DUSHANBE, August 13, Asia-Plus — No one mosque has been destroyed in Dushanbe, Tajikistan’s grand mufti and chairman of the Council of Clerics (Shuroi Ulamo) Amonullo Nematzoda said in an interview with Asia-Plus.  

“Moreover, with the beginning of a process of putting public places into order mosques have got all necessary documents,” the grand mufti said, noting that even the Dushanbe central mosque has not had appropriate documents.  

“The majority of mosques in Tajikistan were established before 1994, when the Constitution of the Tajik Soviet Socialist Republic was effective in the country,” said Nematzoda, “Though it is already thirteen years since a new Tajikistan’s Constitution was adopted, we had not resolved these issues, and now this time has come.”   

Asked whether he would had signed an open letter released by three Tajik lawmakers objecting to the closing of mosques by Tajik authorities, Nematzoda said that he considers position of Hoji Akbar Tourajonzoda, Muhiddin Kabiri and Muhammadsharif Himmatzoda, who signed the letter, to be “incorrect.” 

We will recall that Muhiddin Kabiri, Muhammadsharif Himmatzoda, and Hoji Akbar Tourajonzoda on August 8 released an open letter to President Emomali Rahmon protesting the closure of mosques.  The letter, in particular, said that many mosques have remained unregistered due to bureaucratic problems.  Two mosques were destroyed in early August and many more were closed down in Dushanbe’s Sino district for functioning without a license, according to the letter. 

“I think that only mosques that have appropriate documents should function in the country,” the Council of Clerics head said, “Last year, we jointly with the Dushanbe mayor’s office prepared a list of mosques functioning in the Tajik capital.  57 mosques now legally function in Dushanbe.”