DUSHANBE IFTAR: A FRANK DISCUSSION ABOUT RELIGION

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 DUSHANBE 001345

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

FOR SCA/CEN

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PHUM PGOV KISL TI
SUBJECT: DUSHANBE IFTAR: A FRANK DISCUSSION ABOUT RELIGION


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1. (SBU) Summary: Participants at a September 18 Iftar hosted
by Ambassador discussed the Draft Law on Religious
Organizations, the mosque registration process, and the recent
mosque closures in Dushanbe. Islamic Renaissance Party of
Tajikistan leader Muhiddin Kabiri and Center for Strategic
Research scholar and former exchange participant Abdullo Rahnamo
gently sparred with members of the Council of Ulamo, a de facto
government body which regulates Islamic activities in the
country. End Summary.

Regulating Religion
===============


2. (SBU) The Iftar guests discussed the rising tension between
religious leaders and the government. According to unconfirmed
internet news reports, the Tajik government has closed 213
mosques in Dushanbe alone over the last two months; there are
also reports that the government has demolished four of these
mosques. The government argued that these mosques were not
properly registered, and did not have official government
permission to function. However, the government allowed most of
these mosques to re-open during the Ramadan period, which the
Council of Ulamo representative argued was a sign of government
good-will. Despite this concession, however, the government
also destroyed another non-registered mosque in Dushanbe's 102nd
Sino District community on September 17. Additional details on
this rising tension, and its potential consequences, will be the
subject of a separate cable.


3. (SBU) During dinner, The Tajik participants took opposing
stands on religious freedom issues, with Domullo Qobilijon,
Mufti of the Council of Ulamo, and Abdujagol Aliev, Rector of
the Islamic University and member of the Ulamo Council, lining
up against Kabiri and Rahnamo. There are two kinds of mosques
in Tajikistan: mosques that offer services only on Fridays, and
mosques that offer prayer services five times per day. Kabiri
stated that a large majority of the Friday mosques were already
registered with the government, but argued that the government
requirement to register mosques that offered prayer five times
per day is unconstitutional. He reasoned that individual
mosques in Tajikistan should be independent organizations,
subordinate neither to the Council of Ulamo nor the government.
He also argued that the Council of Ulamo is technically
independent of the government and has no right to inspect or
otherwise regulate a mosque. A recent example of unwarranted
regulation was the Council's recent initiative to test the
religious knowledge of the imams at mosques in Dushanbe. The
Council decided that four imams did not have the required
religious knowledge, and terminated their positions.


4. (SBU) Aliev said the Council of Ulamo discussed the Draft of
the Law on Religious Organizations in early September.
According to him, the Council's members opposed the Draft, which
would limit the number of people that could worship at mosques.
He described recent amendments to the Draft which would give
local government the power to register mosques, and discussed
the provision which could ban political parties with a religious
affiliation, such as the Islamic Party. However, Aliev said,
the Council does not have the clout to remove this provision
from the draft law. Kabiri said that the Parliament had not
received a copy of new draft but expected to receive it soon.
He believes that the draft law is directed at Islam, and that
religious minorities are only "unintended victims." He plans to
put forward his own version of the law.

Social Strictures
=============


5. (SBU) In September 2005, the Council of Ulamo adopted a
religious verdict (fatwah),which stated that women were not
allowed to pray in mosques. At that time, there were only three
Friday mosques, in Dushanbe and Vahdat District, which admitted
women to pray. Qobiljon said that the Council adopted the
fatwah because three of the most influential Islamic scholars
and leaders of Tajikistan -- Eshoni Nuridin (brother of Hoji
Akbar Turajonzoda),Domullo Hikmatullo (from Tojikobod District)
and Domullo Muhammadi (from Qumsangir District) -- did not
attend the vote. Qobiljon argued that had they attended this
vote, these three individuals likely could have persuaded the
group to allow women in mosques. He did not comment on why the
Ulamo has failed to overturn this fatwah in the subsequent two
years.

DUSHANBE 00001345 002.2 OF 002




6. (SBU) Qobiljon and Aliev were also disappointed that the new
"Law on Traditions" did not allow people to conduct an Iftar
dinner in the mosque. This restriction has caused many problems
for people, particularly elderly people for whom it is difficult
to go home, eat, and then return to the mosque for the final
prayer of the night. Kabiri argued that people did not
understand their rights under the law allowed the government to
abuse their rights. (Note: President Rahmon recently declared
that a "mosque is not a dining room," and verbally outlawed the
practice of Iftar in mosques. However, the edict has not been
officially codified.) Zarafo Rahmoni, Editor of the Islamic
Party's women's journal, lamented the government practice of
barring youths from mosques. Because her 17-year old son is not
permitted to pray in the mosque, even after school hours, he
meets in the evening with other young men to pray in secret.
Kabiri said the Islamic Revival Party has built a mosque on the
grounds of its party headquarters in Dushanbe, where it is
hosting a nightly Iftar and prayers for 1,000 people - including
women and children.


7. (SBU) Comment: This year's dinner was much more lively than
last year's, perhaps reflecting a greater concern with
continuing pressure on all religious activity. It is also
possible that because we didn't invite representatives of other
religious groups and only two Muslim ambassadors attended, the
Tajik guests were more relaxed. It is clear, however, that
government closures of mosques and bans on women and youth
praying publicly has not reduced religious activity this Ramadan
- just driven it underground. End Comment.
JACOBSON