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Turkmenistan Shows Encouraging Signs of Religious Freedom
Sources: WorldWide Religious News, Associated Press

Members of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom say their recent visit to Turkmenistan shows signs of improvement in the country’s religious freedom, but that many concerns remain. The visit to the Central Asian country ended Friday, Aug. 24. That same day President Gurbanguli Berdymukhamedov ordered the creation of a national commission to help ensure that international human rights norms are followed.

Berdymukhamedov came to power last year after the death of Saparmurat Niyazov who was Turkmenistan’s head of state for more than two decades in an all-encompassing personality cult. Under Niyazov, authorities put tight restrictions on the country’s two authorized religions -- Sunni Islam and Orthodox Christianity. Berdymukhamedov has shown signs of easing the authoritarianism of Niyazov, but the country remains a one-party state with no independent news media.

“There are some encouraging signs, but there is still a long way to go,” said commission member Donald Argue in a statement released by the U.S. embassy. Commission members met with representatives of Turkmenistan’s minority religions “and were concerned by the testimonials we heard,” commission head Michael Cromartie said in the statement. “Our meetings with government officials have been constructive, and we hope their commitment to progress is genuine.”

* HCJB Global Voice works in partnership with Back to the Bible to air Christian programs in the Turkmen language. Broadcasts began in 2001 and have been aired daily since 2003.
 
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