CINXE.COM

<!DOCTYPE html> <html class="client-nojs vector-feature-language-in-header-enabled vector-feature-language-in-main-page-header-disabled vector-feature-sticky-header-disabled vector-feature-page-tools-pinned-disabled vector-feature-toc-pinned-clientpref-1 vector-feature-main-menu-pinned-disabled vector-feature-limited-width-clientpref-1 vector-feature-limited-width-content-enabled vector-feature-custom-font-size-clientpref-1 vector-feature-appearance-pinned-clientpref-1 vector-feature-night-mode-enabled skin-theme-clientpref-day vector-toc-available" lang="en" dir="ltr"> <head> <meta charset="UTF-8"> <title>Freedom of religion in Turkmenistan - Wikipedia</title> <script>(function(){var className="client-js vector-feature-language-in-header-enabled vector-feature-language-in-main-page-header-disabled vector-feature-sticky-header-disabled vector-feature-page-tools-pinned-disabled vector-feature-toc-pinned-clientpref-1 vector-feature-main-menu-pinned-disabled vector-feature-limited-width-clientpref-1 vector-feature-limited-width-content-enabled vector-feature-custom-font-size-clientpref-1 vector-feature-appearance-pinned-clientpref-1 vector-feature-night-mode-enabled skin-theme-clientpref-day vector-toc-available";var cookie=document.cookie.match(/(?:^|; )enwikimwclientpreferences=([^;]+)/);if(cookie){cookie[1].split('%2C').forEach(function(pref){className=className.replace(new RegExp('(^| )'+pref.replace(/-clientpref-\w+$|[^\w-]+/g,'')+'-clientpref-\\w+( |$)'),'$1'+pref+'$2');});}document.documentElement.className=className;}());RLCONF={"wgBreakFrames":false,"wgSeparatorTransformTable":["",""],"wgDigitTransformTable":["",""],"wgDefaultDateFormat":"dmy", "wgMonthNames":["","January","February","March","April","May","June","July","August","September","October","November","December"],"wgRequestId":"8895e98e-782e-4147-adfc-2ace9b2d7b29","wgCanonicalNamespace":"","wgCanonicalSpecialPageName":false,"wgNamespaceNumber":0,"wgPageName":"Freedom_of_religion_in_Turkmenistan","wgTitle":"Freedom of religion in Turkmenistan","wgCurRevisionId":1233296642,"wgRevisionId":1233296642,"wgArticleId":16144181,"wgIsArticle":true,"wgIsRedirect":false,"wgAction":"view","wgUserName":null,"wgUserGroups":["*"],"wgCategories":["Articles with short description","Short description is different from Wikidata","Freedom of religion by country","Human rights in Turkmenistan","Religion in Turkmenistan"],"wgPageViewLanguage":"en","wgPageContentLanguage":"en","wgPageContentModel":"wikitext","wgRelevantPageName":"Freedom_of_religion_in_Turkmenistan","wgRelevantArticleId":16144181,"wgIsProbablyEditable":true,"wgRelevantPageIsProbablyEditable":true,"wgRestrictionEdit":[], "wgRestrictionMove":[],"wgNoticeProject":"wikipedia","wgCiteReferencePreviewsActive":false,"wgFlaggedRevsParams":{"tags":{"status":{"levels":1}}},"wgMediaViewerOnClick":true,"wgMediaViewerEnabledByDefault":true,"wgPopupsFlags":0,"wgVisualEditor":{"pageLanguageCode":"en","pageLanguageDir":"ltr","pageVariantFallbacks":"en"},"wgMFDisplayWikibaseDescriptions":{"search":true,"watchlist":true,"tagline":false,"nearby":true},"wgWMESchemaEditAttemptStepOversample":false,"wgWMEPageLength":30000,"wgRelatedArticlesCompat":[],"wgCentralAuthMobileDomain":false,"wgEditSubmitButtonLabelPublish":true,"wgULSPosition":"interlanguage","wgULSisCompactLinksEnabled":false,"wgVector2022LanguageInHeader":true,"wgULSisLanguageSelectorEmpty":false,"wgWikibaseItemId":"Q5500809","wgCheckUserClientHintsHeadersJsApi":["brands","architecture","bitness","fullVersionList","mobile","model","platform","platformVersion"],"GEHomepageSuggestedEditsEnableTopics":true,"wgGETopicsMatchModeEnabled":false, "wgGEStructuredTaskRejectionReasonTextInputEnabled":false,"wgGELevelingUpEnabledForUser":false};RLSTATE={"ext.globalCssJs.user.styles":"ready","site.styles":"ready","user.styles":"ready","ext.globalCssJs.user":"ready","user":"ready","user.options":"loading","ext.cite.styles":"ready","skins.vector.search.codex.styles":"ready","skins.vector.styles":"ready","skins.vector.icons":"ready","jquery.makeCollapsible.styles":"ready","ext.wikimediamessages.styles":"ready","ext.visualEditor.desktopArticleTarget.noscript":"ready","ext.uls.interlanguage":"ready","wikibase.client.init":"ready","ext.wikimediaBadges":"ready"};RLPAGEMODULES=["ext.cite.ux-enhancements","site","mediawiki.page.ready","jquery.makeCollapsible","mediawiki.toc","skins.vector.js","ext.centralNotice.geoIP","ext.centralNotice.startUp","ext.gadget.ReferenceTooltips","ext.gadget.switcher","ext.urlShortener.toolbar","ext.centralauth.centralautologin","mmv.bootstrap","ext.popups","ext.visualEditor.desktopArticleTarget.init", "ext.visualEditor.targetLoader","ext.echo.centralauth","ext.eventLogging","ext.wikimediaEvents","ext.navigationTiming","ext.uls.interface","ext.cx.eventlogging.campaigns","ext.cx.uls.quick.actions","wikibase.client.vector-2022","ext.checkUser.clientHints","ext.quicksurveys.init","ext.growthExperiments.SuggestedEditSession","wikibase.sidebar.tracking"];</script> <script>(RLQ=window.RLQ||[]).push(function(){mw.loader.impl(function(){return["user.options@12s5i",function($,jQuery,require,module){mw.user.tokens.set({"patrolToken":"+\\","watchToken":"+\\","csrfToken":"+\\"}); }];});});</script> <link rel="stylesheet" href="/w/load.php?lang=en&modules=ext.cite.styles%7Cext.uls.interlanguage%7Cext.visualEditor.desktopArticleTarget.noscript%7Cext.wikimediaBadges%7Cext.wikimediamessages.styles%7Cjquery.makeCollapsible.styles%7Cskins.vector.icons%2Cstyles%7Cskins.vector.search.codex.styles%7Cwikibase.client.init&only=styles&skin=vector-2022"> <script async="" src="/w/load.php?lang=en&modules=startup&only=scripts&raw=1&skin=vector-2022"></script> <meta name="ResourceLoaderDynamicStyles" content=""> <link rel="stylesheet" href="/w/load.php?lang=en&modules=site.styles&only=styles&skin=vector-2022"> <meta name="generator" content="MediaWiki 1.44.0-wmf.4"> <meta name="referrer" content="origin"> <meta name="referrer" content="origin-when-cross-origin"> <meta name="robots" content="max-image-preview:standard"> <meta name="format-detection" content="telephone=no"> <meta name="viewport" content="width=1120"> <meta property="og:title" content="Freedom of religion in Turkmenistan - Wikipedia"> <meta property="og:type" content="website"> <link rel="preconnect" href="//upload.wikimedia.org"> <link rel="alternate" media="only screen and (max-width: 640px)" href="//en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_of_religion_in_Turkmenistan"> <link rel="alternate" type="application/x-wiki" title="Edit this page" href="/w/index.php?title=Freedom_of_religion_in_Turkmenistan&action=edit"> <link rel="apple-touch-icon" href="/static/apple-touch/wikipedia.png"> <link rel="icon" href="/static/favicon/wikipedia.ico"> <link rel="search" type="application/opensearchdescription+xml" href="/w/rest.php/v1/search" title="Wikipedia (en)"> <link rel="EditURI" type="application/rsd+xml" href="//en.wikipedia.org/w/api.php?action=rsd"> <link rel="canonical" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_of_religion_in_Turkmenistan"> <link rel="license" href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.en"> <link rel="alternate" type="application/atom+xml" title="Wikipedia Atom feed" href="/w/index.php?title=Special:RecentChanges&feed=atom"> <link rel="dns-prefetch" href="//meta.wikimedia.org" /> <link rel="dns-prefetch" href="//login.wikimedia.org"> </head> <body class="skin--responsive skin-vector skin-vector-search-vue mediawiki ltr sitedir-ltr mw-hide-empty-elt ns-0 ns-subject mw-editable page-Freedom_of_religion_in_Turkmenistan rootpage-Freedom_of_religion_in_Turkmenistan skin-vector-2022 action-view"><a class="mw-jump-link" href="#bodyContent">Jump to content</a> <div class="vector-header-container"> <header class="vector-header mw-header"> <div class="vector-header-start"> <nav class="vector-main-menu-landmark" aria-label="Site"> <div id="vector-main-menu-dropdown" class="vector-dropdown vector-main-menu-dropdown vector-button-flush-left vector-button-flush-right" > <input type="checkbox" id="vector-main-menu-dropdown-checkbox" role="button" aria-haspopup="true" data-event-name="ui.dropdown-vector-main-menu-dropdown" class="vector-dropdown-checkbox " aria-label="Main menu" > <label id="vector-main-menu-dropdown-label" for="vector-main-menu-dropdown-checkbox" class="vector-dropdown-label cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only " aria-hidden="true" ><span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-menu mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-menu"></span> <span class="vector-dropdown-label-text">Main menu</span> </label> <div class="vector-dropdown-content"> <div id="vector-main-menu-unpinned-container" class="vector-unpinned-container"> <div id="vector-main-menu" class="vector-main-menu vector-pinnable-element"> <div class="vector-pinnable-header vector-main-menu-pinnable-header vector-pinnable-header-unpinned" data-feature-name="main-menu-pinned" data-pinnable-element-id="vector-main-menu" data-pinned-container-id="vector-main-menu-pinned-container" data-unpinned-container-id="vector-main-menu-unpinned-container" > <div class="vector-pinnable-header-label">Main menu</div> <button class="vector-pinnable-header-toggle-button vector-pinnable-header-pin-button" data-event-name="pinnable-header.vector-main-menu.pin">move to sidebar</button> <button class="vector-pinnable-header-toggle-button vector-pinnable-header-unpin-button" data-event-name="pinnable-header.vector-main-menu.unpin">hide</button> </div> <div id="p-navigation" class="vector-menu mw-portlet mw-portlet-navigation" > <div class="vector-menu-heading"> Navigation </div> <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> <li id="n-mainpage-description" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Main_Page" title="Visit the main page [z]" accesskey="z"><span>Main page</span></a></li><li id="n-contents" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Contents" title="Guides to browsing Wikipedia"><span>Contents</span></a></li><li id="n-currentevents" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Portal:Current_events" title="Articles related to current events"><span>Current events</span></a></li><li id="n-randompage" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Special:Random" title="Visit a randomly selected article [x]" accesskey="x"><span>Random article</span></a></li><li id="n-aboutsite" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:About" title="Learn about Wikipedia and how it works"><span>About Wikipedia</span></a></li><li id="n-contactpage" class="mw-list-item"><a href="//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Contact_us" title="How to contact Wikipedia"><span>Contact us</span></a></li> </ul> </div> </div> <div id="p-interaction" class="vector-menu mw-portlet mw-portlet-interaction" > <div class="vector-menu-heading"> Contribute </div> <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> <li id="n-help" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Help:Contents" title="Guidance on how to use and edit Wikipedia"><span>Help</span></a></li><li id="n-introduction" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Help:Introduction" title="Learn how to edit Wikipedia"><span>Learn to edit</span></a></li><li id="n-portal" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Community_portal" title="The hub for editors"><span>Community portal</span></a></li><li id="n-recentchanges" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Special:RecentChanges" title="A list of recent changes to Wikipedia [r]" accesskey="r"><span>Recent changes</span></a></li><li id="n-upload" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:File_upload_wizard" title="Add images or other media for use on Wikipedia"><span>Upload file</span></a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </nav> <a href="/wiki/Main_Page" class="mw-logo"> <img class="mw-logo-icon" src="/static/images/icons/wikipedia.png" alt="" aria-hidden="true" height="50" width="50"> <span class="mw-logo-container skin-invert"> <img class="mw-logo-wordmark" alt="Wikipedia" src="/static/images/mobile/copyright/wikipedia-wordmark-en.svg" style="width: 7.5em; height: 1.125em;"> <img class="mw-logo-tagline" alt="The Free Encyclopedia" src="/static/images/mobile/copyright/wikipedia-tagline-en.svg" width="117" height="13" style="width: 7.3125em; height: 0.8125em;"> </span> </a> </div> <div class="vector-header-end"> <div id="p-search" role="search" class="vector-search-box-vue vector-search-box-collapses vector-search-box-show-thumbnail vector-search-box-auto-expand-width vector-search-box"> <a href="/wiki/Special:Search" class="cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only search-toggle" title="Search Wikipedia [f]" accesskey="f"><span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-search mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-search"></span> <span>Search</span> </a> <div class="vector-typeahead-search-container"> <div class="cdx-typeahead-search cdx-typeahead-search--show-thumbnail cdx-typeahead-search--auto-expand-width"> <form action="/w/index.php" id="searchform" class="cdx-search-input cdx-search-input--has-end-button"> <div id="simpleSearch" class="cdx-search-input__input-wrapper" data-search-loc="header-moved"> <div class="cdx-text-input cdx-text-input--has-start-icon"> <input class="cdx-text-input__input" type="search" name="search" placeholder="Search Wikipedia" aria-label="Search Wikipedia" autocapitalize="sentences" title="Search Wikipedia [f]" accesskey="f" id="searchInput" > <span class="cdx-text-input__icon cdx-text-input__start-icon"></span> </div> <input type="hidden" name="title" value="Special:Search"> </div> <button class="cdx-button cdx-search-input__end-button">Search</button> </form> </div> </div> </div> <nav class="vector-user-links vector-user-links-wide" aria-label="Personal tools"> <div class="vector-user-links-main"> <div id="p-vector-user-menu-preferences" class="vector-menu mw-portlet emptyPortlet" > <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> </ul> </div> </div> <div id="p-vector-user-menu-userpage" class="vector-menu mw-portlet emptyPortlet" > <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> </ul> </div> </div> <nav class="vector-appearance-landmark" aria-label="Appearance"> <div id="vector-appearance-dropdown" class="vector-dropdown " title="Change the appearance of the page's font size, width, and color" > <input type="checkbox" id="vector-appearance-dropdown-checkbox" role="button" aria-haspopup="true" data-event-name="ui.dropdown-vector-appearance-dropdown" class="vector-dropdown-checkbox " aria-label="Appearance" > <label id="vector-appearance-dropdown-label" for="vector-appearance-dropdown-checkbox" class="vector-dropdown-label cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only " aria-hidden="true" ><span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-appearance mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-appearance"></span> <span class="vector-dropdown-label-text">Appearance</span> </label> <div class="vector-dropdown-content"> <div id="vector-appearance-unpinned-container" class="vector-unpinned-container"> </div> </div> </div> </nav> <div id="p-vector-user-menu-notifications" class="vector-menu mw-portlet emptyPortlet" > <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> </ul> </div> </div> <div id="p-vector-user-menu-overflow" class="vector-menu mw-portlet" > <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> <li id="pt-sitesupport-2" class="user-links-collapsible-item mw-list-item user-links-collapsible-item"><a data-mw="interface" href="https://donate.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:FundraiserRedirector?utm_source=donate&utm_medium=sidebar&utm_campaign=C13_en.wikipedia.org&uselang=en" class=""><span>Donate</span></a> </li> <li id="pt-createaccount-2" class="user-links-collapsible-item mw-list-item user-links-collapsible-item"><a data-mw="interface" href="/w/index.php?title=Special:CreateAccount&returnto=Freedom+of+religion+in+Turkmenistan" title="You are encouraged to create an account and log in; however, it is not mandatory" class=""><span>Create account</span></a> </li> <li id="pt-login-2" class="user-links-collapsible-item mw-list-item user-links-collapsible-item"><a data-mw="interface" href="/w/index.php?title=Special:UserLogin&returnto=Freedom+of+religion+in+Turkmenistan" title="You're encouraged to log in; however, it's not mandatory. [o]" accesskey="o" class=""><span>Log in</span></a> </li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> <div id="vector-user-links-dropdown" class="vector-dropdown vector-user-menu vector-button-flush-right vector-user-menu-logged-out" title="Log in and more options" > <input type="checkbox" id="vector-user-links-dropdown-checkbox" role="button" aria-haspopup="true" data-event-name="ui.dropdown-vector-user-links-dropdown" class="vector-dropdown-checkbox " aria-label="Personal tools" > <label id="vector-user-links-dropdown-label" for="vector-user-links-dropdown-checkbox" class="vector-dropdown-label cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only " aria-hidden="true" ><span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-ellipsis mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-ellipsis"></span> <span class="vector-dropdown-label-text">Personal tools</span> </label> <div class="vector-dropdown-content"> <div id="p-personal" class="vector-menu mw-portlet mw-portlet-personal user-links-collapsible-item" title="User menu" > <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> <li id="pt-sitesupport" class="user-links-collapsible-item mw-list-item"><a href="https://donate.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:FundraiserRedirector?utm_source=donate&utm_medium=sidebar&utm_campaign=C13_en.wikipedia.org&uselang=en"><span>Donate</span></a></li><li id="pt-createaccount" class="user-links-collapsible-item mw-list-item"><a href="/w/index.php?title=Special:CreateAccount&returnto=Freedom+of+religion+in+Turkmenistan" title="You are encouraged to create an account and log in; however, it is not mandatory"><span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-userAdd mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-userAdd"></span> <span>Create account</span></a></li><li id="pt-login" class="user-links-collapsible-item mw-list-item"><a href="/w/index.php?title=Special:UserLogin&returnto=Freedom+of+religion+in+Turkmenistan" title="You're encouraged to log in; however, it's not mandatory. [o]" accesskey="o"><span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-logIn mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-logIn"></span> <span>Log in</span></a></li> </ul> </div> </div> <div id="p-user-menu-anon-editor" class="vector-menu mw-portlet mw-portlet-user-menu-anon-editor" > <div class="vector-menu-heading"> Pages for logged out editors <a href="/wiki/Help:Introduction" aria-label="Learn more about editing"><span>learn more</span></a> </div> <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> <li id="pt-anoncontribs" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Special:MyContributions" title="A list of edits made from this IP address [y]" accesskey="y"><span>Contributions</span></a></li><li id="pt-anontalk" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Special:MyTalk" title="Discussion about edits from this IP address [n]" accesskey="n"><span>Talk</span></a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> </nav> </div> </header> </div> <div class="mw-page-container"> <div class="mw-page-container-inner"> <div class="vector-sitenotice-container"> <div id="siteNotice"></div> </div> <div class="vector-column-start"> <div class="vector-main-menu-container"> <div id="mw-navigation"> <nav id="mw-panel" class="vector-main-menu-landmark" aria-label="Site"> <div id="vector-main-menu-pinned-container" class="vector-pinned-container"> </div> </nav> </div> </div> <div class="vector-sticky-pinned-container"> <nav id="mw-panel-toc" aria-label="Contents" data-event-name="ui.sidebar-toc" class="mw-table-of-contents-container vector-toc-landmark"> <div id="vector-toc-pinned-container" class="vector-pinned-container"> <div id="vector-toc" class="vector-toc vector-pinnable-element"> <div class="vector-pinnable-header vector-toc-pinnable-header vector-pinnable-header-pinned" data-feature-name="toc-pinned" data-pinnable-element-id="vector-toc" > <h2 class="vector-pinnable-header-label">Contents</h2> <button class="vector-pinnable-header-toggle-button vector-pinnable-header-pin-button" data-event-name="pinnable-header.vector-toc.pin">move to sidebar</button> <button class="vector-pinnable-header-toggle-button vector-pinnable-header-unpin-button" data-event-name="pinnable-header.vector-toc.unpin">hide</button> </div> <ul class="vector-toc-contents" id="mw-panel-toc-list"> <li id="toc-mw-content-text" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1"> <a href="#" class="vector-toc-link"> <div class="vector-toc-text">(Top)</div> </a> </li> <li id="toc-Religion_in_Turkmenistan" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Religion_in_Turkmenistan"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">1</span> <span>Religion in Turkmenistan</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Religion_in_Turkmenistan-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Status_of_religious_freedom" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Status_of_religious_freedom"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">2</span> <span>Status of religious freedom</span> </div> </a> <button aria-controls="toc-Status_of_religious_freedom-sublist" class="cdx-button cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only vector-toc-toggle"> <span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-expand"></span> <span>Toggle Status of religious freedom subsection</span> </button> <ul id="toc-Status_of_religious_freedom-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> <li id="toc-Legal_and_policy_framework" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Legal_and_policy_framework"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">2.1</span> <span>Legal and policy framework</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Legal_and_policy_framework-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Restrictions_on_religious_freedom" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Restrictions_on_religious_freedom"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">2.2</span> <span>Restrictions on religious freedom</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Restrictions_on_religious_freedom-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Abuses_of_religious_freedom" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Abuses_of_religious_freedom"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">2.3</span> <span>Abuses of religious freedom</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Abuses_of_religious_freedom-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Forced_religious_conversion" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Forced_religious_conversion"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">2.4</span> <span>Forced religious conversion</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Forced_religious_conversion-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Societal_abuses_and_discrimination" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Societal_abuses_and_discrimination"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">3</span> <span>Societal abuses and discrimination</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Societal_abuses_and_discrimination-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-See_also" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#See_also"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">4</span> <span>See also</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-See_also-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-References" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#References"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">5</span> <span>References</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-References-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> </ul> </div> </div> </nav> </div> </div> <div class="mw-content-container"> <main id="content" class="mw-body"> <header class="mw-body-header vector-page-titlebar"> <nav aria-label="Contents" class="vector-toc-landmark"> <div id="vector-page-titlebar-toc" class="vector-dropdown vector-page-titlebar-toc vector-button-flush-left" > <input type="checkbox" id="vector-page-titlebar-toc-checkbox" role="button" aria-haspopup="true" data-event-name="ui.dropdown-vector-page-titlebar-toc" class="vector-dropdown-checkbox " aria-label="Toggle the table of contents" > <label id="vector-page-titlebar-toc-label" for="vector-page-titlebar-toc-checkbox" class="vector-dropdown-label cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only " aria-hidden="true" ><span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-listBullet mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-listBullet"></span> <span class="vector-dropdown-label-text">Toggle the table of contents</span> </label> <div class="vector-dropdown-content"> <div id="vector-page-titlebar-toc-unpinned-container" class="vector-unpinned-container"> </div> </div> </div> </nav> <h1 id="firstHeading" class="firstHeading mw-first-heading"><span class="mw-page-title-main">Freedom of religion in Turkmenistan</span></h1> <div id="p-lang-btn" class="vector-dropdown mw-portlet mw-portlet-lang" > <input type="checkbox" id="p-lang-btn-checkbox" role="button" aria-haspopup="true" data-event-name="ui.dropdown-p-lang-btn" class="vector-dropdown-checkbox mw-interlanguage-selector" aria-label="Go to an article in another language. Available in 5 languages" > <label id="p-lang-btn-label" for="p-lang-btn-checkbox" class="vector-dropdown-label cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--action-progressive mw-portlet-lang-heading-5" aria-hidden="true" ><span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-language-progressive mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-language-progressive"></span> <span class="vector-dropdown-label-text">5 languages</span> </label> <div class="vector-dropdown-content"> <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> <li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ar mw-list-item"><a href="https://ar.