KHOROG, February 19, 2011, Asia-Plus — Unlicensed sermons and religious animations on DVDs and CDs have been withdrawn from shelves at Khorog’s markets.
Khusrav Raqamov, head of the GBAO department on religious affairs and regulating national traditions and rituals, says the DVDs and CDs have been confiscated during a number of raids made on the markets. According to him, a number of unlicensed religious animations have also been withdrawn from shelves during the raids, including Jesus Christ DVD animations in the Shughni language.
Raqamov denied report released by some media outlets that the animation had allegedly been withdrawn from the shelves because “it propagates an alien religion.” “The Jesus Christ DVD animations have been withdrawn from shelves because they do not specify author and producer country,” said Raqamov, “It means that the DVD animations were produced with violation of law and the sale was illegal.”
He noted that under the country’s “Law on Freedom of Conscience and Religious Associations” adopted in 2009 the right to produce, export, import, sell and disseminate religious literatures and other objects and materials of a religious nature is given only after the public examination.
“Besides, under this law only religious organizations have the right to publish religious literature and produce materials of religious nature,” said the official, “Religious literature and materials publish and produced by religious organizations must have marking with the full name of the religious organization.”
According to him, other both Islamic and Christian religious literature in form of DVDs and CDs have also been on sale at the markets. “But they have pubic examination and marking with the name of producer,” Raqamov stressed, noting that similar raids to prevent violation of the mentioned law will be conducted in the region in the future as well.
