Религиозные обращения в Узбекистане: на примере деятельности бахаи

🇷🇺 НА РУССКОМ ЯЗЫКЕ

Узбекистан — это страна, где:

Ислам является доминирующей религией, которой следуют более 90% населения.

Религия тесно связана с национальными традициями, историей и идентичностью.

Государство строго регулирует религиозную деятельность для сохранения межконфессионального мира и предотвращения экстремизма.

В таких условиях переход к новым или малоизвестным верованиям — включая Бахаи — может вызывать чувствительные вопросы, особенно связанные с общественной целостностью, влиянием на молодежь и внешним идеологическим вмешательством.

🕊️ Присутствие бахаи в Узбекистане

Община бахаи:

Активна в Узбекистане с начала XX века (особенно в Ташкенте и Самарканде).

Подвергалась репрессиям в советское время, а в 1990-х годах была возрождена после обретения независимости.

В некоторых городах действует без официальной регистрации, что нарушает местное законодательство.

⚠️ Проблемные моменты:

1. Религиозное обучение детей и молодежи:

Сообщается о проведении моральных уроков, учебных групп и молодежных программ от бахаи.

Эти мероприятия оказывают влияние на молодежь, не принадлежащую к бахаи, что воспринимается как косвенная форма миссионерской деятельности.

Пример: На молодежном мероприятии в Ташкенте, включавшем музыку, рассказы и духовные беседы, участвовали дети, не являющиеся бахаи. Некоторые родители выразили недовольство тем, что их дети столкнулись с чуждыми убеждениями.

2. Использование культурных мероприятий для влияния:

Празднование 200-летия со дня рождения Бахауллы включало узбекскую еду, музыку и танцы — возможно, сочетая культурные элементы с религиозным посланием.

По мнению критиков, такие мероприятия, представленные как культурные, могут служить инструментами религиозного влияния.

3. Участие иностранцев и религиозная литература:

Некоторые собрания включали гостей или материалы из-за рубежа, вызывая опасения по поводу внешнего идеологического вмешательства.

Власти Узбекистана в прошлом изымали литературу бахаи и даже выдворяли лиц, подозреваемых в миссионерской деятельности.

В 2023 году, например, гражданин Казахстана был депортирован за проведение несанкционированных встреч, интерпретированных как религиозная пропаганда.

🏛️ Позиция государства по миссионерству

Миссионерская деятельность в Узбекистане запрещена действующим законом.

Все религиозные объединения должны действовать только в рамках зарегистрированных сообществ и не могут привлекать новых членов.

Несанкционированные встречи или обращения к посторонним считаются нарушением — независимо от намерений.

✅ Заключение

Речь идет о конкретной обеспокоенности, связанной с религией Бахаи:

Прозрачность в религиозной деятельности;

Уважение к узбекской культуре и доминирующим верованиям;

Защита, особенно молодежи, от внешнего или нерегулируемого влияния.

O‘zbekistonда diniy konvertatsiya: Bahoyiylar faoliyati misolida

🇺🇿 UZBEK TILIDA

O‘zbekiston — bu shunday mamlakatki:

Islom — aholining 90 foizidan ortig‘i tomonidan amal qilinadigan asosiy din hisoblanadi.

Din milliy an’analar, tarix va o‘zlik bilan chambarchas bog‘liq.

Hukumat diniy faoliyatni qat’iy nazorat qiladi, diniy bag‘rikenglikni saqlash va ekstremizmning oldini olish maqsadida.

Shu muhitda yangi yoki kam tanilgan e’tiqodlarga, jumladan, Bahoyiylik diniga o‘tish — ayniqsa jamiyat birligi, yoshlarga ta’sir va chet el mafkurasi masalalarida — nozik savollarni keltirib chiqaradi.

🕊️ Bahoyiylar O‘zbekistonda

Bahoyiylar jamiyati:

O‘zbekistonda 1900-yillar boshidan buyon faoliyat yuritgan (ayniqsa Toshkent va Samarqandda).

Sovet davrida bosim ostida bo‘lgan, mustaqillikdan keyin 1990-yillarda faoliyati tiklangan.

Hozirda ba’zi shaharlarida rasmiy ro‘yxatdan o‘tmasdan faoliyat yuritmoqda.

⚠️ Nozik jihatlar:

1. Bolalar va yoshlarga diniy ta’lim:

Bahoyiylar tomonidan axloqiy darslar, o‘quv guruhlari va yoshlar dasturlari tashkil etilganligi haqida xabarlar bor.

