Shodiev — not his real name — says that every week he treats about 15 clients who ask him to expel what they believe is an evil spirit, or jinni, possessing them, or to rid them from “an evil eye.”

The 53-year-old cleric has been practicing exorcisms — which he learned to do from his father — for more than two decades. Most of Shodiev’s clients come from Dushanbe and nearby districts, but some to travel from faraway regions to seek his help.

Shodiev says he doesn’t have a set fee for performing the Islamic rite. “It’s up to the clients how much to pay.”

Three Tajik clerics who spoke to RFE/RL claimed the demand for exorcisms is on the rise in the predominately Muslim country.

There are no official statistics in Tajikistan on exorcisms or the number of people performing the centuries-old practice, which survived decades of religious crackdowns during the atheistic Soviet era and most recently the Tajik government’s attempts to restrict exorcisms.

Tajik laws do not ban the procedure. But several men who perform exorcisms have been jailed in recent years on charges of fraud, sexual molestation, or practicing the occult.

Some Tajiks see the ongoing efforts by the secular government as a way to keep a tab on “all things religious.” As part of that campaign, Islamic hijabs have been banned in schools and offices, while growing a long or bushy beard is frowned upon for young men.

Exorcisms are practiced among the followers of Islam, Christianity, and some other world religions.

There is a belief among Muslims that an evil spirit or jinni can possess a person but can be driven out of the possessed person’s body through an exorcism that includes reciting certain verses from the Koran.

But several Tajik clergymen told RFE/RL that many clerics in the country refrain from performing exorcism because it requires special training.

In the meantime, the spike in demand for exorcisms has led to a rise in the number of self-proclaimed exorcists, and charlatans, according to the clerics and officials. Many of them perform exorcisms and do faith healings.

Some also mix in elements of the occult, which is outlawed in Tajikistan and prohibited within Islam.

Tajikistan’s Religious Affairs Committee said, “Muslims believe that the Koran has healing powers, therefore they seek help [from exorcisms] to treat certain mental health issues, but unfortunately there have been cases in which some [self-proclaimed exorcists] tried to take advantage of people’s [religious] beliefs.”

Exorcism Gone Wrong

Tajik law-enforcement agencies in recent years released what they called footage of self-proclaimed exorcists and faith healers molesting their female clients. The incidents were allegedly recorded by hidden cameras, which police installed after receiving complaints.

In 2021, police in the northern Sughd Province released a video that purportedly shows Alijon Ghaniev, a 50-year-old self-proclaimed exorcist and faith healer, performing an unusual ritual on a female client that ends with sexual intercourse.

According to local media, Ghaniev charged his 21-year-old client the equivalent of $14 for three exorcism and faith healing sessions.

State television showed what it described as Ghaniev’s exorcism tools, including several knives, tarot cards, various herbs, and a bunch of dried tree branches. Once in police custody, Nabiev told the TV channel that he regretted his actions “getting out of control under the devil’s temptation.”

It is not clear if Nabiev’s confession was voluntary or was made under pressure.

In a similar case in 2019, a court in Hisor district handed a prison sentence to Juraboi Sochaev, who was accused of sexually harassing his female clients during exorcism rites. Sochaev charged his clients up to $270 for a session, prosecutors said.

A probe is under way in the northern city of Khujand against a self-proclaimed exorcist, Abduvali Nabiev, 68, who was arrested in October on sexual harassment charges.

Police and prosecutors said none of the men has had religious education or medical training but claimed to have special abilities to expel jinni and treat ailments.

Exorcisms made shocking headlines in Central Asia recently when a woman died due to severe beatings during the ritual in the Uzbek capital, Tashkent.

Court documents say two men used a hammer, chain, and stakes in the procedure that broke several of the woman’s ribs and caused internal bleeding. The exorcists were sentenced to 2 1/2 and three years in prison.

Gone Underground

Asked about the tragic Uzbek case, Shodiev said he has never performed or heard of an exorcism that led to physical harm.

“We do use some tools, but we don’t beat the clients to death, we just tap their elbow, for example, with the blunt side of a knife,” Shodiev said.

Shodiev and many others in Tajikistan no longer perform exorcisms openly, fearing what they see as the government’s campaign against the practice.