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AD%D8%B1%D9%8A%D8%A9_%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AF%D9%8A%D9%86%D9%8A%D8%A9_%D9%81%D9%8A_%D8%AA%D8%B1%D9%83%D9%85%D8%A7%D9%86%D8%B3%D8%AA%D8%A7%D9%86" title="الحرية الدينية في تركمانستان – Arabic" lang="ar" hreflang="ar" data-title="الحرية الدينية في تركمانستان" data-language-autonym="العربية" data-language-local-name="Arabic" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>العربية</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-fa mw-list-item"><a href="https://fa.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D8%A2%D8%B2%D8%A7%D8%AF%DB%8C_%D9%85%D8%B0%D9%87%D8%A8_%D8%AF%D8%B1_%D8%AA%D8%B1%DA%A9%D9%85%D9%86%D8%B3%D8%AA%D8%A7%D9%86" title="آزادی مذهب در ترکمنستان – Persian" lang="fa" hreflang="fa" data-title="آزادی مذهب در ترکمنستان" data-language-autonym="فارسی" data-language-local-name="Persian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>فارسی</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-hi mw-list-item"><a href="https://hi.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%81%E0%A4%B0%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%95%E0%A4%AE%E0%A5%87%E0%A4%A8%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%B8%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%A8_%E0%A4%AE%E0%A5%87%E0%A4%82_%E0%A4%A7%E0%A4%B0%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AE_%E0%A4%95%E0%A5%80_%E0%A4%B8%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B5%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%82%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%BE" title="तुर्कमेनिस्तान में धर्म की स्वतंत्रता – Hindi" lang="hi" hreflang="hi" data-title="तुर्कमेनिस्तान में धर्म की स्वतंत्रता" data-language-autonym="हिन्दी" data-language-local-name="Hindi" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>हिन्दी</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-pa mw-list-item"><a href="https://pa.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E0%A8%A4%E0%A9%81%E0%A8%B0%E0%A8%95%E0%A8%AE%E0%A9%87%E0%A8%A8%E0%A8%BF%E0%A8%B8%E0%A8%A4%E0%A8%BE%E0%A8%A8_%E0%A8%B5%E0%A8%BF%E0%A9%B1%E0%A8%9A_%E0%A8%A7%E0%A8%B0%E0%A8%AE_%E0%A8%A6%E0%A9%80_%E0%A8%86%E0%A8%9C%E0%A8%BC%E0%A8%BE%E0%A8%A6%E0%A9%80" title="ਤੁਰਕਮੇਨਿਸਤਾਨ ਵਿੱਚ ਧਰਮ ਦੀ ਆਜ਼ਾਦੀ – Punjabi" lang="pa" hreflang="pa" data-title="ਤੁਰਕਮੇਨਿਸਤਾਨ ਵਿੱਚ ਧਰਮ ਦੀ ਆਜ਼ਾਦੀ" data-language-autonym="ਪੰਜਾਬੀ" data-language-local-name="Punjabi" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>ਪੰਜਾਬੀ</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-pnb mw-list-item"><a href="https://pnb.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D8%AA%D8%B1%DA%A9%D9%85%D8%A7%D9%86%D8%B3%D8%AA%D8%A7%D9%86_%D9%88%DA%86_%D9%85%D8%B0%DB%81%D8%A8%DB%8C_%D8%A2%D8%B2%D8%A7%D8%AF%DB%8C" title="ترکمانستان وچ مذہبی آزادی – Western Punjabi" lang="pnb" hreflang="pnb" data-title="ترکمانستان وچ مذہبی آزادی" data-language-autonym="پنجابی" data-language-local-name="Western Punjabi" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>پنجابی</span></a></li> </ul> <div class="after-portlet after-portlet-lang"><span class="wb-langlinks-edit wb-langlinks-link"><a href="https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Special:EntityPage/Q5500809#sitelinks-wikipedia" title="Edit interlanguage links" class="wbc-editpage">Edit links</a></span></div> </div> </div> </div> </header> <div class="vector-page-toolbar"> <div class="vector-page-toolbar-container"> <div id="left-navigation"> <nav aria-label="Namespaces"> <div id="p-associated-pages" class="vector-menu vector-menu-tabs mw-portlet mw-portlet-associated-pages" > <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> <li id="ca-nstab-main" class="selected vector-tab-noicon mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Freedom_of_religion_in_Turkmenistan" title="View the content page [c]" accesskey="c"><span>Article</span></a></li><li id="ca-talk" class="vector-tab-noicon mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Talk:Freedom_of_religion_in_Turkmenistan" rel="discussion" title="Discuss improvements to the content page [t]" accesskey="t"><span>Talk</span></a></li> </ul> </div> </div> <div id="vector-variants-dropdown" class="vector-dropdown emptyPortlet" > <input type="checkbox" id="vector-variants-dropdown-checkbox" role="button" aria-haspopup="true" data-event-name="ui.dropdown-vector-variants-dropdown" class="vector-dropdown-checkbox " aria-label="Change language variant" > <label id="vector-variants-dropdown-label" for="vector-variants-dropdown-checkbox" class="vector-dropdown-label cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--weight-quiet" aria-hidden="true" ><span class="vector-dropdown-label-text">English</span> </label> <div class="vector-dropdown-content"> <div id="p-variants" class="vector-menu mw-portlet mw-portlet-variants emptyPortlet" > <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> </nav> </div> <div id="right-navigation" class="vector-collapsible"> <nav aria-label="Views"> <div id="p-views" class="vector-menu vector-menu-tabs mw-portlet mw-portlet-views" > <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> <li id="ca-view" class="selected vector-tab-noicon mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Freedom_of_religion_in_Turkmenistan"><span>Read</span></a></li><li id="ca-edit" class="vector-tab-noicon mw-list-item"><a href="/w/index.php?title=Freedom_of_religion_in_Turkmenistan&action=edit" title="Edit this page [e]" accesskey="e"><span>Edit</span></a></li><li id="ca-history" class="vector-tab-noicon mw-list-item"><a href="/w/index.php?title=Freedom_of_religion_in_Turkmenistan&action=history" title="Past revisions of this page [h]" accesskey="h"><span>View history</span></a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </nav> <nav class="vector-page-tools-landmark" aria-label="Page tools"> <div id="vector-page-tools-dropdown" class="vector-dropdown vector-page-tools-dropdown" > <input type="checkbox" id="vector-page-tools-dropdown-checkbox" role="button" aria-haspopup="true" data-event-name="ui.dropdown-vector-page-tools-dropdown" class="vector-dropdown-checkbox " aria-label="Tools" > <label id="vector-page-tools-dropdown-label" for="vector-page-tools-dropdown-checkbox" class="vector-dropdown-label cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--weight-quiet" aria-hidden="true" ><span class="vector-dropdown-label-text">Tools</span> </label> <div class="vector-dropdown-content"> <div id="vector-page-tools-unpinned-container" class="vector-unpinned-container"> <div id="vector-page-tools" class="vector-page-tools vector-pinnable-element"> <div class="vector-pinnable-header vector-page-tools-pinnable-header vector-pinnable-header-unpinned" data-feature-name="page-tools-pinned" data-pinnable-element-id="vector-page-tools" data-pinned-container-id="vector-page-tools-pinned-container" data-unpinned-container-id="vector-page-tools-unpinned-container" > <div class="vector-pinnable-header-label">Tools</div> <button class="vector-pinnable-header-toggle-button vector-pinnable-header-pin-button" data-event-name="pinnable-header.vector-page-tools.pin">move to sidebar</button> <button class="vector-pinnable-header-toggle-button vector-pinnable-header-unpin-button" data-event-name="pinnable-header.vector-page-tools.unpin">hide</button> </div> <div id="p-cactions" class="vector-menu mw-portlet mw-portlet-cactions emptyPortlet vector-has-collapsible-items" title="More options" > <div class="vector-menu-heading"> Actions </div> <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> <li id="ca-more-view" class="selected vector-more-collapsible-item mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Freedom_of_religion_in_Turkmenistan"><span>Read</span></a></li><li id="ca-more-edit" class="vector-more-collapsible-item mw-list-item"><a href="/w/index.php?title=Freedom_of_religion_in_Turkmenistan&action=edit" title="Edit this page [e]" accesskey="e"><span>Edit</span></a></li><li id="ca-more-history" class="vector-more-collapsible-item mw-list-item"><a href="/w/index.php?title=Freedom_of_religion_in_Turkmenistan&action=history"><span>View history</span></a></li> </ul> </div> </div> <div id="p-tb" class="vector-menu mw-portlet mw-portlet-tb" > <div class="vector-menu-heading"> General </div> <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> <li id="t-whatlinkshere" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Special:WhatLinksHere/Freedom_of_religion_in_Turkmenistan" title="List of all English Wikipedia pages containing links to this page [j]" accesskey="j"><span>What links here</span></a></li><li id="t-recentchangeslinked" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Special:RecentChangesLinked/Freedom_of_religion_in_Turkmenistan" rel="nofollow" title="Recent changes in pages linked from this page [k]" accesskey="k"><span>Related changes</span></a></li><li id="t-upload" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:File_Upload_Wizard" title="Upload files [u]" accesskey="u"><span>Upload file</span></a></li><li id="t-specialpages" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Special:SpecialPages" title="A list of all special pages [q]" accesskey="q"><span>Special pages</span></a></li><li id="t-permalink" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/w/index.php?title=Freedom_of_religion_in_Turkmenistan&oldid=1233296642" title="Permanent link to this revision of this page"><span>Permanent link</span></a></li><li id="t-info" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/w/index.php?title=Freedom_of_religion_in_Turkmenistan&action=info" title="More information about this page"><span>Page information</span></a></li><li id="t-cite" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/w/index.php?title=Special:CiteThisPage&page=Freedom_of_religion_in_Turkmenistan&id=1233296642&wpFormIdentifier=titleform" title="Information on how to cite this page"><span>Cite this page</span></a></li><li id="t-urlshortener" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/w/index.php?title=Special:UrlShortener&url=https%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FFreedom_of_religion_in_Turkmenistan"><span>Get shortened URL</span></a></li><li id="t-urlshortener-qrcode" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/w/index.php?title=Special:QrCode&url=https%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FFreedom_of_religion_in_Turkmenistan"><span>Download QR code</span></a></li> </ul> </div> </div> <div id="p-coll-print_export" class="vector-menu mw-portlet mw-portlet-coll-print_export" > <div class="vector-menu-heading"> Print/export </div> <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> <li id="coll-download-as-rl" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/w/index.php?title=Special:DownloadAsPdf&page=Freedom_of_religion_in_Turkmenistan&action=show-download-screen" title="Download this page as a PDF file"><span>Download as PDF</span></a></li><li id="t-print" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/w/index.php?title=Freedom_of_religion_in_Turkmenistan&printable=yes" title="Printable version of this page [p]" accesskey="p"><span>Printable version</span></a></li> </ul> </div> </div> <div id="p-wikibase-otherprojects" class="vector-menu mw-portlet mw-portlet-wikibase-otherprojects" > <div class="vector-menu-heading"> In other projects </div> <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> <li id="t-wikibase" class="wb-otherproject-link wb-otherproject-wikibase-dataitem mw-list-item"><a href="https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Special:EntityPage/Q5500809" title="Structured data on this page hosted by Wikidata [g]" accesskey="g"><span>Wikidata item</span></a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </nav> </div> </div> </div> <div class="vector-column-end"> <div class="vector-sticky-pinned-container"> <nav