Ushbu dasturlar bahoyiy bo‘lmagan o‘zbek yoshlariga bevosita yoki bilvosita da’vat sifatida ta’sir ko‘rsatmoqda.

Misol: Toshkentda o‘tkazilgan musiqiy va ma’naviy suhbatlardan iborat yoshlar tadbirida bahoyiy bo‘lmagan bolalar ham qatnashgan. Ba’zi ota-onalar farzandlari notanish e’tiqodlarga duch kelganidan norozi bo‘lgan.

2. Madaniy tadbirlar orqali da’vat:

Bahoullohning tug‘ilgan kunining 200 yilligi kabi ommaviy tadbirlarda o‘zbek taomlari, musiqa va raqslar orqali diniy xabarlar madaniyat bilan uyg‘unlashtirilgan bo‘lishi mumkin.

Tanqidchilarga ko‘ra, bunday tadbirlar madaniy deb e’lon qilinsa-da, diniy ta’sir vositasi sifatida ishlatilmoqda.

3. Chet el ishtiroki va adabiyoti:

Ba’zi yig‘ilishlarda xorijdan mehmonlar yoki materiallar qatnashgan, bu esa tashqi mafkuraviy ta’sir haqidagi xavotirlarni kuchaytirmoqda.

O‘zbekiston hukumat idoralari ilgari Bahoyiy adabiyotlarini musodara qilgan va “missionerlik faoliyati”da gumon qilingan ayrim shaxslarni deportatsiya qilgan.

Masalan, 2023-yil holatiga ko‘ra, Qozog‘iston fuqarosi ro‘yxatdan o‘tmagan yig‘ilish o‘tkazgani uchun O‘zbekistondan chiqarib yuborilgan.

🏛️ Hukumatning missionerlik faoliyatiga nisbatan pozitsiyasi

O‘zbekistonda missionerlik faoliyati amaldagi qonunchilikka ko‘ra taqiqlangan.

Barcha diniy tashkilotlar faqat o‘z ro‘yxatga olingan jamoalari doirasida faoliyat yuritishi mumkin va yangi a’zolarni jalb qilishi mumkin emas.

Ruxsatsiz yig‘ilishlar yoki a’zo bo‘lmaganlarga murojaat qilish — niyatidan qat’i nazar — qonun buzilishi sifatida baholanadi.

✅ Xulosa

Bu yerda gap aynan Bahoyiylik dini haqidagi xavotir haqida:

Diniy faoliyatda oshkoralik;

O‘zbek madaniyati va asosiy e’tiqodlariga hurmat;

Ayniqsa yoshlarga nisbatan, chetdan kelgan yoki nazoratsiz ta’sirlardan himoya qilish zarur.

Religious Conversions in Uzbekistan- The Case of Bahá’í Activities

Uzbekistan is a country where:

Islam is the dominant faith, practiced by over 90% of the population.

Religion is closely tied to national traditions, history, and identity.

The government tightly regulates religious activity to maintain interfaith harmony and prevent extremism.

In this environment, conversion to new or less familiar faiths—including the Bahá’í Faith—can raise sensitive questions, particularly about social cohesion, youth influence, and foreign ideological presence.

🕊️ The Bahá’í Faith’s Presence in Uzbekistan

The Bahá’í community:

Has been active in Uzbekistan since the early 1900s (especially in Tashkent and Samarkand).

Was suppressed during the Soviet era, then revived in the 1990s after independence.

Operates illegally in several cities.

⚠️ Areas of Sensitivity:

1. Religious Education for Children and Youth

Reports describe Bahá’í moral classes, study groups, and youth programs.

These programs influence young Uzbeks who are not from Bahá’í families, leading to indirect or soft proselytism.

Example: A youth event involving music, storytelling, and spiritual discussions in Tashkent included non-Bahá’í children. Some parents later objected that their children were exposed to unfamiliar beliefs.

2. Use of Cultural Events for Outreach

Public events, like the bicentenary of Bahá’u’lláh’s birth, involved Uzbek food, music, and dance, possibly blending cultural familiarity with religious messaging.

Critics says such events, while framed as cultural, may serve as indirect tools of religious influence.

3. Foreign Participation and Literature

Some gatherings have included visitors or materials from abroad, triggering concerns over external ideological influence.