About five to seven years ago, clients used to come to Shodiev’s house for the procedure, but nowadays he visits them in the evenings in their homes to perform the ritual.

“I don’t want to get accused of some made-up charges, like practicing the occult, for example,” he said.

For some Tajiks — such as Akmal Halimov, a 34-year-old resident of the Vadhat district — the scandals surrounding the exorcists have done little to erode their faith in the religious ritual.

Halimov believes an exorcism saved him after he “was possessed by an evil spirit” during his student years in Dushanbe.

“My relatives took me to a mullah who treated me for 10 days. After that I felt that something bad had left my body,” he said.

But in the rural district of Mastchoh, Zuhro Mukhtorova isn’t optimistic about receiving any benefits from an exorcism.

About a decade ago, the 34-year-old Mukhtorova developed an illness that affects her ability to speak. When medical treatments didn’t help, relatives suggested she must have been “possessed by jinni.” Mukhtorova has been to several exorcists, but despite her faith in them the rituals have not helped her.

She still speaks with difficulty and has given up on exorcisms.

Source: RFERL

The post Demand For Exorcisms On The Rise In Tajikistan And Central Asia, Despite Crackdown, Scandals appeared first on Tashkent Citizen.

It is believed that he had the greatest significance for the country.

On September 26, 1999, a national referendum on amendments to the Constitution of the republic was held in Tajikistan. This was the second popular referendum in the history of independent Tajikistan. The main amendments concerned increasing the presidential term from five to seven years and the establishment of a bicameral parliament.

The referendum was planned for the first half of 1998, but it was postponed indefinitely for various reasons. After lengthy debates between the government and the opposition, on June 30, 1999, the parliament of Tajikistan (at that time unicameral) finally approved the date of the referendum – September 26, 1999. At this time, the republic had a Constitution in force, adopted by a popular referendum in 1994, at the height of the civil war.

The referendum took place exactly on the appointed day, September 26, without any special incidents. Polling stations were open to voters from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.

According to official data, the turnout at the elections was 92.53% – 2 million 591 thousand 905 people voted (citizens of the country with the right to vote numbered 2 million 800 thousand 947).

75.31% of Tajik citizens voted for the amendments to the Constitution, while 24.69% of voters voted against. 0.01% of ballots were declared invalid.

After the referendum, a bicameral parliament was created in Tajikistan, consisting of the Majlisi Milli (upper) and the Majlisi Namoyandagon (lower).

The term of office of the President of Tajikistan after the presidential elections on November 6, 1999 became seven years.

And the main opposition Islamist Islamic Renaissance Party of Tajikistan was officially registered and received the right to participate in the next parliamentary elections in 2000, conditions were provided for the registration of religious organizations, freedom of speech was protected by law…

During the existence of the Tajik SSR, four Constitutions were adopted: – in 1929, 1931, 1937 and 1978. And today we remember how many times it changed over the years of independence, how many amendments were made to it and, most importantly, how much it cost us…

First edits
The country’s constitution was adopted at the most difficult time for Tajikistan, when the republic was plunged into civil war, negotiation processes between the conflicting parties were just beginning, and about a million Tajik citizens were in forced migration.

At the request of the warring parties, parliament introduced dozens of amendments to the country’s Constitution. Later, the head of the working group for developing the draft of the main document of the country, the then first deputy head of the Supreme Council of the country, Abdulmajid Dostiev, said that so many amendments had been made to the basic law that it was impossible to list them all.

The draft of the first Constitution of independent Tajikistan was published in the press for public discussion in the spring of 1993; for more than a year the people of the country could speak out on this issue.

True, given the situation at that time, there was no discussion as such – the people thought, first of all, about their safety and their daily bread.

On November 6, 1994, a referendum was held in Tajikistan on a new Constitution, which restored the post of president, and presidential elections were also held. Emomali Rakhmonov won them. Before this, the country lived according to the Constitution of the Tajik SSR, which was adopted back in the seventies of the 20th century.
The authors of the country’s basic law were such famous jurists as Ashurboy Imomov, Zarif Alizoda, Khalifabobo Khomidov, Shavkat Ismailov, Abdulmajid Dostiev.

