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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ASHGABAT 000321 
 
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SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR SCA/CEN; DRL/IRF 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KIRF PHUM PGOV TX
SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN: GOVERNMENT SUPPORTS RECOMMENDATIONS 
MADE BY UN RAPPORTEUR ON RELIGION 
 
ASHGABAT 00000321  001.2 OF 003 
 
 
 
ASHGABAT 00000321  002 OF 003 
 
 
his "profound belief" that in every religion, family is 
considered holy.  He said the Jehovah's Witnesses make 
mistakes about Turkmen mentality and destroys the family. 
They recruit a wife and her husband is not happy, or they 
invite children to become Jehovah's Witnesses without their 
parents' permission.  According to Gurbanov, these conflicts 
involve not only ethnic Turkmen, but also Russians and 
adherents of other religions.  He mentioned that the CRA 
receives petitions with people's complaints about such 
activities.  He was surprised how the Jehovah's Witnesses 
have reached even the most distant villages.  Gurbanov also 
mentioned Bahai and Krishna groups, which have been 
registered.  Ashgabat was the location of the first Bahai 
church, established in the late nineteenth century by Bahai 
refugees from present-day Iran.  The church was destroyed in 
the 1948 earthquake and replaced with a monument to Turkmen 
poet Magtumguly. 
 
¶7. (SBU) Gurbanov expressed that view that all religious 
groups, registered or not, should respect the laws of the 
country "because it is the country that feeds them."  He said 
if the Government registered the Jehovah's Witnesses, people 
would not understand because the Jehovah's Witnesses "do not 
respect Turkmenistan's laws."  He noted disapprovingly that 
the Jehovah's Witnesses refuse blood transfusions, adding 
that, in his personal opinion, the Government cannot register 
that group.  The Charge explained some of the challenges that 
Jehovah's Witnesses faced historically in the United States 
in attempting to practice their religion, citing refusal to 
pledge allegiance to the flag and military service. 
Nonetheless, over time U.S. courts resolved these issues in a 
manner that respected religious convictions.  Gurbanov said 
the United States has had 250 years to resolve these issues, 
while Turkmenistan is still very young as a nation. 
 
TURKMENISTAN:  NEED TO DISTINGUISH BETWEEN CULTURE AND 
RELIGION 
 
¶8. (SBU) Mufti Rowshen Allaberdiyev shared his views on the 
particular features of Islam in Turkmenistan, stressing the 
importance of distinguishing between the customs and 
traditions of the Turkmen people, on the one hand, and Islam 
on the other, in order to avoid misunderstandings.  In the 
Arab world, cultural practices and religion are integrated. 
This is not the case in Turkmenistan.  For example, among 
Turkmen, the third, seventh and fortieth days following a 
death are commemorated, but this practice is cultural, not 
religious.  Many people in Turkmenistan do not read prayers, 
but are not ostracized.  However, if a person does not 
observe the appropriate days following a death, that person 
would be ostracized. 
 
¶9. (SBU) The Mufti said that clergy in Turkmenistan are 
taught to respect all other religious communities.  If 
someone publicly says that they do not respect another 
religion, that person will be ostracized.  According to the 
Mufti, Muhammed taught that if another religion does not 
create an obstacle for Islam, then co-existence is fine.  In 
the Koran, the Mufti noted that Allah had created men and 
women and separated them into different nationalities and 
religions in order for them "to visit and become friends." 
The Mufti explained the Turkmen perspective on Islam, that if 
Turkmen traditions are not respected, then people will not be 
happy.  He noted that the Turkmen population is predominantly 
Muslim, and that their respect for Islam can be observed by 
visiting a mosque on a Friday and seeing how many people 
attend Friday prayers. 
 
RELIGIOUS EDUCATION IN TURKMENISTAN 
 
¶10. (SBU) Concerning the education of Islamic clergy, the 
Mufti said during Soviet times, the issue of institutional 
religion was not considered.  Upon independence, Turkmen 
authorities chose the Turkish system as the most acceptable 
 
ASHGABAT 00000321  003 OF 003 
 
 
version.  In 1994, a Religion Faculty was established at 
Turkmenistan State University.  Its task was to teach not 
only religion, but also Turkmen customs and traditions.  The 
imams that serve in the mosques are trained at the 
university.  They are taught not only Islam, but also all 
aspects of religion in order to facilitate understanding 
between religious groups.  The Mufti said all imams in the 
provinces are graduates of the university program. 
Previously, half the imams were from the elder generation and 
half were younger, but the new generation has been fully 
brought in during the last two years.  He added that there 
are no madrassahs in Turkmenistan.  There were madrassahs 
previously, but they could not find enough positions for the 
graduates, so the madrassahs were closed.  According to the 
Mufti, the university meets the current need for clergy.  The 
Mufti said there are not many requests to establish 
madrassahs, but if they receive more such requests, they will 
consider it in the future. 
 
"NO OBSTACLES" FOR REGISTRATION OF TWO CHURCHES 
 
¶11. (C) The Charge raised the cases of the Iman Yoly (Path of 
Faith) and Svet Zhizni (Light of Life) churches that have 
been trying to obtain registration.  Gurbanov was instantly 
familiar with both groups, saying that the CRA had "helped 
them a lot" and that they are the "most ready" for 
registration.  He noted that there was a bureaucratic 
process, but believed that there were "no obstacles."  He 
said the Commission on Religion and Public Organizations at 
the Ministry of Justice now had action on the matter. 
 
¶12. (C) COMMENT:  While CRA Chairman Seryayev attended the 
meeting and, while he seemed to follow the conversation with 
interest, he did not speak at any point, instead allowing 
Gurbanov to do all the talking on behalf of the CRA. 
Although he might have been uncomfortable speaking in 
Russian, the Mufti made his comments in Turkmen, which the 
Chairman could also have done.  In speaking with contacts 
among the minority religious groups, Gurbanov's name is 
frequently mentioned as their contact, or as the source of 
various comments, suggesting that Gurbanov plays an active 
role in the functioning of the CRA.  Our contacts have shared 
varying views on Gurbanov, with some saying he is supportive, 
while others suggesting that he holds personal views that are 
unacceptable for an official in his position.  In his 
conversation with the Charge, when he would be at his most 
"diplomatic," his comments about Jehovah's Witnesses 
suggested a strong antipathy.  We've also been told he would 
refuse to accept women or invalids as church leaders.  Still, 
his comments about the Government's approval of the Special 
Rapporteur's recommendations were encouraging, offered with a 
hint of the respect that anything UN-related seems to muster 
with the Turkmenistan Government.  The comment about the 
prospects for registration of the two church groups was 
encouraging, especially if their long wait and repeated 
submissions can finally come to a favorable end.  Still, 
there are equally worthy groups also waiting for 
registration, so hopefully if and when the good news comes, 
there will be additional beneficiaries as well.  END COMMENT. 
MILES