
Nematzoda noted that he had seen members of the Salafi sect worshipping in the Konibodom Friday mosque “Savr”, while their presence in Friday’s prayer service and other events being held in mosques is inadmissible as “they deny some canons of the holy Koran.”
Speaking at the meeting, Nourulloh Hidoyatov, the head of the Konibodom branch of the Shuroi Ulamo, said that members of the Salafi sect, totaling 40-50 people, are currently worshipping in two Friday mosques in Konibodom.
As it had been reported earlier, the Sughd authorities are concerned over increasing number of members of the Salafi sect in the province. A meeting to discuss measures to toughen control over this group was held in Khujand on June 30. During the meeting, it was note that the majority members of the Salafi sect in northern Tajikistan are young people.
Salafism is a Sunni Islamic school of thought that takes the pious ancestors (Salaf) of the patristic period of early Islam as exemplary models.
Salafis view the first three generations of Muslims, who are Muhammad”s companions, and the two succeeding generations after them as examples of how Islam should be practiced. This principle is derived from the following Sunni hadith by Muhammad: The people of my generation are the best, then those who follow them, and then those who follow the latter (i.e. the first three generations of Muslims)
The principal tenet of Salafism is that Islam was perfect and complete during the days of Muhammad and his companions, but that undesirable innovations have been added over the later centuries due to materialist and cultural influences. Salafism seeks to revive a practice of Islam that more closely resembles the religion during the time of Muhammad. S
alafism has also been described as a simplified version of Islam, in which adherents follow a few commands and practices.
Salafism is often used interchangeably with “Wahhabism”. Adherents usually reject this term because it is considered derogatory and because they believe that Muhammad ibn Abd-al-Wahhab did not establish a new school of thought nor self-describe themselves as such.
The International Religious Freedom Report 2007 released by the US Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor noted that in 2006, a new unregistered Islamic group of the Salafi sect began worshipping in Friday mosques in Dushanbe, Sughd, and Khatlon. An estimated 5,000 Salafis practice in Dushanbe without interference from other Muslims or the Government.