class="vector-page-tools-landmark" aria-label="Page tools"> <div id="vector-page-tools-pinned-container" class="vector-pinned-container"> </div> </nav> <nav class="vector-appearance-landmark" aria-label="Appearance"> <div id="vector-appearance-pinned-container" class="vector-pinned-container"> <div id="vector-appearance" class="vector-appearance vector-pinnable-element"> <div class="vector-pinnable-header vector-appearance-pinnable-header vector-pinnable-header-pinned" data-feature-name="appearance-pinned" data-pinnable-element-id="vector-appearance" data-pinned-container-id="vector-appearance-pinned-container" data-unpinned-container-id="vector-appearance-unpinned-container" > <div class="vector-pinnable-header-label">Appearance</div> <button class="vector-pinnable-header-toggle-button vector-pinnable-header-pin-button" data-event-name="pinnable-header.vector-appearance.pin">move to sidebar</button> <button class="vector-pinnable-header-toggle-button vector-pinnable-header-unpin-button" data-event-name="pinnable-header.vector-appearance.unpin">hide</button> </div> </div> </div> </nav> </div> </div> <div id="bodyContent" class="vector-body" aria-labelledby="firstHeading" data-mw-ve-target-container> <div class="vector-body-before-content"> <div class="mw-indicators"> </div> <div id="siteSub" class="noprint">From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia</div> </div> <div id="contentSub"><div id="mw-content-subtitle"></div></div> <div id="mw-content-text" class="mw-body-content"><div class="mw-content-ltr mw-parser-output" lang="en" dir="ltr"><p> According to U.S. government estimates, in 2022 <a href="/wiki/Turkmenistan" title="Turkmenistan">Turkmenistan</a> is 89% <a href="/wiki/Muslim" class="mw-redirect" title="Muslim">Muslim</a> (mostly <a href="/wiki/Sunni" class="mw-redirect" title="Sunni">Sunni</a>), 9% Eastern Orthodox <a href="/wiki/Christian" class="mw-redirect" title="Christian">Christian</a> and 2% other religions.<sup id="cite_ref-US2022_1-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-US2022-1"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>1<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> In 2023, the country was scored zero out of 4 for religious freedom;<sup id="cite_ref-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-2"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>2<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> it was noted that restrictions have tightened since 2016. In the same year it was ranked the 26th worst place in the world to be a Christian.<sup id="cite_ref-3" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-3"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>3<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <meta property="mw:PageProp/toc" /> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Religion_in_Turkmenistan">Religion in Turkmenistan</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Freedom_of_religion_in_Turkmenistan&action=edit&section=1" title="Edit section: Religion in Turkmenistan"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1236090951">.mw-parser-output .hatnote{font-style:italic}.mw-parser-output div.hatnote{padding-left:1.6em;margin-bottom:0.5em}.mw-parser-output .hatnote i{font-style:normal}.mw-parser-output .hatnote+link+.hatnote{margin-top:-0.5em}@media print{body.ns-0 .mw-parser-output .hatnote{display:none!important}}</style><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">Main article: <a href="/wiki/Religion_in_Turkmenistan" title="Religion in Turkmenistan">Religion in Turkmenistan</a></div><p> The Turkmen of <a href="/wiki/Turkmenistan" title="Turkmenistan">Turkmenistan</a>, like their neighbors in <a href="/wiki/Uzbekistan" title="Uzbekistan">Uzbekistan</a>, <a href="/wiki/Afghanistan" title="Afghanistan">Afghanistan</a>, and <a href="/wiki/Iran" title="Iran">Iran</a> are predominantly <a href="/wiki/Muslim" class="mw-redirect" title="Muslim">Muslim</a>. As a whole, Turkmenistan is 89% <a href="/wiki/Muslim" class="mw-redirect" title="Muslim">Muslim</a> and 9% <a href="/wiki/Eastern_Orthodox" class="mw-redirect" title="Eastern Orthodox">Eastern Orthodox</a>. Most ethnic <a href="/wiki/Russians" title="Russians">Russians</a> are <a href="/wiki/Russian_Orthodox" class="mw-redirect" title="Russian Orthodox">Orthodox Christians</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-4" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-4"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>4<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> According to the 2022 <a href="/wiki/U.S._Department_of_State" class="mw-redirect" title="U.S. Department of State">U.S. Department of State</a> Religious Freedom Report,</p><blockquote><p>There are small communities of Jehovah's Witnesses, Shia Muslims, Baha'is, Roman Catholics, the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, and evangelical Christians, including Baptists and Pentecostals. Most ethnic Russians and Armenians identify as Orthodox Christian and generally are members of the Russian Orthodox Church or Armenian Apostolic Church. Some ethnic Russians and Armenians are also members of smaller Protestant groups. There are small pockets of Shia Muslims, consisting largely of ethnic Iranians, Azeris, and Kurds, some located in Ashgabat, with others along the border with Iran and in the western city of <a href="/wiki/T%C3%BCrkmenba%C5%9Fy,_Turkmenistan" title="Türkmenbaşy, Turkmenistan">Türkmenbaşy</a>. According to the Israeli embassy, approximately 300 Jews live in the country.<sup id="cite_ref-US2022_1-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-US2022-1"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>1<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup></p></blockquote> <p>The great majority of <a href="/wiki/Turkmen_people" class="mw-redirect" title="Turkmen people">Turkmen</a> readily identify themselves as <a href="/wiki/Muslims" title="Muslims">Muslims</a> and acknowledge <a href="/wiki/Islam" title="Islam">Islam</a> as an integral part of their cultural heritage. However, there are some who only support a revival of the religion's status merely as an element of national revival. </p><p>The <a href="/wiki/Constitution_of_Turkmenistan" title="Constitution of Turkmenistan">Constitution</a> provides for <a href="/wiki/Freedom_of_religion" title="Freedom of religion">freedom of religion</a> and does not establish a <a href="/wiki/State_religion" title="State religion">state religion</a>; however, in practice the Government imposes legal restrictions on all forms of religious expression. All groups must register in order to gain legal status; unregistered religious activity is illegal and may be punished by administrative fines. While the 1996 law on religion and subsequent 1999 amendments had effectively restricted registration to only the two largest groups, <a href="/wiki/Sunni_Muslim" class="mw-redirect" title="Sunni Muslim">Sunni Muslim</a> and <a href="/wiki/Russian_Orthodox" class="mw-redirect" title="Russian Orthodox">Russian Orthodox</a>, and criminalized unregistered religious activity, presidential decrees issued in 2000 dramatically reduced the numerical thresholds for registration and abolished criminal penalties for unregistered religious activity; civil penalties remain. As a result, nine minority religious groups were able to register, and the Turkmenistan government has permitted some other groups to meet quietly with reduced scrutiny. </p><p>There was no substantial change in the degree of religious tolerance by the Turkmenistan government during the period covered by this report, and there were troubling developments in the treatment of some unregistered groups. Following a sharp decrease in harassment of both registered and unregistered groups in late 2006, mistreatment of some registered and many unregistered religious minority group members, similar to that in previous reporting periods, resumed in February 2007. On December 21, 2006, President <a href="/wiki/Saparmurat_Niyazov" title="Saparmurat Niyazov">Saparmurat Niyazov</a> died. The <a href="/wiki/State_Security_Council" title="State Security Council">State Security Council</a> appointed Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers and Minister of Health <a href="/wiki/Gurbanguly_Berdimuhammedov" class="mw-redirect" title="Gurbanguly Berdimuhammedov">Gurbanguly Berdimuhammedov</a> Acting President; Berdimuhammedov was elected president in February, 2007. During the reporting period there were no indications the Turkmenistan government planned to rescind or modify previous policies regarding religious freedom. The Turkmenistan government threatened members of minority religious groups with fines, loss of employment and housing, and imprisonment because of their beliefs. </p><p>There were no reports of societal abuses or violence based on religious beliefs or practice. The overwhelming majority of citizens identify themselves as Sunni Muslim; ethnic <a href="/wiki/Turkmen_people" class="mw-redirect" title="Turkmen people">Turkmen</a> identity is linked to Islam. Ethnic Turkmen who choose to convert to other religious groups, especially the lesser-known <a href="/wiki/Protestant" class="mw-redirect" title="Protestant">Protestant</a> groups, are viewed with suspicion and sometimes ostracized, but Turkmenistan society historically has been tolerant and inclusive of different religious beliefs. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Status_of_religious_freedom">Status of religious freedom</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Freedom_of_religion_in_Turkmenistan&action=edit&section=2" title="Edit section: Status of religious freedom"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Legal_and_policy_framework">Legal and policy framework</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Freedom_of_religion_in_Turkmenistan&action=edit&section=3" title="Edit section: Legal and policy framework"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>The Constitution provides for <a href="/wiki/Freedom_of_religion" title="Freedom of religion">freedom of religion</a>; however, in practice the Government restricts these rights. The criminal code outlaws violations of religious freedom or persecution by private actors; in practice it is not enforced. In 2004 the Government published amendments to the 2003 law on religion that reduced numerical thresholds for registration from 500 members to 5, and made all minority groups eligible to register. The amendments established two categories of religious assemblies: religious groups (comprising at least 5 and fewer than 50 members of legal age) and religious organizations (comprising at least 50 members). The amendments leave significant gray areas in the law. </p><p>The 2003 law requires all religious organizations to register, made operation of unregistered religious organizations a criminal offense, further restricted religious education, and monitored financial and material assistance to religious groups from foreign sources. In response to international pressure, a 2004 presidential decree lifted criminal penalties. The remaining civil law continues to allow the Government to control religious life and to restrict the activities of all religious groups. The 2003 law did not codify religious activities in localities other than where a group was registered. In October 2005 the Government announced a temporary procedure for the registration of religious groups' regional branches by issuing powers of attorney. <a href="/wiki/Ministry_of_Justice_(Turkmenistan)" title="Ministry of Justice (Turkmenistan)">Ministry of Justice</a> (MOJ) representatives also stated that amendments would be made to the 2003 law on religion that would codify the branch registration issue, but this did not happen during the reporting period. </p><p>Former President Niyazov signed a decree in 2004 that strengthened the 2003 law on religious practice and religious organizations and increased registration fees for religious organizations to $100 (2.5 million manat at the unofficial rate). In addition the decree relieved the MOJ of the obligation to publish in the local media a list of registered religious organizations for transparency. Without a published list, legally registered groups were more isolated and the public was less able to respond when authorities harassed registered groups. The law also gave the MOJ the right to cancel a group's registration based on vaguely defined charges. </p><p>The government-appointed <a href="/w/index.php?title=Council_on_Religious_Affairs&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Council on Religious Affairs (page does not exist)">Council on Religious Affairs</a> (CRA) reports to the president and ostensibly acts as an intermediary