Witnesses of those years say that the people were literally forced to vote for the new Constitution – the streets were filled with armed people, no one guaranteed safety.

“The Constitution was turned into a kind of “draft”
Over the course of 22 years, additions and changes were made to the Constitution of the country three times. The first amendments were made in 1999, the next referendum on amending the basic law of the country was held in 2003, and the third in May 2016.

Rakhmatillo Zoirov, chairman of the country’s Legal Consortium and former presidential adviser, says that due to inexperience, our officials have turned the Constitution into a kind of “draft.” In his opinion, the Constitution adopted in 1994, compared to the Constitutions of 1999, 2003 and 2016, was more stable.

“Then in 1994, the Constitution was not adopted in a hurry; people without political ambitions and interests worked on it, objectively,” he says. – It became unstable when additions and amendments began to be made to it later. The people who developed the amendments practically did not give the people a choice (at the 2016 referendum – ed.), giving them only the opportunity to answer “yes” or “no” regarding all 50 changes at once. Changes were made, as a result of which the shortcomings were not only not eliminated, they were increased, both quantitatively and qualitatively, Zoirov believed.

Major changes
The next Constitutional referendum in Tajikistan took place in September 1999. He, perhaps, had the greatest significance for the country.

A little less than four years later, in 2003, Tajikistan again decided to “amend” the Constitution. This time it was proposed to make 56 changes and amendments, the main of which again concerned the fourth chapter – and the new amendment made it possible to be elected president for two terms of seven years.

Legal experts then complained that the practice of introducing 56 additions and changes at once in one referendum was only in Tajikistan. Many were dissatisfied with the fact that Tajikistan made changes to the basic law twice over the course of nine years, which indicated the instability of the country’s Constitution.

The referendum on May 22, 2016 lifted the remaining restrictions on the “Leader of the Nation” – President Emomali Rahmon. In addition, the minimum age for presidential candidates has been reduced from 35 to 30 years. Many experts said that this measure, if desired, would allow the son of the head of state, 29-year-old Rustam Emomali, to nominate his candidacy for the presidency in 2020.

One of the most important amendments adopted at the last referendum was the ban on parties of a religious and atheistic nature.

Almost unanimously in favor
According to AP information from government circles, a total of over 40 million somoni was spent from the state budget of Tajikistan to conduct four Constitutional referendums.

In the 1994 referendum, of the total number of participating electorates, which amounted to 2 million 535 thousand 777 people, 90 percent voted “For”, 10% voted “Against”, there were no invalid ballots.

In the referendum on June 22, 2003, out of 2 million 436 thousand 496 people in the electorate, 92.8% voted “For”, 7.2% “Against”.

And at the last referendum – May 22, 2016, according to official data, the constitutional changes were approved by 96.6% of voters. The turnout, according to official data, was 92 percent.

Source: Asia Plus TJ

The post Presidential Term, Bicameral Parliament and Freedom of Religion appeared first on Tashkent Citizen.

Pope Francis’ upcoming visit to Mongolia, which is home to fewer than 1,500 Catholics, has elicited curiosity among Catholics and non-Catholics alike.

This will be the pope’s 43rd trip abroad since his election on March 13, 2013: He has visited 12 countries in the Americas, 11 in Asia and 10 in Africa.

What do these visits tell us about this pope’s mission and focus?

As a scholar of Roman Catholicism, I have studied Catholicism’s appeal for immigrants and refugees, and I argue that the pontiff’s official travels since 2013 are part of his decadelong effort to rebrand the Roman Catholic Church as a religious institution that centers the poor.

Prioritizing the poor

While previous popes have included the poor in their speeches, what has distinguished this pope is that he has focused on the Global South and prioritized immigrants, refugees and the less privileged, from Bolivia to Myanmar to Mongolia.

At his July 2013 visit to the Italian island of Lampedusa to commemorate migrants who had drowned in the Mediterranean Sea, Francis gave a blistering critique of the world’s failure to care for the poor: “In this globalized world, we have fallen into globalized indifference. We have become used to the suffering of others: it doesn’t affect me; it doesn’t concern me; it’s none of my business!”

Three years later, the pope flew 12 Syrian Muslim refugees from a Greek refugee camp to Rome. Francis is the first pope to relocate refugees and to work with groups like The Community of St. Egidio charity in Rome that have successfully resettled thousands of refugees.

