DUSHANBE, September 16, 2010, Asia-Plus  -- On Wednesday September 15, representatives from the Committee for Religious Affairs, the Committee for Youth, Sports and Tourism Affairs and the Ministry of Education met with students from Tajik National University in Dushanbe.

The source at Tajik National University says they discussed issues related to promoting youth’s interest in national values and culture as well as prevention of propagation of banned religious sects among youth.

Such meetings with youth are being held after a number of statements made by President Emomali Rahmon in early August and September on the necessity of recalling young Tajiks from foreign religious schools.

We will recall that during a trip to Khatlon province shortly before the new academic year started, the president asked parents of students attending religious schools abroad to bring their children back home.  Rahmon requested that students go to study religion within Tajikistan instead, because foreign madrasah graduates could pose security threats to the country.

The Committee for Youth, Sports and Tourism Affairs recently officially applied to imam-khatibs, urging them not to call children and students for prayers in mosques as some prayers take place during school hours.