Most importantly, people would be assured that coming to worship is safe.
They could come knowing that - at least in theory - the place of worship would not be raided and they would not have to give their name, address and place of work. They would not be harassed and face questions such as: "Why do you come here?"
The changes to the Religion Law in 2004 did help a little, especially the reduction in the number of adult citizen members required to found a religious organisation from 500 to just a handful. Finding 500 people was impossible and without registration we were completely banned from meeting.
But since the changes very few non-Muslim and non-Russian Orthodox communities have been able to get such registration, especially away from
Ashgabad. However, being able to meet for worship has become easier, even if intermittent raids and check-ups continue.
It is important now for religious communities in the regions - such as my own Protestant church - to be able to get registration. Of course, we shouldn't be required to have registration before we can meet, but that's how it is. Whenever officials raid our meetings the first thing they ask is: "Where's your registration certificate?" The government likes to be able to say to outsiders "We have registration" and show them communities in Ashgabad. But people don't look at what we experience in places away from the capital, where we have no hope of registration.
Officials are cunning in the way they obstruct registration. They never give their refusals on paper. Anyway, local officials don't decide anything - they just get their orders from above. They are afraid to take any steps without such direction from on high, for fear of losing their comfortable seats. Any official who approved a religious community's registration application would be sacked.
The government's Gengeshi (Council) for Religious Affairs in Ashgabad is not interested in the problems religious communities face. Its officials can't decide anything anyway - they need to seek advice from on high. The aim is a system of control. Everything is still as it was in the Soviet period.
Many activities are banned for us. We can't spread our faith, meet in public buildings like cinemas, show films, work in hospitals or children's homes, distribute humanitarian aid or invite fellow-believers from abroad.
I know people from neighbouring countries who wanted to visit us who have been refused visas five times. They are our brothers and sisters. We pray together. This is - or should be - a normal part of our religious life. We suffer because of this - it leaves us without teaching, encouragement, friendship and exchanges of information.
Religious literature is especially difficult. We can't print such literature at all - how can we when the state runs all printing houses and you need official permission for anything that is printed? Nor can we import it into the country - if you have more than one religious book when you come back through customs they will be confiscated. I have had my personal Bible confiscated from me at customs. It would be excellent if we could print our own literature.
But I come back to places of worship. It is our desire to have a freely-open place of worship in every place where we have a community. This is vital - but at present impossible. Without freedom to meet for worship it is impossible to claim that we have freedom of religion or belief.
This commentary was written for Forum 18 News Service. It appears in Christian Today with the kind permission of Forum 18 News Service ( www.forum18.org ).