Uzbek authorities have, in the past, confiscated Bahá’í literature and even deported individuals suspected of “missionary activity.”

According to a 2023 case , a Kazakh national was deported for holding meetings without official registration, which were interpreted as religious outreach.

🏛️ Government Position on Missionary Work

Missionary activity is illegal in Uzbekistan under current religious law.

All religious groups must operate only within their registered communities and may not recruit.

Authorities view unregistered meetings or outreach to non-members as violations, regardless of intent.

✅ Conclusion

The concern here is a specific religion ,the Bahá’í Faith :

Transparency in religious activities

Respect for Uzbek culture and majority beliefs

Protection from foreign or unregulated influence, especially on youth

Podcast on Hypocrisy of Bahai Faith in Uzbekistan

Hypocrisy in Baha'i Faith

 

Incidents and deportations of Baha'is in Uzbekistan.

 The Tashkent Raid (July 2009)

• Authorities involved: More than ten officers from the police and NSS secret police, an official from the City Justice Department, and the head of the mahalla (city district) committee were present.

Accusations and actions:

• Authorities claimed it was a "planned check-up" and filmed participants.

• Baha'is were accused of preaching the Baha'i Faith to children and junior youth below 16 years without parental consent, specifically children from different cities who were taken to the Baha'i center under the guise of "moral teachings".

• The Justice Department's investigation asserted that the community was attracting young people to religious events without parental permission, did not inform the Justice Department about holding an educational event, lacked written parental consent, and used religious literature not approved by the Religious Affairs Committee.

• Religious books were "removed for examination" by officials and sent to the Religious Affairs Committee for verification of approval.

Individuals affected:

• Timur Chekparbayev, a 36-year-old Kazakh citizen residing in Tashkent, was among those arrested, though he had not been present at the meeting initially. He was asked to explain his role on camera and stated it was a regular meeting to deepen knowledge of their faith for Baha'is and their children, in line with their charter.

• Eliyor Nematov, a Baha'i visiting Tashkent from Bukhara, was also detained.

• All teenagers and about ten adults were taken to the Khamza District Police station. Teenagers were later taken to a holding center for parental collection.

Charges and sentences:

• Chekparbayev and Nematov were held overnight and accused of conducting proselytism and missionary activity, as well as resisting a police officer.

• The following day, they were found guilty of violating Article 195 of the Code of Administrative Offences ("resisting police officers in carrying out their duties") and given the maximum sentence of fifteen days' imprisonment.

• Several other adults who attended the meeting were reportedly fined.

Chekparbayev's deportation:

• After serving his prison term, Chekparbayev was not freed but taken to the border with Kazakhstan and expelled from Uzbekistan without stated reason or documentation, though he believed he could return as he was not formally deported and his passport was not marked.

• Uzbekistan's Ministry of Justice official, Akram Nematov, confirmed that while drinking tea is not forbidden, religious education with young people requires informing the Department.

• A local news website, Gorizont.uz, accused Chekparbayev of "active propaganda for the ideas of the Baha'i religious community" and being an "Iranian transplant" to "smash the unity" of the Muslim community, relying on sponsors. It also claimed the Baha'i faith is not internationally recognized and accused it of "ideological subversion".

Baha'i community's response:

• Chekparbayev denied the accusations of missionary activity, stating it was a "misunderstanding of the status and activity of the Baha'is" and that Baha'is do not have priests or missionaries.

• He insisted the youth meeting was about "social economic endeavor for the betterment of society," including acts of service like helping elderly people and cleaning the environment, and had nothing to do with proselytism.

• He also stated that Baha'is are forbidden by their own laws to proselytize.

• The community was "shocked and mystified" by the raid, stating that authorities had always shown a good attitude and had previously approved their literature. They maintained that most, if not all, parents had given written permission for their children to attend, and that the meeting fell within their registered charter.

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Larger Context of Incidents and Deportations in Uzbekistan

• Bukhara Incident (April 2007): Police entered a Baha'i's workshop, found literature, and accused Baha'is of holding a religious gathering outside the Baha'i Centre, resulting in US$50 fines. The Universal House of Justice (UHJ) advised against appealing the fines to avoid exaggerating the occurrence but sought the National Spiritual Assembly's (NSA) views on whether it was part of a "concerted campaign of opposition". The NSA decided to send Executive Committee members to Bukhara to meet with the community and officials, and contact national-level officials.

