{"id":3349,"date":"2022-07-06T17:42:00","date_gmt":"2022-07-06T16:42:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/opendoorsuk.org\/?p=3349"},"modified":"2024-02-14T13:06:43","modified_gmt":"2024-02-14T13:06:43","slug":"tajikistan-church-protestant","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/wwl.opendoorsuk.org\/ireland\/blog\/news\/latest-news\/tajikistan-church-protestant\/","title":{"rendered":"Protestant Christians in Tajikistan told they can \u2018no longer register any new churches\u2019 \u2013 but there is good news"},"content":{"rendered":"    <section class=\"standard-page \" role=\"document\" style=\"\">\n        <div class=\"container\">\n            \n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Tajikistan\u2019s tiny Christian minority have been dealt a blow with the news that no new Protestant churches can be registered with the country\u2019s totalitarian government. However, the church continues to grow, and Open Doors has been told that this latest setback will not deter Christians.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"930\" height=\"399\" src=\"https:\/\/wwl.opendoorsuk.org\/ireland\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2022\/08\/06.07.2022-Tajik-930-399.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3351\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wwl.opendoorsuk.org\/ireland\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2022\/08\/06.07.2022-Tajik-930-399.jpg 930w, https:\/\/wwl.opendoorsuk.org\/ireland\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2022\/08\/06.07.2022-Tajik-930-399-300x129.jpg 300w, https:\/\/wwl.opendoorsuk.org\/ireland\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2022\/08\/06.07.2022-Tajik-930-399-768x329.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 930px) 100vw, 930px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Tajikistan is number 45 on the Open Doors World Watch List<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Leaders of Protestant churches in Tajikistan have been told by the government that they cannot register any new churches.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sulaymon Davlatzoda, the Chair of the State Committee for Religious Affairs and Regulation of Traditions, Ceremonies and Rituals (SCRA), summoned the leaders to a meeting at its offices in Dushanbe in late May.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe will no longer register any new churches,\u201d Davlatzoda was quoted as saying. \u201cWe will keep the figure of registered churches unchanged from now on.\u201d No reasons were given for the decision. Individual churches who have recently approached the SCRA for registration have been told the same, according to a Christian speaking to&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.forum18.org\/archive.php?article_id=2754\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Forum 18<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">During the meeting in May, Davlatzoda also \u2018openly warned that children cannot participate in church activity, and no religious camps are allowed for them\u2019. The 2011 Parental Responsibility Law bans the participation of anyone below aged 18 in religious events apart from funerals. Religious communities have been fined for violating this ban.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Christians gather at risk of punishment<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Without state registration, all exercise of freedom of religion or belief is illegal and punishable. The United Nations (UN) Human Rights Committee has repeatedly expressed concern over the regime\u2019s restrictions on freedom of religion or belief and called for changes to laws and practice to end such controls.<\/p>\n\n\n    <div class=\"pull-right-wrapper \">\n        <blockquote><p>&#8220;The church in Tajikistan is growing in numbers and, God willing, will continue to grow,&#8221;\r\n<\/p> <cite>TAJIK CHRISTIAN<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n    <\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Tajikistan is&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.forum18.org\/archive.php?article_id=2754\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">number 45 on the World Watch List<\/a>, dropping 12 places from last year. However, this is largely because persecution has worsened elsewhere, rather than life getting any easier for our Tajik family \u2013 as demonstrated by this latest news. While the Russian Orthodox Church is registered and somewhat tolerated \u2013 since they don\u2019t tend to share their faith with others \u2013 those associated with Protestant groups are viewed with suspicion and even deemed extremists.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe meet for worship without registration but are afraid that the authorities can punish us at any time,\u201d says one Tajik Christian, who said that they know of up to 15 such Protestant groups that do not have registration but would like it. Another put the figure at 20.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In January, a Protestant group was fined in the northern Sugd region for engaging in church activities without state approval.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Despite restrictions, the Tajik church is growing<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But amid the restrictions and fear, there is reason for encouragement. \u201cThe good news is that, despite all the prohibitions, the church in Tajikistan is growing in numbers and, God willing, will continue to grow,\u201d shares a church leader with Open Doors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cToday there are many young people involved in evangelistic work and the Good News is spreading. Whether they will register churches or not, please pray for us so that we remain faithful to our Lord Jesus Christ and continue His work while we live. Thank God!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Supporting information: Forum 18&nbsp;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/section>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":18,"featured_media":3350,"parent":8268,"menu_order":0,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_uag_custom_page_level_css":""},"categories":[36],"tags":[94],"class_list":["post-3349","news","type-news","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-latest-news","tag-tajikistan"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Protestant Christians in Tajikistan told they can \u2018no longer register any new churches\u2019 \u2013 but there is good news - Open Doors Ireland<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta 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