Tajik Supreme Court Bans Extremist Salafi Islam

January 08, 2009

DUSHANBE -- Tajikistan's Supreme Court has banned the Extremist Salafi branch of Islam.

Court spokesman Mahmadali Yusufov told RFE/RL's Tajik Service that "for the security of Tajikistan and defense of its citizens' legal rights, as well as the prevention of national, racial, and religious enmity in Tajikistan, the court has decided to ban the Salafi group."

The Salafis promote a extremist form of Sunni Islam and do not recognize other branches of Islam, such as Shi'a and Suuni/Sufism. It is frequently referred to as Wahabbism, although Salafis reject this as derogatory.

There are estimated to be several thousand followers of Salafism in Tajikistan, mostly young people and many of whom graduated from Wahhabi Islamic schools in gulf countries.

Concerns have been expressed by government officials and Sunni religious leaders that Salafi followers may be promoting sectarian division and animosity in Tajikistan and helping to create terror cells.

Authorities often use the term Wahabbism to describe various Islamic movements outside state control, and ascribe antigovernment activities to them.

In Tajikistan, the term was discredited among even ordinary people during the 1992-97 bloody civil war in which an Islamic opposition fought the post-Soviet regime.Because of the Salafis' anti-Shi'a and anti-Iran positions, there have been allegations that the United States is behind the Salafi movement in Tajikistan.

Hajji Akbar Turajonzoda, a parliamentarian and prominent member of the Islamic opposition, is one of those who claims that the West finances the Salafis. In an April 30 interview with Russia's Regnum information agency, he claimed Western secret services have instructed Salafis to "fight Shi'ites -- more precisely, Iran."

"Their goal is to create antagonism in society and destroy unity among Muslims," Turajonzoda said. He also claimed that the Salafis' base could not grow without significant financial assistance from "foreign intelligence centers."

The overwhelming majority of Tajiks are followers of Hanafia, a more liberal branch of Sunni Islam.