between the government bureaucracy and registered religious organizations. It includes Sunni Muslim imams and the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, as well as government representatives, but no representatives of minority religious groups. In practice the CRA acts as an arm of the state, exercising direct control over the hiring, promotion, and firing of both Sunni Muslim and Russian Orthodox clergy as well as helping to control all religious publications and activities. Its writ is enforced by security forces, specifically the <a href="/w/index.php?title=Sixth_Department_of_the_Ministry_of_Internal_Affairs&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Sixth Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (page does not exist)">Sixth Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs</a>, and it has no role in promoting <a href="/wiki/Interfaith_dialogue" title="Interfaith dialogue">interfaith</a> dialogue. Although the Government does not officially favor any religion, it has provided financial and other support to the CRA for the construction of new mosques. The Government also pays most Muslim clerics' salaries, approves all senior cleric appointments, and requires the latter to report regularly to the CRA. </p><p>Until June 2004 government entities at all levels, including the courts, had interpreted the laws in such a way as to discriminate against those practicing any faith other than Sunni Islam or Russian Orthodox Christianity, whose congregations represented the only two registered religious groups. A 2004 decree reduced the minimum required number of adherents for registration, however, and in the year following the decree, nine additional religious groups registered: the Evangelical Christian Baptist Church of Turkmenistan, Seventh-day Adventist Church of Turkmenistan, Baha'i Community of Turkmenistan, Society for Krishna Consciousness (Hare Krishnas), Full Gospel Christian Church of Turkmenistan (Pentecostals), Light of the East Church (Dashoguz Pentecostal Church), Greater Grace Church of Turkmenistan, International Church of Christ, and the New Apostolic Church of Turkmenistan. Each of these groups comprised fewer than 50 members. </p><p>Shi'a Muslims remained unregistered, and there were no reports that they tried to register since the March 2004 decree, although they remained in contact with the CRA. </p><p>In practice government policies, including those at the city level such as zoning regulations on the use of private residences, have created difficulties for some groups in finding places to hold worship services. According to the national residential code, no religious activity is allowed in private homes or in public halls located in residential areas. However, two registered religious groups, the Baha'i community and the Krishna Consciousness Society, were permitted to conduct worship meetings in homes. </p><p>Unregistered religious groups and unregistered branches of religious groups are forbidden to conduct religious activities, including gathering, disseminating religious materials, and proselytizing. Government authorities have disrupted meetings of unregistered religious groups. Participants in those groups are subject to fines and administrative (not criminal) arrest under the administrative code. The Government prohibits foreign missionary activity and foreign religious organizations; however, the law does not restrict the worship choices of foreigners. </p><p>The Government has incorporated some aspects of Islamic tradition in its effort to redefine a national identity. For example, the Government has built large, monumental mosques, such as the ones in Ashgabat, <a href="/w/index.php?title=Gokdepe&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Gokdepe (page does not exist)">Gokdepe</a>, and <a href="/wiki/Gypjak" title="Gypjak">Gypjak</a>. Despite its embrace of certain aspects of Islamic culture, the Government is concerned about foreign Islamic influence and the interpretation of Islam by local believers. The Government promotes a moderate understanding of Islam based on Turkmen religious and national traditions. In April 2007, President Berdimuhammedov visited <a href="/wiki/Saudi_Arabia" title="Saudi Arabia">Saudi Arabia</a> and performed <a href="/wiki/Umrah" title="Umrah">umrah</a> (minor pilgrimage) rituals in <a href="/wiki/Mecca" title="Mecca">Mecca</a>, recalling former President Niyazov's 1992 umrah. </p><p>The CRA has urged <a href="/wiki/Imam" title="Imam">imams</a> to accord greater attention to President Niyazov's spiritual-social books on culture and heritage, <a href="/wiki/Ruhnama" title="Ruhnama">Ruhnama</a> and <a href="/w/index.php?title=Ruhnama_II&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Ruhnama II (page does not exist)">Ruhnama II</a>, by teaching them as holy texts and placing them next to the <a href="/wiki/Qur%27an" class="mw-redirect" title="Qur'an">Qur'an</a> in some mosques. Although the country elected a new president in February 2007, this policy did not change. Phrases from the Ruhnama are inscribed on the large mosque in former President Niyazov's home village of Gypjak. </p><p>In 2003 the widely respected former <a href="/wiki/Mufti" title="Mufti">mufti</a> of the country, <a href="/w/index.php?title=Nasrullah_Ibn_Ibadullah&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Nasrullah Ibn Ibadullah (page does not exist)">Nasrullah Ibn Ibadullah</a>, was replaced, secretly tried, and sentenced in 2004 to 22 years in prison. Ibn Ibadullah's replacement, <a href="/w/index.php?title=Kakageldi_Wepayev&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Kakageldi Wepayev (page does not exist)">Kakageldi Wepayev</a>, was subsequently placed under house arrest for "misbehavior"-allegedly including drinking and womanizing-and replaced in 2004 by then 27-year-old recent seminary graduate <a href="/w/index.php?title=Rowshen_Allaberdiyev&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Rowshen Allaberdiyev (page does not exist)">Rowshen Allaberdiyev</a>. </p><p>Mosques and Muslim clergy are state-sponsored and financed. The Russian Orthodox Church and other religious groups are independently financed. The Government recognizes only Sunni Muslim holy days as national holidays. These include <a href="/w/index.php?title=Gurban_Bairam&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Gurban Bairam (page does not exist)">Gurban Bairam</a> (<a href="/wiki/Eid_al-Adha" title="Eid al-Adha">Eid al-Adha</a>), a 3-day holiday commemorating the end of the <a href="/wiki/Hajj" title="Hajj">Hajj</a>, and <a href="/w/index.php?title=Oraza-Bairam&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Oraza-Bairam (page does not exist)">Oraza-Bairam</a> (<a href="/wiki/Eid_al-Fitr" title="Eid al-Fitr">Eid al-Fitr</a>), commemorating the end of <a href="/wiki/Ramadan" title="Ramadan">Ramadan</a>, the Muslim month of <a href="/wiki/Fasting" title="Fasting">fasting</a>. </p><p>The Government does not offer alternative civilian service for <a href="/wiki/Conscientious_objectors" class="mw-redirect" title="Conscientious objectors">conscientious objectors</a>; individuals who want to refuse military service for religious reasons are offered noncombatant roles within the military. Until June 2007, conscripted members of the <a href="/wiki/Jehovah%27s_Witnesses" title="Jehovah's Witnesses">Jehovah's Witnesses</a> were returned home unharmed several days after being called up, although they were not given papers excusing them from military service, which are needed for employment. This policy changed in June 2007, however, when three Jehovah's Witnesses were arrested and charged with avoiding military service. </p><p>There is no official religious instruction in public schools; however, the Government requires all public schools and institutes of higher learning to hold regular instruction on the Ruhnama. The <a href="/w/index.php?title=Ministry_of_Education_(Turkmenistan)&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Ministry of Education (Turkmenistan) (page does not exist)">Ministry of Education</a> requires that each child bring a personal copy of the Ruhnama to school. President Berdimuhammedov raised the issue of education reform in January 2007 but there was no change in the Ruhnama policy by the end of the reporting period. </p><p>Article Six of the November 2004 law allows mosques to provide religious education to children after school for 4 hours a week with the approval of parents. Persons who graduate from institutions of higher religious education (the law does not specify domestic or international institutions) and who obtain CRA approval may provide religious education. Citizens have the right to receive religious education individually or with other persons; however, the law prohibits providing religious education in private, and those who do so are subject to punitive legal action. Although some independent <a href="/wiki/Religious_education" title="Religious education">religious education</a> exists, the Government has done nothing to promote religious education beyond the official version incorporating the Ruhnama. Some Sunni mosques have regularly scheduled classes on the Qur'an. </p><p>The 2003 law prohibits the ROC from conducting religious education programs without CRA and presidential approval, and there were no reports that either the CRA or the President approved such programs. Homeschooling usually is allowed only in cases of severe illness or disability and not for religious reasons. </p><p>The Government, through the CRA, does little to promote interfaith understanding or dialogue beyond that between Muslims and Russian Orthodox Christians. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Restrictions_on_religious_freedom">Restrictions on religious freedom</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Freedom_of_religion_in_Turkmenistan&action=edit&section=4" title="Edit section: Restrictions on religious freedom"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>The Government officially has banned only extremist groups advocating violence, but it also categorized Islamic groups advocating stricter interpretation of Islamic religious doctrine as "extremist." The activities of unregistered religious groups remained illegal, with violators subject to fines and administrative arrest under the administrative code. </p><p>During the reporting period, at least four religious groups, all of which sought several times to register, continued to be denied legal status; as in previous years, the Government delayed or denied applications, citing technical reasons, including the requirement that the head of the group have "higher education." The Roman Catholic Church remained unregistered because of a conflict with local law requiring that the head of the Church be a citizen of the country. </p><p>Other groups either remained fearful of registering, citing the amount and type of information the Government required, or refused on principle to do so. </p><p>Registered religious minority groups reported few instances of harassment. However, in two cases regional affiliates of registered groups experienced harassment by provincial and district law enforcement agencies. Some of these groups found that by routinely notifying the Government of their gatherings and events and inviting government representatives to attend, they experienced decreased government harassment. </p><p>The Government restricted unregistered religious groups from establishing places of worship, and violations constituted an administrative offense. Registered groups also experienced difficulties establishing and maintaining places of worship; several groups stated that their largest obstacle was a lack of funds to rent a public hall. Several groups said they would prefer to buy a worship center or land to establish a permanent one, but municipal authorities raised insurmountable bureaucratic hurdles. Five registered minority religious groups have established public places of worship; three were rented and two were private residential homes of group members. The Government did not restrict some worship services in private homes, and the CRA assisted several registered minority groups to locate suitable worship locations. The Government forbids unregistered religious groups or unregistered branches of registered religious groups from gathering publicly or privately and can punish individuals or groups who violate these prohibitions. Some unregistered congregations continued to practice quietly, largely in private homes. </p><p>The Government also controls access to Islamic education. The theology faculty at <a href="/wiki/Turkmen_State_University" title="Turkmen State University">Turkmen State University</a> in Ashgabat had been the only