During my own interviews with Central American Catholic immigrants and refugees in central and eastern Iowa between 2013-2020 for my book, “Meatpacking America,” I heard from women and men who fled violence and poverty in their home nations that they look up to this pope “because he cares about us,” as Fernando said. And Josefina told me back in 2017 that this pope is “the real deal” in terms of supporting immigrants and the poor.

Francis and liberation theology

His predecessors – Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict – specifically condemned liberation theology, a philosophy rooted in Catholic social teachings that calls for a preferential option for the poor and an embrace of Marxist ideology.

According to Austen Ivereigh prior to his becoming pope, Francis — then Jorge Mario Bergoglio – condemned liberation theology as well. He would say “that they were for the people but never with them,” wrote Ivereigh, in his biography of Pope Francis.

Since his election as pope, however, Francis has undertaken what I call “people-focused” liberationism. In one of his first official announcements in 2013, “Evangelii Gaudium,” or “The Joy of the Gospel,” the pope wrote about the essential inclusion of the poor in society, arguing that “without the preferential option for the poor, the proclamation of the Gospel, which is itself the prime form of charity, risks being misunderstood or submerged by the ocean of words which daily engulfs us in today’s society of mass communications.”

In other words, the Gospel’s message that all Christians proclaim doesn’t mean a whole lot if the poor are not central to the goal of personal as well as collective salvation.

Journeying to Mongolia

How does the pope’s upcoming visit to Mongolia factor into this decade-spanning trajectory of his people-focused liberation?

Christianity has been present in Mongolia since the seventh century. Nestorianism, an Eastern branch of Christianity named after the Patriarch of Constantinople Nestorius, who lived from 386 C.E. to 451 C.E., coexisted alongside an even older religious practice, shamanism, which emphasized the natural world and dates to the third century. Nestorians believe that Christ had two natures – one human and one divine.

While Mary was seen as important within Nestorian theology as Christ’s mother, she is not seen as divine. This is similar to Roman Catholic theology where Mary is deemed special because she is Christ’s mother and worthy of veneration.

According to historian Robert Merrihew Adams, the missionary activity of Nestorian Christians in central Asia from the seventh to the 13th centuries was “the most impressive Christian enterprise” of the Middle Ages because of its rapid spread and influence.

Adams argues that Nestorianism’s spread was in part because of its belief that Christ was a two-natured individual – one divine and one human. These two natures in one body meshed well with preexisting shamanic beliefs, as shamanism sees individuals as able to harness the supernatural.

In addition to this branch of Eastern Christianity, Tibetan Buddhism came to Mongolia in the 13th century, as did Islam. Today, Buddhism is the dominant religion of Mongolia, while Islam and Christianity remain very small percentages at 3% and 2.5%.

Pope Francis has made it clear throughout his tenure that interfaith dialogue is an essential remedy to division. During his visit he will preside over an interfaith gathering and the opening of a Catholic charity house.

A strategic visit

The past decade has brought rapid urbanization and growth in major cities such as the capital of Ulaanbaatar, along with high rates of unemployment and Covid-era economic downturn.

And yet, according to the World Bank, the economic forecast for Mongolia remains “promising” because of its rich natural resources, such as gold, copper, coal and other minerals.

However, extraction of Mongolia’s resources is occurring at a rapid pace – so much so that the country, according to the Harvard International Review, has been called “Minegolia.” The United States has made significant investment in Mongolia’s mining industry, and China is a major importer of Mongolian coal. Two rail lines connecting Mongolia to China were installed in January 2022 and a third is being built.

In the past, Francis has made strong comments against corruption and environmental degradation, and it would not be surprising if he addressed the challenges of the mining industry during his trip. During his trip to the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2023, he critiqued the Global North that contributed to “the poison of greed” that has “smeared its diamonds with blood.” In 2018, the pope spent a few hours in Madre de Dios, an area in the Peruvian Amazon, where mining has led to large-scale environmental degradation.

The pope’s visit will be bold given the challenges before Mongolia and its geographic location between Russia and China. A peace delegation on behalf of Pope Francis for the war in Ukraine, led by Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, that visted Russia this summer is likely to head to China in the coming months.

