DUSHANBE, April 22, 2011, Asia-Plus – Russian news agency, Itar Tass, reports that Ms. Dilbar Normatova, deputy chairperson of Rumi district in Khatlon province, said that local authorities have closed the house of worship of Evangelical Christian-Baptists in the district.
Thereby Ms Normatova has refuted reports by some media outlets that the district authorities have allegedly closed the Orthodox church just before Easter, Itar Tass said.
“This decision does not have ideological or any other motive. The house of worship was closed because it was not officially registered,” Normatova was quoted as saying.
According to her, the house of worship of Evangelical Christian-Baptists in Rumi district has illegally functioned since 2006.
The registration of new places of worship and the registration of existing mosques and churches is mandatory under the law on religion passed in 2009.
According to information from the Committee for Religious Affairs under the Government of Tajikistan, more than 10 religious associations, including the Jehovah”s Witnesses church, the country’s only synagogue and a number of mosques have been closed for failure to comply with the religion law, Itar Tass said. According to Radio Liberty’s Tajik Service, 229 mosques have been closed in Khatlon province alone over the first three months of this year.
In the country, in which the population is 98 percent Muslim, there are five Orthodox churches, two Roman Catholic churches and dozens of Protestant houses of worship, Itar Tass said.