• General Pressure and Progress (leading up to April 2008): The UHJ noted "a number of friends who have been put under pressure by the authorities" and admired their "courage and steadfastness". Despite this, the Baha'i community achieved "commendable progress in the fields of expansion and consolidation". The UHJ encouraged maintaining cordial relations with officials and suggested using wisdom and circumspection, including alternative methods for direct teaching in areas where activities might "arouse the sensibilities of officials".

• Sepehr Taheri's Deportation (November 2009): A British citizen and English teacher in Tashkent since 1990, Taheri was deported for "propagandizing Baha'i religious teaching" and increasing "proselytes". Accusations included living in Uzbekistan for "mercenary reasons" and as a missionary, marrying an Uzbek citizen to legalize his presence, and organizing "illegal meetings" in private homes and an "unsanctioned" regional meeting in Kazakhstan.

• Ongoing Deportations: The sources mention that the government of Uzbekistan deported a number of Baha'is from neighboring countries who were "secretly involved in propagation of Baha’i Faith". About 15 Baha'is were arrested in Tashkent, and a similar incident occurred in Samarkand in December 2008.

• Government Stance: Uzbekistan's government is described as "tightening the grip on this very deceptive sect whom they accuse of having links with Israel and destroying the moral fabrics of the society". Missionary activity and proselytism are considered criminal offenses, and authorities are "hostile to children being involved in religious activities". An official from Uzbekistan's Ministry of Justice stated that "these are our internal issues, and you have no competence to interfere" regarding the country's response to UN Human Rights Council recommendations.

• Baha'i Activities and Funding: The Baha'i community in Uzbekistan has registered groups in Tashkent, Samarkand, Jizak, Bukhara, and Navoi. There was a stated "great need of pioneers and travel teachers" for consolidation, children classes, women's, and youth activities. Funds for "Teaching—Uzbekistan" were reallocated to the International Teaching Centre in January 2008, and Uzbekistan Som was included in a Cluster Growth Fund allocation to the Continental Board of Counsellors in Asia in April 2008.

• Deceptive Conversion Tactics: Baha'is uses "deceptive, unethical conversion techniques" targeting children and youths below 16 through "children MORAL classes and junior youth empowerment programme". These are presented as "sophisticated unethical, fraudulent mind manipulation techniques to trap and convert innocent citizens". The "Ruhi Book" courses are cited as examples of these methods, which allegedly introduce Baha'i beliefs and writings under the guise of moral teachings. These accusations extend beyond Uzbekistan to Iran, India, Indonesia, and Yemen.

• Baha'i World Centre Correspondence: The Universal House of Justice and the International Teaching Centre corresponded with the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of Uzbekistan multiple times, providing guidance on dealing with incidents, encouraging continued teaching, and offering prayers.

The raid on July 24, 2009, targeted a Baha'i center in Tashkent's Khamza District during a day-long meeting for teenage Baha'is.

The Tashkent Raid is one of several instances reflecting a broader pattern of pressure on the Baha'i community in Uzbekistan:

In summary, the Tashkent Raid of July 2009 was a significant event involving police and secret police, resulting in arrests, imprisonment, and deportation, and accusations of proselytizing minors without proper authorization. This incident is presented within a broader context where Uzbek authorities are increasingly clamping down on Baha'i activities, particularly those involving children and youth, viewing them as "deceptive" and "illegal missionary activity". The Baha'i leadership, while advising caution and diplomatic engagement, has encouraged the community to continue its teaching efforts with "courage and steadfastness".

Baha'is sending travel teachers and Pioneers to Uzbekistan

 Reference : http://www.warble.com/Bahai/YearOfService/igc.htm

Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan community is in a great need of pioneers and travel teachers. Pioneers - consolidation (particularly children classes) min for 1 year. Travel teachers - at least for 3 months (Please consult CIPTT even if you can only do a short time). For the friends who want to pioneer please be in touch with the NSA of Uzbekistan for arranging a visa and a job. Please take into consideration that living cost here is $100 a month per person and average salary is $20 a month so friends must be ready for that. Doctors, English language teachers, musical teachers have got more opportunities for jobs. In some cities many people can speak Tajik which is very close to the Persian language. There appear to be no passport restrictions. Entry requirements for student visa - passport, letter of administration. Tourist visa can be obtained through a tourist company. Cost 70 US$, period 4 week. Renewable: yes. Baha'i opportunities - women's and youth Activities, dance workshop etc.