As Italian Cardinal Giorgio Marengo, a missionary in Mongolia for two decades, has emphasized, Pope Francis’s visit to this country with a tiny minority of Catholics will “manifest the attention that the (pope) has for every individual, every person who embarks in this journey of faith.”

Source: The Conversation

The post What the Pope’s Visit to Mongolia Says About His Priorities and How He is Changing the Catholic Church appeared first on Tashkent Citizen.

For more than 1,000 years, Islam has influenced the history and culture of Kazakhstan far more than one might expect – from the first alphabet to the language, customs, and literature. The traditional form of Islam developed along with the national customs molding into a regional form of the religion, adapted to local traditions.

Seven plus decades of an atheist legacy under the Soviet Union also left its mark on how Islam is viewed among the Kazakh Muslim population today, which makes the history and evolution of Islam in the region as a worth exploring topic.

Muslim population in Kazakhstan

The Muslim population makes up a large percentage of the Kazakh people. According to the Committee on Religious Affairs of the Ministry of Information and Social Development of Kazakhstan, out of 3,834 religious entities registered in Kazakhstan, 2,695 or 70 percent are Islamic entities, belonging mainly to the Sunni branch.

The 2009 Kazakh census data also showed that 70 percent of the 16 million people in Kazakhstan considered themselves Muslim.

Being the majority in Kazakhstan, Muslims live in harmony with representatives of other religions. The upcoming seventh Congress of Leaders of the World and Traditional Religions that is going to take place on Sept. 14-15 in Nur-Sultan, shows how interreligious dialogue and peace was always a priority for Kazakhstan.

A Brief history of Islam in Kazakhstan

The presence of Islam in the territory of Kazakhstan dates back to the 10th-century Karakhanids, a fiefdom that ruled Central Asia from the 10th to the 13th century. During the Karakhanid dynasty, Islam acquired the status of the state religion.

Before Islam spread to the southern sedentary regions of present-day Kazakhstan, the population followed other religions, including Tengrism and Zoroastrianism, which featured elements of shamanism and ancestor worship. 

A great contribution to the spread of Islam among the nomadic population of South Kazakhstan was made by Khoja Akhmet Yassawi, an 11th-century Sufi poet and mystic, who wrote his famous work “Diwani Hikmet” (Divine Wisdom) as a journey to the light of knowledge, diligence, upholding the truth, honesty, and virtue:

“Be gentle and polite wherever you go,

Be a confidant to those in need,

Be close to God on the day of Mahshar (Judgement Day).

I ran away from arrogant people” (the author’s translation),

Yassawi described the importance of having a virtuous character along with the faith in God.

One of the first codes of law, Zheti Zhargy (Seven Charters), adopted by Tauke Khan in the 18th century was a significant step towards the introduction of Islam into public life and legal practice. The norms of administrative, criminal, and civil law recorded in this document were largely based on the provisions of Islamic Shariah law.

In the 19th-20th century, reading and writing among the Kazakh population was mostly taught by mullahs. The Russian empire also contributed to the increase in literacy by sending Tatar mullahs into the northern parts of Kazakhstan.

Arabic script was the major writing script of many prominent Kazakh writers and poets. The first Kazakh alphabet, which was systematized by Kazakh scholar Akhmet Baitursynuly in 1912, was based on Arabic letters.

Up to this day the Kazakh saying “knows alif as a wand” is used to refer to an illiterate or uneducated person (alif is the first letter of the Arabic alphabet that looks like a wand).

The Islamic legacy and practice were largely forgotten during the Soviet period when an atheist agenda was spread.

Muslim revival in independent Kazakhstan

Since gaining independence many Muslims in Kazakhstan are gradually reviving the religious practices, the five pillars of Islam, which start with a declaration of faith, followed by daily prayers, charity, fasting, and performing the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca if physically and financially capable.

Dana Yespenbetova, a woman whose grandparents and parents witnessed the Soviet period, says the Soviet Union legacy affected how religion was viewed. “It was all mixed up,” she said, referring to the fact that there was a disparity between what the ancestors have taught her family and the state agenda.

