Uzbekistan Controls Religious Literature

On Tuesday, Forum 18 reported that a court in the Tashkent region of Uzbekistan has ordered the destruction of 600 Uzbek-language Christian leaflets for children. Other books, including New Testaments, seized from four Baptists in July were ordered to be handed over to the government's Religious Affairs Committee. The 4 individuals were found guilty of illegally importing the books and were each fined $35(US). However a senior religious affairs official explained the problem as follows: "According to Uzbek law, religious literature brought into the country has to undergo preliminary analysis at our committee. There is no problem with the Bible or New Testament. The Baptists should ask us 10 days before they intend to import the books and we would no doubt give them permission to go ahead with the shipment. As far as the other religious literature goes, then we do need to check it. If we judge that it contains no call to inter-ethnic or inter-faith conflict or proselytising ideas, then we will allow its import into the country."