DUSHANBE, August 27, 2010, Asia-Plus — President’s call on parents not to send children to foreign religious schools restricts Tajik youth opportunities to obtain religious education, Hikmatulloh Sayfullozoda, a spokesman for the Islamic Revival Party of Tajikistan (IRPT), said.
“I cannot accept president’s argument that those studying at religious schools abroad are becoming extremists and terrorists,” said Sayfullozoda, “Of course, Emomali Rahmon as the head of state has the right to make such statements, but I think separate bodies have submitted such misrepresented information to the president.”
He added, however, that it could not be ruled out that the religious education abroad had some problems. “There are hundreds of religious schools in Pakistan and none of them teaches extremism or terrorism, but some of these schools organize the learning process so that young men graduating from these schools are not able to perceive other ideas or other way of life,” the spokesman said, adding that it is not right to unfoundedly accuse foreign religious schools.
