DUSHANBE, January 9, 2009, Asia-Plus  -- “Salafiya is not an organization or a movement that could be banned, it is just a faith,” one of Salafiya activists in Tajikistan Rahmatulloh Rahmatov  said in an interview with Asia-Plus, commenting on the Supreme Court’s decision to ban it in the territory of Tajikistan.

According to him, his faith and religious views are not in contrary to the country’s law and Sharia (the body of Islamic religious law).

He, in particular, said why nobody was prosecuted for distribution of Christian literature in the country and Ismailism and Shi’ism might be practiced in Tajikistan, while “Shiites are fighting Sunnites in Iraq,” but Salafiya was banned.

He further added that in the future, he would act within the frameworks of Tajik laws.