A pastor in Tajikistan has been arrested on charges of 'extremism' for having a book by a well-known US Christian author.
Bakhrom Kholmatov is a pastor in the Sunmin Sunbogym (Good News of Grace) Protestant Church, whose congregations have been raided by secret police. He was arrested at his Khujand church in April.
The church is an officially registered congregation. However, according to the Forum 18 news service, authorities put pressure on the congregation in an attempt to close it. 'Officers insulted the believers by shouting and swearing at them. They demanded that they renounce their faith and leave the Church,' members of the congregation said.
They claimed some were beaten and others forced out of their jobs.
According to Forum 18, officers of the secret police told members that the words of hymns and Christian books, including More Than A Carpenter by American author Josh McDowell, were 'extremist'.
Among the 'extremist' hymns were ones with lyrics saying, 'Praise God, oh the godless country,' 'God's army is marching' and 'Our fight is not against flesh and blood'. Church members pointed out that the words of these songs are references to texts in the Bible.
Representatives of the official religious literature committee told Forum 18 that there was no list of banned books in the country and that each book was assessed on its merits.
Authorities in the capital Dushanbe also closed down two kindergartens where Protestant Christians were employed. 'In one kindergarten the authorities found a songbook of Christmas carols during a raid,' Forum 18 was told. 'The other one was closed down just because they found that Christians worked in it.'