academic faculty to conduct Islamic education. In July 2005 the President dissolved the theology faculty and incorporated the theology students and curriculum into the university's history department, leaving no official Islamic academic faculty. </p><p>The Government does not officially restrict persons from changing their religious beliefs and affiliation, but ethnic Turkmen members of unregistered religious groups accused of <a href="/wiki/Proselytizing" class="mw-redirect" title="Proselytizing">proselytizing</a> and disseminating religious material generally receive harsher treatment than nonethnic Turkmen. During this reporting period, there was one report of local government officials attempting to force an ethnic Turkmen Christian convert to renounce his faith. </p><p>There were three high-level officials in the Government with a Russian Jewish heritage, and at least one deputy minister who is Russian Orthodox. No representatives of other minority religious groups were known to be working at senior or mid-level government positions during the reporting period. Some minority religious group adherents remained members of the only political party but feared openly acknowledging their faith out of concern for political reprisal. </p><p>The Government monitored minority religious groups, particularly those perceived to have connections with or support from a supranational hierarchy. The law prohibits foreign missionary activity, although in practice both Christians and Muslims working in the country in other capacities engaged in religious outreach. The 2003 law on religion stipulated that religious groups must report any financial or material assistance received from foreign sources. The Government denies visas to foreigners suspected of conducting or intending to conduct missionary activity. </p><p>By decree, publishing religious literature was prohibited, limiting the availability of Qur'ans, <a href="/wiki/Bible" title="Bible">Bibles</a> and other religious literature. Sacred religious books were rarely available for purchase. In practice the CRA must approve imported religious literature. Since all members of the CRA are either government officials, Sunni Muslims or members of the ROC, minority religious groups were disadvantaged regarding importing of religious materials. When the CRA approves the importation of a publication, the number of imported copies cannot exceed the number of registered group members. The Dashoguz office of the CRA required that its officers stamp religious literature, including Bibles and Qur'ans, in order to authorize it. During the reporting period, a leader of an unregistered church in Dashoguz reported that officials confiscated religious literature from him on a train and intercepted religious literature that had been mailed to him. </p><p>The Government enforced the use of former President Niyazov's books, Ruhnama and Ruhnama II, in educational institutions, government offices, and mosques. Copies of the book were kept in most mosques, and authorities have pressured religious leaders to place it alongside the Qur'an and to preach Ruhnama in their services. </p><p>In 2004 the Government formally lifted the exit visa requirement, theoretically permitting travel by all those who wished to participate in the Hajj or other travel for religious purposes; however, the Government maintained a "black list" of individuals and continued to limit freedom of movement, including in cases where individuals wanted to travel outside the country in order to conduct religious study. The Government continued to limit participation in the annual pilgrimage to Mecca (the Hajj), specifying that only 188 pilgrims (one plane load) personally approved by the President, out of the country's quota of 4,600, would be allowed to travel to Mecca. The national airline provided transportation free of charge. </p><p>According to <a href="/wiki/Forum_18" title="Forum 18">Forum 18</a>, the Government on January 6, 2007, refused to grant permission to <a href="/w/index.php?title=Merdan_Shirmedov&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Merdan Shirmedov (page does not exist)">Merdan Shirmedov</a>, a Protestant from an ethnic Turkmen fellowship in <a href="/wiki/Dashoguz" class="mw-redirect" title="Dashoguz">Dashoguz</a>, to leave the country to join his pregnant wife, Wendy Lucas in the <a href="/wiki/United_States" title="United States">United States</a>. Lucas said that on April 10, 2007, Shirmedov tried to cross the border to Uzbekistan, but was prevented from leaving after Turkmenistan border guards found his name on a computerized exit blacklist. Officials refused to tell him why he was barred from leaving. </p><p>Foreign members of registered and unregistered religious groups continued to be denied entry visas. </p><p>Several registered religious minority groups reported that the Government monitored them by attending their gatherings; nonetheless, communities continued to engage in regular activities. Officers from the Sixth Department in Ashgabat, the division charged with fighting organized crime and terrorism, were still charged with monitoring members of religious minorities. </p><p>The Government continued to discriminate against members of religious groups with respect to employment. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Abuses_of_religious_freedom">Abuses of religious freedom</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Freedom_of_religion_in_Turkmenistan&action=edit&section=5" title="Edit section: Abuses of religious freedom"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>Following a sharp decrease in harassment of both registered and unregistered groups in late 2006, mistreatment of some registered and many unregistered religious minority group members resumed following the inauguration of President Berdimuhammedov in February 2007. The Government threatened members of minority religious groups with fines, loss of employment and housing, and imprisonment because of their beliefs. There were also reports of raids. </p><p>According to Forum 18, <a href="/wiki/Ministry_for_National_Security_(Turkmenistan)" title="Ministry for National Security (Turkmenistan)">Ministry for National Security</a> (MNB) officials arrested <a href="/w/index.php?title=Vyacheslav_Kalataevsky&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Vyacheslav Kalataevsky (page does not exist)">Vyacheslav Kalataevsky</a>, a Baptist leader from Türkmenbaşy, on March 12, 2007, and on May 14 he was sentenced to 3 years' imprisonment in a <a href="/wiki/Labor_camp" title="Labor camp">labor camp</a> on criminal charges of illegally crossing the border in 2001. In 2001, authorities had deported Kalataevsky without documents to <a href="/wiki/Kazakhstan" title="Kazakhstan">Kazakhstan</a>, and after a week he crossed back into the country to rejoin his wife and children. </p><p>Forum 18 also reported the arrest on May 19 of the leader of a <a href="/w/index.php?title=Council_of_Churches_Baptist&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Council of Churches Baptist (page does not exist)">Council of Churches Baptist</a> congregation in Türkmenbaşy City, <a href="/w/index.php?title=Yevgeny_Potolov&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Yevgeny Potolov (page does not exist)">Yevgeny Potolov</a>. The report speculated that Potolov, a Russian citizen, had also been arrested for entering the country illegally in 2001; authorities had deported Potolov to Kazakhstan, but he had returned to Turkmenistan to rejoin his wife and children. </p><p>During incidents involving police detaining and questioning members of unregistered minority religious groups, authorities took a range of actions including: filming those present; recording the names, addresses, and places of work of the congregants; threatening fines and imprisonment; and confiscating religious literature. With the exception of the Kalataevsky and Potolov cases, there were fewer reports of prolonged detention or physical abuse. </p><p>The fate of an estimated 30 suspected "<a href="/wiki/Wahhabis" class="mw-redirect" title="Wahhabis">Wahhabis</a>" reportedly detained in <a href="/wiki/Ashgabat" title="Ashgabat">Ashgabat</a> in August 2005 remains unknown. </p><p>The country's former mufti, Nasrullah ibn Ibadullah, remained in prison serving a 22-year sentence. Ibadullah had been dismissed as mufti in 2003, reportedly in part for his refusal to teach the Ruhnama as a <a href="/wiki/Sacred" class="mw-redirect" title="Sacred">sacred</a> text and in March 2004 was secretly tried and convicted, reportedly for his alleged role in a failed 2002 assassination attempt on Niyazov. Little was known about the whereabouts or the condition of Ibadullah, despite calls from the international community for access to him and for his release. <a href="/wiki/Amnesty_International" title="Amnesty International">Amnesty International</a> reported in early 2007 that his family was increasingly concerned for his safety. </p><p><a href="/wiki/Jehovah%27s_Witnesses" title="Jehovah's Witnesses">Jehovah's Witnesses</a> have reported a number of beatings, arrests, fines and imprisonments of its members in Turkmenistan for conscientious objection and other charges related to their religious activities.<sup id="cite_ref-5" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-5"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>5<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-6" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-6"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>6<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>On April 29, 2007, an unidentified official—possibly from the Sixth Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs—demanded and then fled with the travel documents of three members of an unregistered Mary-based group who were traveling by train to Dashoguz province to meet with a religious leader. A transportation official, finding the three group members without documents, returned them by train to Ashgabat the same day. </p><p>On April 19, 2007, officials from the Ministry of Internal Affairs' Sixth Department raided a branch of the registered <a href="/w/index.php?title=Evangelical_Baptist_Church_of_Turkmenistan&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Evangelical Baptist Church of Turkmenistan (page does not exist)">Evangelical Baptist Church of Turkmenistan</a> in Türkmenbaşy. The authorities came to a worship service, and took Bibles and hymnals from the congregation. That evening, police summoned two women to a local official's office and fined them approximately $90 (2.5 million manat), threatening further harassment if the women did not pay. The police gave no specific reason for the harassment, but suggested that the women ought to be attending a Russian Orthodox Church. </p><p>In early 2007 law enforcement officials reportedly raided a meeting of the registered group <a href="/w/index.php?title=Svet_Vostoka&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Svet Vostoka (page does not exist)">Svet Vostoka</a> (Light of the East) Pentecostal church in Dashoguz. </p><p>On March 18, 2007, authorities raided a meeting of an unregistered religious group in <a href="/wiki/Abadan" class="mw-redirect" title="Abadan">Abadan</a> and fined home owners. </p><p>On February 4, 2007, a group of law enforcement officers, who refused to show identification or a search warrant, raided the private house of the leader of an unregistered Christian group, where a wide circle of relatives and family friends were gathered. The inhabitants of the house were not conducting any religious activities. For five hours, the group of officers videotaped the people and belongings inside the house. </p><p>A <a href="/wiki/International_Society_for_Krishna_Consciousness" title="International Society for Krishna Consciousness">Hare Krishna</a> representative reported that harassment from officials had decreased since her group's registration; there were no reports of authorities beating Hare Krishnas during this reporting period. In October 2006, as part of a general annual prison amnesty, former President Niyazov released imprisoned Hare Krishna follower Ceper Annaniyazova, who had been sentenced to seven years in prison in November 2005 for having illegally crossed the border in 2002. </p><p>The Government did not destroy any mosques during the reporting period and, in fact, resumed renovation of a mosque in <a href="/w/index.php?title=Mary_City&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Mary City (page does not exist)">Mary City</a> and on a mosque in the new president's home village. One mosque in Türkmenbaşy was destroyed in 2006. In 2004 at least six mosques were destroyed, some for no stated reason, others ostensibly for Ashgabat city "beautification" plans. In 2004 a Sunni cemetery north of the capital was leveled. Another cemetery in Ashgabat was being encroached upon by a high-rise development. In 2004 Muslims in <a href="/wiki/Bagyr" title="Bagyr">Bagyr</a>, a predominantly Kurdish suburb of Ashgabat, reported they could no longer bury their family members in traditional cemeteries but instead were obliged to use a centralized location. The Government restricts the number of mosques by requiring permission for construction. Government policy is that every community should have one mosque; however, in 2004 President Niyazov ordered that no more mosques were to be built without CRA approval and stated mosques would henceforth be led by state-appointed imams. