DUSHANBE, October 29, 2009, Asia-Plus  -- More than 3,000 Tajik students are currently obtaining religious education in Muslim countries, including Iran, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Pakistan and some others, Deputy Minister of Culture, Mavlon Mukhtorov, said in an interview with Asia-Plus.

“Tajikistan is a sovereign and democratic state and its citizens may obtain education wherever they want,” said Mukhtorov, “However, religious education in Muslim countries differs form each other and there were cases, when our students adopted mazhabs of those countries and retuned home with other views.”

“In this connection, our ministry as an institution regulating the government’ religious policy intends to propose regulation the process of sending Tajik youth to study at Islamic universities in Muslim countries,” the deputy minister noted.