According to her, now she has a chance to revive what was forgotten and as an adult to “reintroduce herself” to religion.

“Even though I had all the pillars of religion introduced to me as a child, at some point in my life I had to study in depth more about my own religion, so I would say that I ‘converted back’ to Islam once I learned about it more. It has been a couple of years since I took religion more seriously and tried to practice it because I understand the benefits it brings to my life,” she said.

Yespenbetova is part of the younger generation of Kazakhs who are making a conscious decision to be Muslim, and not just because it is part of the Kazakh heritage.

“I struggled to pray consistently,” said Yespenbetova talking about the second pillar of Islam. “But I am learning Arabic, and that helps me to understand the verses of the Quran that I recite during the prayers. So it is not just about memorizing the verses, but understanding them by heart.”

Сharity, the third pillar of Islam, is one of the most widespread religious practices in Kazakhstan.

Islam distinguishes between obligatory alms, which is called zakat, and other voluntary forms of charity or as locals call it – sadaka. Zakat is calculated as a percentage of a person’s total net worth. 

According to Nazerke Token, a 28-year-old mother of three, who has been practicing Islam for many years, sadaka is the easiest way to get involved with Islam. “It is done out of good heart, help each other, be kind to each other. No matter if you make prayers or not, you can always express your kindness through donations,” she said.

“This year I donated zakat. Previously, I used to give weekly sadaka to low-income families and various charity organizations and funds. I still try to donate weekly even small amounts of my income,” she added.

She also highlighted the generosity of the Muslim people around her. “I saw a lot of generous people in our country. Aid funds for millions of tenge are collected and closed rather quickly,” she said.

Though Islam’s fourth pillar, fasting, can be exceedingly hard for people, Yespenbetova and her family fast during the month of Ramadan. “My father and I have been fasting for over a decade now,” she said. 

The last pillar – pilgrimage or hajj – is a once-in-a-lifetime duty for every able-bodied Muslim who can afford it.

There are records of Kazakh Muslims that performed pilgrimages as early as the 19th century traveling on horses and camels. Kunanbay, the father of Abai Kunanbaiuly, one of Kazakhstan’s greatest poets, is said to have performed a pilgrimage to Mecca, which took him two years, back in the 19th century. He also built a house in Mecca with his own funds.

Abai wrote about his father’s trip in the following verses:

“Built a waqf (meant for donation) house in Mecca,

He lit the house with a candle.

To the path of one God,

He spent the cattle ruthlessly,” (the author’s translation)

This year, some 4,000 Kazakh citizens attended Mecca for the first time after the pandemic to perform the Hajj in July.

President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev also performed an umrah (a lesser pilgrimage) in Mecca and was honored to enter the Kaaba (a holy shrine) as part of his official visit to Saudi Arabia in July of 2022. 

The imprint of Islam in language and customs can still be seen today. There are many common words, some relate to education, others to culture, for example, kitap (book), ustaz (teacher) and adebiyet (literature).

During early childhood, Kazakh men undergo the tradition of circumcision, which also has Islamic roots. In general, the majority of Kazakh families adhere to Islamic traditions in marriage and burial ceremonies.

Disparity between culture and religion sometimes creates a vision that one can be “too religious” if they practice pillars of Islam that are not a part of Kazakh culture.

Yespenbetova shared her own experience with that. “Some families take it as an extreme concern if any of their kids start praying five times or learning about Islam or girls decide to cover their heads, which is quite confusing to the younger generation and to everyone who wants to practice it the right way. Islam does not accept changes, but somehow our society tends to pick whatever is convenient for them,” she said.

Despite that, Yespenbetova carries on with her practices. “I guess it is a journey of each person and it is only between the person and God,” she concluded.

Kazakhstan is a secular country, where people have the freedom to choose a religion and practice it. According to the Committee on Religious Affairs, there are 2,693 mosques in the country. On Aug. 12, an opening of the Grand Mosque, the largest mosque in Central Asia that can accommodate 30,000 people, took place in Nur-Sultan and was attended by First President Nazarbayev.

Source : Astana Times

The post Evolution of Islam in Kazakhstan: How Modern Kazakh Muslims Balance Their Religious Identity, the Soviet Legacy and National Traditions appeared first on Tashkent Citizen.