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Forced_religious_conversion">Forced religious conversion</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Freedom_of_religion_in_Turkmenistan&action=edit&section=6" title="Edit section: Forced religious conversion"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>There were no reports of <a href="/wiki/Forced_religious_conversion" class="mw-redirect" title="Forced religious conversion">forced religious conversion</a>, including of minor U.S. citizens who had been abducted or illegally removed from the United States, or of the refusal to allow such citizens to be returned to the United States. </p><p>Improvements and Positive Developments in Respect for Religious Freedom </p><p>Registered minority religious groups generally continued to report lower levels of harassment. </p><p>In a May 2007 meeting with embassy officers, the Deputy Chairman of the CRA agreed in principle to hold another minority religious group roundtable to discuss pressing concerns, similar to the one held on October 20, 2005. </p><p>The CRA intervened on one occasion during the reporting period to release religious literature that had been embargoed by the Customs Department. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Societal_abuses_and_discrimination">Societal abuses and discrimination</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Freedom_of_religion_in_Turkmenistan&action=edit&section=7" title="Edit section: Societal abuses and discrimination"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>There were no reports of general societal abuses based on religious belief or practice during the period covered by this report. </p><p>Many Muslims do not regularly attend mosques; however, the overwhelming majority of the population identify themselves as "Muslim," and national identity is linked to Islam. (Turkmen society considers an individual to be born into an ethno-religious group.) Departures from the pattern are rare and either receive little support or are criticized. Ethnic Turkmen who choose to convert from Islam to other religious groups are viewed with suspicion and sometimes ostracized. </p><p>Despite strong ties between Islam and national identity, the society historically has been tolerant and inclusive of different religious beliefs. For example, in the early part of the 20th century Ashgabat was a refuge for Baha'is escaping persecution in Iran, and a <a href="/wiki/Baha%27i_temple" class="mw-redirect" title="Baha'i temple">Baha'i temple</a> was built in the city at that time. Government repression of minority religious groups does not reflect doctrinal or societal friction between the Muslim majority and minority religious groups. Rather, it reportedly reflects the Government's concern that the proliferation of nontraditional religious groups could undermine state control, promote civil unrest, facilitate undue influence by foreign interests, and destabilize the Government. There is also a societal distrust of foreign-based religious groups and the belief that Islam from outside the country is "Wahhabist"—extremist. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="See_also">See also</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Freedom_of_religion_in_Turkmenistan&action=edit&section=8" title="Edit section: See also"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Religion_in_Turkmenistan" title="Religion in Turkmenistan">Religion in Turkmenistan</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Human_rights_in_Turkmenistan" title="Human rights in Turkmenistan">Human rights in Turkmenistan</a></li></ul> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="References">References</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Freedom_of_religion_in_Turkmenistan&action=edit&section=9" title="Edit section: References"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1239543626">.mw-parser-output .reflist{margin-bottom:0.5em;list-style-type:decimal}@media screen{.mw-parser-output .reflist{font-size:90%}}.mw-parser-output .reflist .references{font-size:100%;margin-bottom:0;list-style-type:inherit}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns-2{column-width:30em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns-3{column-width:25em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns{margin-top:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns ol{margin-top:0}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns li{page-break-inside:avoid;break-inside:avoid-column}.mw-parser-output .reflist-upper-alpha{list-style-type:upper-alpha}.mw-parser-output .reflist-upper-roman{list-style-type:upper-roman}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-alpha{list-style-type:lower-alpha}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-greek{list-style-type:lower-greek}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-roman{list-style-type:lower-roman}</style><div class="reflist"> <div class="mw-references-wrap"><ol class="references"> <li id="cite_note-US2022-1"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-US2022_1-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-US2022_1-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.state.gov/reports/2022-report-on-international-religious-freedom/Turkmenistan/">US State Dept 2022 report</a></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-2"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-2">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://freedomhouse.org/country/Turkmenistan/freedom-world/2022">Freedom House website, retrieved 2023-08-08</a></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-3"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-3">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1238218222">.mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit;word-wrap:break-word}.mw-parser-output .citation q{quotes:"\"""\"""'""'"}.mw-parser-output .citation:target{background-color:rgba(0,127,255,0.133)}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-free.id-lock-free a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/65/Lock-green.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-limited.id-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration.id-lock-registration a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-subscription.id-lock-subscription a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg")right 0.1em center/12px no-repeat}body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-free a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-limited a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-subscription a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background-size:contain;padding:0 1em 0 0}.mw-parser-output .cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:none;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;color:var(--color-error,#d33)}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{color:var(--color-error,#d33)}.mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{display:none;color:#085;margin-left:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right{padding-right:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .citation .mw-selflink{font-weight:inherit}@media screen{.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{color:#18911f}}@media screen and (prefers-color-scheme:dark){html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{color:#18911f}}</style><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230603211824/https://opendoorsuk.org/persecution/world-watch-list/turkmenistan/">"Open Doors website, retrieved 2023-08-08"</a>. Archived from <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.opendoorsuk.org/persecution/world-watch-list/Turkmenistan">the original</a> on 2023-06-03<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">2023-08-23</span></span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=Open+Doors+website%2C+retrieved+2023-08-08&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.opendoorsuk.org%2Fpersecution%2Fworld-watch-list%2FTurkmenistan&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AFreedom+of+religion+in+Turkmenistan" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-4"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-4">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">CIA World Factbook</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-5"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-5">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.jw.org/en/news/legal/by-region/turkmenistan/jehovahs-witnesses-in-prison/">"Imprisoned for Their Faith"</a></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-6"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-6">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.jw.org/en/news/legal/by-region/turkmenistan/dashoguz-judicial-police-abuses/">"Mother of Four-Year-Old Receives Unjust Prison Sentence in Turkmenistan"</a></span> </li> </ol></div></div> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/United_States_Bureau_of_Democracy,_Human_Rights_and_Labor" class="mw-redirect" title="United States Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor">United States Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor</a>. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://2001-2009.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2007/90236.htm">Turkmenistan: International Religious Freedom Report 2007</a>. <i>This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the <a href="/wiki/Public_domain" title="Public domain">public domain</a>.</i></li> <li><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.state.gov/reports/2022-report-on-international-religious-freedom/Turkmenistan/">US State Dept 2022 report on Religion in Turkmenistan</a></li> <li><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.forum18.org/Archive.php?article_id=1167">Forum 18: Religious Freedom Survey, August 2008</a></li></ul> <div class="navbox-styles"><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1129693374">.mw-parser-output .hlist dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist ul{margin:0;padding:0}.mw-parser-output .hlist dd,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt,.mw-parser-output .hlist li{margin:0;display:inline}.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline,.