DUSHANBE, July 2, 2009, Asia-Plus  -- The new religion law requires all previously registered religious associations to undergo a state re-registration process until the end of this year, Saidbek Mahmadulloyev, the head of the religious associations department within the Main Directorate for Religious Affairs of the Ministry of Culture (MoC), said in an interview with Asia-Plus.

According to him, more than 3,200 religious associations are currently active in the country.  “Expert commissions have been set up in the regions to deal with preparation of constituent documents of the religious associations for undergoing a state examination and further submission to relevant body,” Mahmadulloyev said, noting that the re-registration process started straight after the new religion law came into effect on April 2, 2009.” “The re-registration  process will last till the end of this year and 2,843 five-fold mosques (a five-fold mosque in Tajikistan is where Muslims gather five times a day to pray), 258 Friday mosques (cathedral mosque for communal prayer) and 82 non-Muslim religious associations should undergo the state re-registration process by January 1, 2010.”

He warned that the organizations that would fail to be reregistered by the deadline would be subject to suspension.  “I think nine months is enough period to collect all necessary documents and undergo the re-registration process,” Mahmadulloyev said.

According to him, the documents will be submitted to the Expert Council at a MoC for a state examination.  The Expert Council members include specialists from the Academy of Sciences, Center for Strategic Studies, Center for Islamic Studies, Ministry of Interior and other relevant bodies.  “The Expert Council will submit resolutions to the authorized government body for further registration.  In this case, the Ministry of Culture is the authorized body that gives the re-registration certificates,” Mahmadulloyev said.

Local experts hold that the new religion law places onerous restrictions on religious associations in the country.  Thus, it imposes state interference in the appointment of imam-khatibs.  Article 11 states that imam-khatibs and imams of the mosques are selected (elected) by the approval of the appropriate state bodies in charge of religious affairs.

The new religion law also limits the number of mosques based on the number of local residents.  The law divides mosques into three categories – the largest ones are designated Central cathedral mosques, medium sized ones as Cathedral mosques, and the smallest as five-fold mosques.  A five-fold mosque by definition based on the Law''s Articles 9, 11 and 13 is a religious community that may be established in residential areas with a population of 100 to 1,000 people, or – in the case of the city of Dushanbe - with population of 1,000 to 5,000, and registered with the local executive authorities.