HRP: Country Reports on Human Rights Practices
IRF: Annual Reports to Congress on International Religious Freedom
FREEDOM OF RELIGION
IRF 1999-2001
The Constitution provides for freedom of religion, and the Government generally
respects this right in practice; however, there are some restrictions,
and the Government monitors the activities of religious institutions to
keep them from becoming overtly political.
HRP 2000-01
IRF 2001
Members of the Baha'i community were occasionally confronted by the police
guard outside Dushanbe's Baha'i Center and asked why they had forsaken
Islam. Others were called in by the Ministry of Security and also asked
why they had changed religious affiliation.
HRP 1998-2000
The Constitution provides for freedom of religion, and the Government generally
respects this right in practice; however, there are some exceptions. According
to the Law on Freedom of Faith, the Committee on Religious Affairs under
the Council of Ministers registers religious communities and monitors the
activities of the various religious establishments.... Although unregistered,
recently organized religious communities, such as Baha'i and Hare Krishna
groups function with no apparent formal restriction.
BAHÁ'Í COMMUNITY
IRF 1999-2000
Other religious minorities are very small and include Baha'is (four registered
organizations)....
HRP 1993
Among those active in Tajikistan are the Islamic, Russian Orthodox, Jewish,
German Roman Catholic, Seventh-Day Adventist, Baptist, and Baha'i.
SOCIETAL ATTITUDES
HRP 2001
Some Muslim leaders occasionally have expressed concern that minority religious
groups undermine national unity. Baha'i and Hare Krishna groups experience
limited discrimination.
HRP 2000
IRF 2001
There were no developments in the 1999 murder case of British national
Abdullah Mugharebi, a resident of Dushanbe and leader of Tajikistan's Baha'i
community, who was widely believed to have been killed by Iranian-sponsored
Islamic fundamentalists.
IRF 1999-2001
Baha'i and Hare Krishna groups experience only limited prejudice. A prominent
88-year-old member of Dushanbe's Baha'i community was killed in his home
in September. Members of the Baha'i community believe that he was killed
because of his religion, since none of his personal possessions were taken
from the murder scene. Police made no arrests, although militant Islamists
aligned with Iran are considered likely perpetrators.
IRF 2001:
There were no new developments on this case during the
period covered by this report.