DUSHANBE, January 14, 2016, Asia-Plus -- The Committee on Religious Affairs (CRA) under the Government of Tajikistan plans to organize refresher courses for imam-khatibs (In Sunni Islam, an imam khatib is the leader of prayers in mosque) in the near future, Husain Shokirov, an official with the CRA, told Asia-Plus in an interview.

According to him, representatives of official religious organizations, the Islamic Center and lawyers will conduct the courses for imam-khatibs to acquaint them with behavior of potential extremists and terrorists during prayers.

“Since 2013, 2,543 imams khatibs from all regions of the country have taken refresher courses,” Shokirov said, noting that in addition to improvement of their religious knowledge imam khatibs have also increased their knowledge of ethics and the country’s Constitution.

They have also recommended that imam khatibs carry out prophylactic conversations with people who pray “out of frames set by the Hanafi mazhab,” the CRA official added.