TURKMENISTAN: "PATH TO HEAVEN" STARTS IN ASHGABAT

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ASHGABAT 001442 SIPDIS DEPT FOR SCA/CEN; DRL/IRF E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/08/2019 TAGS: KIRF PHUM PGOV SOCI TX SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN: "PATH TO HEAVEN" STARTS IN ASHGABAT REF: A. ASHGABAT 288 ¶B. ASHGABAT 1065 Classified By: Charge Sylvia Curran, Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) SUMMARY. A new unregistered Protestant religious group, "Path to Heaven," has begun meeting in Ashgabat and Mary. Its founder, who previously attended Word of Life and Baptist churches in Ashgabat, is leading a group with no denominational ties and focused on the believer's freedom from the rules prevalent in other churches. The group has no immediate plans to register and so far has been unhindered when it holds meetings in private apartments. Having survived the repression of the Niyazov era, the group's leader appeared undaunted by the inevitable challenges that lie ahead. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (C) On November 6, poloff met with Pastor Ishan Amanmuhammedov, organizer of the new, unregistered religious group "Path to Heaven." Path to Heaven splintered off from the registered Baptist congregation last year. We heard about Amanmuhammedov and the Path to Heaven from the pastor of a small registered Protestant group. Amanmuhammedov first attended a Word of Life church started in Ashgabat in 2000 by Russian missionaries (reftels). The missionaries were eventually deported, and after a while disagreements emerged among the remaining members. As a result, Amanmuhammedov and others left that church and joined the Baptist Church. After three and one-half years as members of the Baptist Church, Amanmuhammedov left due to doctrinal differences and studied at a bible institute in Almaty in 2007-2008. Upon his return, he founded the new church. The Path to Heaven Church has no links with any denomination, inside or outside Turkmenistan. It is neither charismatic nor Pentecostal, emphasizes the freedom of the believer over the application of rules and "follows the entire Bible." ¶3. (C) The Path to Heaven group in Ashgabat has roughly ten members. The group also has a branch in Mary with 5-6 people that meets two times per month. Amanmuhammedov said the group has not applied for registration because he wants to apply for status as a church, which requires 51 members. While Path to Heaven could apply for registration as a religious group with as few as ten members, Amanmuhammedov is waiting because he expects his church to grow and said it is difficult to change registration status from group to church. He also said he was not sure about the advantage of registration, since if the group would become registered, it would no longer be able to meet in apartments, since by law they are limited to residential use. The group would lack sufficient money to rent a place for meetings. On the other hand, he indicated that it would be important to turn in the registration documents and no longer hide, and that any subsequent problems would "not be important." ¶4. (C) The group meets in apartments, both in Ashgabat and in Mary. He was certain the authorities know about his group's meetings. In Mary, Amanmuhammedov said they have been followed by security service officials, but have not been detained. In any case, he said they are not afraid because during the Niyazov period, they were arrested and subjected to threats of losing apartments and internal exile. The pastor said they need both Bibles and other religious literature, which he said he cannot find anywhere. The group's approach to proselytizing is voluntary and focuses on individuals talking to people they already know; neighbors, co-workers, friends. No one in the group has lost their job because of involvement in the group. Amanmuhammedov, himself an ethnic Turkmen, said it is very difficult for ethnic Turkmen to be accepted as Christians and that no Turkmen churches have been registered. Within the Path to Heaven group, members are from different ethnic groups. ¶5. (C) COMMENT. Having survived the religious repression of the Niyazov era, the pastor appeared undaunted by the challenges of starting a church from scratch in ASHGABAT 00001442 002 OF 002 Turkmenistan's still highly restrictive religious environment. If the group eventually opts to emerge from its underground status and apply for registration, it will face a host of challenges, not the least of which will be getting the Turkmen authorities to recognize an ethnic Turkmen pastor as a Christian religious leader. END COMMENT. CURRAN