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline ul,.mw-parser-output .hlist dl dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist dl ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist dl ul,.mw-parser-output .hlist ol dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist ol ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist ol ul,.mw-parser-output .hlist ul dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist ul ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist ul ul{display:inline}.mw-parser-output .hlist .mw-empty-li{display:none}.mw-parser-output .hlist dt::after{content:": "}.mw-parser-output .hlist dd::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist li::after{content:" · ";font-weight:bold}.mw-parser-output .hlist dd:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist li:last-child::after{content:none}.mw-parser-output .hlist dd dd:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist dd dt:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist dd li:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt dd:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt dt:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt li:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist li dd:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist li dt:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist li li:first-child::before{content:" (";font-weight:normal}.mw-parser-output .hlist dd dd:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist dd dt:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist dd li:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt dd:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt dt:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt li:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist li dd:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist li dt:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist li li:last-child::after{content:")";font-weight:normal}.mw-parser-output .hlist ol{counter-reset:listitem}.mw-parser-output .hlist ol>li{counter-increment:listitem}.mw-parser-output .hlist ol>li::before{content:" "counter(listitem)"\a0 "}.mw-parser-output .hlist dd ol>li:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt ol>li:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist li ol>li:first-child::before{content:" ("counter(listitem)"\a0 "}</style><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1236075235">.mw-parser-output .navbox{box-sizing:border-box;border:1px solid #a2a9b1;width:100%;clear:both;font-size:88%;text-align:center;padding:1px;margin:1em auto 0}.mw-parser-output .navbox .navbox{margin-top:0}.mw-parser-output .navbox+.navbox,.mw-parser-output .navbox+.navbox-styles+.navbox{margin-top:-1px}.mw-parser-output .navbox-inner,.mw-parser-output .navbox-subgroup{width:100%}.mw-parser-output .navbox-group,.mw-parser-output .navbox-title,.mw-parser-output .navbox-abovebelow{padding:0.25em 1em;line-height:1.5em;text-align:center}.mw-parser-output .navbox-group{white-space:nowrap;text-align:right}.mw-parser-output .navbox,.mw-parser-output .navbox-subgroup{background-color:#fdfdfd}.mw-parser-output .navbox-list{line-height:1.5em;border-color:#fdfdfd}.mw-parser-output .navbox-list-with-group{text-align:left;border-left-width:2px;border-left-style:solid}.mw-parser-output tr+tr>.navbox-abovebelow,.mw-parser-output tr+tr>.navbox-group,.mw-parser-output tr+tr>.navbox-image,.mw-parser-output tr+tr>.navbox-list{border-top:2px solid #fdfdfd}.mw-parser-output .navbox-title{background-color:#ccf}.mw-parser-output .navbox-abovebelow,.mw-parser-output .navbox-group,.mw-parser-output .navbox-subgroup .navbox-title{background-color:#ddf}.mw-parser-output .navbox-subgroup .navbox-group,.mw-parser-output .navbox-subgroup .navbox-abovebelow{background-color:#e6e6ff}.mw-parser-output .navbox-even{background-color:#f7f7f7}.mw-parser-output .navbox-odd{background-color:transparent}.mw-parser-output .navbox .hlist td dl,.mw-parser-output .navbox .hlist td ol,.mw-parser-output .navbox .hlist td ul,.mw-parser-output .navbox td.hlist dl,.mw-parser-output .navbox td.hlist ol,.mw-parser-output .navbox td.hlist ul{padding:0.125em 0}.mw-parser-output .navbox .navbar{display:block;font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .navbox-title .navbar{float:left;text-align:left;margin-right:0.5em}body.skin--responsive .mw-parser-output .navbox-image img{max-width:none!important}@media print{body.ns-0 .mw-parser-output .navbox{display:none!important}}</style></div><div role="navigation" class="navbox" aria-labelledby="Freedom_of_religion_in_Asia" style="padding:3px"><table class="nowraplinks mw-collapsible autocollapse navbox-inner" style="border-spacing:0;background:transparent;color:inherit"><tbody><tr><th scope="col" class="navbox-title" colspan="2"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1129693374"><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1239400231">.mw-parser-output .navbar{display:inline;font-size:88%;font-weight:normal}.mw-parser-output .navbar-collapse{float:left;text-align:left}.mw-parser-output .navbar-boxtext{word-spacing:0}.mw-parser-output .navbar ul{display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;line-height:inherit}.mw-parser-output .navbar-brackets::before{margin-right:-0.125em;content:"[ "}.mw-parser-output .navbar-brackets::after{margin-left:-0.125em;content:" ]"}.mw-parser-output .navbar li{word-spacing:-0.125em}.mw-parser-output .navbar a>span,.mw-parser-output .navbar a>abbr{text-decoration:inherit}.mw-parser-output .navbar-mini abbr{font-variant:small-caps;border-bottom:none;text-decoration:none;cursor:inherit}.mw-parser-output .navbar-ct-full{font-size:114%;margin:0 7em}.mw-parser-output .navbar-ct-mini{font-size:114%;margin:0 4em}html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .navbar li a abbr{color:var(--color-base)!important}@media(prefers-color-scheme:dark){html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .navbar li a abbr{color:var(--color-base)!important}}@media print{.mw-parser-output .navbar{display:none!important}}</style><div class="navbar plainlinks hlist navbar-mini"><ul><li class="nv-view"><a href="/wiki/Template:Asia_topic" title="Template:Asia topic"><abbr title="View this template">v</abbr></a></li><li class="nv-talk"><a href="/wiki/Template_talk:Asia_topic" title="Template talk:Asia topic"><abbr title="Discuss this template">t</abbr></a></li><li class="nv-edit"><a href="/wiki/Special:EditPage/Template:Asia_topic" title="Special:EditPage/Template:Asia topic"><abbr title="Edit this template">e</abbr></a></li></ul></div><div id="Freedom_of_religion_in_Asia" style="font-size:114%;margin:0 4em"><a href="/wiki/Freedom_of_religion_in_Asia" class="mw-redirect" title="Freedom of religion in Asia">Freedom of religion in Asia </a></div></th></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="/wiki/List_of_sovereign_states" title="List of sovereign states">Sovereign states</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Freedom_of_religion_in_Afghanistan" title="Freedom of religion in Afghanistan">Afghanistan</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Freedom_of_religion_in_Armenia" title="Freedom of religion in Armenia">Armenia</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Freedom_of_religion_in_Azerbaijan" title="Freedom of religion in Azerbaijan">Azerbaijan</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Freedom_of_religion_in_Bahrain" class="mw-redirect" title="Freedom of religion in Bahrain">Bahrain</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Freedom_of_religion_in_Bangladesh" title="Freedom of religion in Bangladesh">Bangladesh</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Freedom_of_religion_in_Bhutan" title="Freedom of religion in Bhutan">Bhutan</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Freedom_of_religion_in_Brunei" title="Freedom of religion in Brunei">Brunei</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Freedom_of_religion_in_Cambodia" title="Freedom of religion in Cambodia">Cambodia</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Freedom_of_religion_in_China" title="Freedom of religion in China">China</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Freedom_of_religion_in_Cyprus" title="Freedom of religion in Cyprus">Cyprus</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Freedom_of_religion_in_East_Timor" class="mw-redirect" title="Freedom of religion in East Timor">East Timor (Timor-Leste)</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Freedom_of_religion_in_Egypt" class="mw-redirect" title="Freedom of religion in Egypt">Egypt</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Freedom_of_religion_in_Georgia_(country)" title="Freedom of religion in Georgia (country)">Georgia</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Freedom_of_religion_in_India" title="Freedom of religion in India">India</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Freedom_of_religion_in_Indonesia" title="Freedom of religion in Indonesia">Indonesia</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Freedom_of_religion_in_Iran" title="Freedom of religion in Iran">Iran</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Freedom_of_religion_in_Iraq" title="Freedom of religion in Iraq">Iraq</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Freedom_of_religion_in_Israel" class="mw-redirect" title="Freedom of religion in Israel">Israel</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Freedom_of_religion_in_Japan" title="Freedom of religion in Japan">Japan</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Freedom_of_religion_in_Jordan" title="Freedom of religion in Jordan">Jordan</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Freedom_of_religion_in_Kazakhstan" title="Freedom of religion in Kazakhstan">Kazakhstan</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Freedom_of_religion_in_North_Korea" title="Freedom of religion in North Korea">North Korea</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Freedom_of_religion_in_South_Korea" title="Freedom of religion in South Korea">South Korea</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Freedom_of_religion_in_Kuwait" title="Freedom of religion in Kuwait">Kuwait</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Freedom_of_religion_in_Kyrgyzstan" class="mw-redirect" title="Freedom of religion in Kyrgyzstan">Kyrgyzstan</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Freedom_of_religion_in_Laos" title="Freedom of religion in Laos">Laos</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Freedom_of_religion_in_Lebanon" title="Freedom of religion in Lebanon">Lebanon</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Freedom_of_religion_in_Malaysia" title="Freedom of religion in Malaysia">Malaysia</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Freedom_of_religion_in_the_Maldives" class="mw-redirect" title="Freedom of religion in the Maldives">Maldives</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Freedom_of_religion_in_Mongolia" title="Freedom of religion in Mongolia">Mongolia</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Freedom_of_religion_in_Myanmar" title="Freedom of religion in Myanmar">Myanmar</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Freedom_of_religion_in_Nepal" title="Freedom of religion in Nepal">Nepal</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Freedom_of_religion_in_Oman" title="Freedom of religion in Oman">Oman</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Freedom_of_religion_in_Pakistan" title="Freedom of religion in Pakistan">Pakistan</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Freedom_of_religion_in_the_Philippines" title="Freedom of religion in the Philippines">Philippines</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Freedom_of_religion_in_Qatar" title="Freedom of religion in Qatar">Qatar</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Freedom_of_religion_in_Russia" title="Freedom of religion in Russia">Russia</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Freedom_of_religion_in_Saudi_Arabia" title="Freedom of religion in Saudi Arabia">Saudi Arabia</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Freedom_of_religion_in_Singapore" title="Freedom of religion in Singapore">Singapore</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Freedom_of_religion_in_Sri_Lanka" title="Freedom of religion in Sri Lanka">Sri Lanka</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Freedom_of_religion_in_Syria" title="Freedom of religion in Syria">Syria</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Freedom_of_religion_in_Tajikistan" title="Freedom of religion in Tajikistan">Tajikistan</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Freedom_of_religion_in_Thailand" title="Freedom of religion in Thailand">Thailand</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Freedom_of_religion_in_Turkey" title="Freedom of religion in Turkey">Turkey</a></li> <li><a class="mw-selflink selflink">Turkmenistan</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Freedom_of_religion_in_the_United_Arab_Emirates" title="Freedom of religion in the United Arab Emirates">United Arab Emirates</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Freedom_of_religion_in_Uzbekistan" title="Freedom of religion in Uzbekistan">Uzbekistan</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Freedom_of_religion_in_Vietnam" title="Freedom of religion in Vietnam">Vietnam</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Freedom_of_religion_in_Yemen" title="Freedom of religion in Yemen">Yemen</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="/wiki/List_of_states_with_limited_recognition" title="List of states with limited recognition">States with<br />limited recognition</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Freedom_of_religion_in_Abkhazia" class="mw-redirect" title="Freedom of religion in Abkhazia">Abkhazia</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Freedom_of_religion_in_Northern_Cyprus" title="Freedom of religion in Northern Cyprus">Northern Cyprus</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Freedom_of_religion_in_the_State_of_Palestine" title="Freedom of religion in the State of Palestine">Palestine</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Freedom_of_religion_in_South_Ossetia" class="mw-redirect" title="Freedom of religion in South Ossetia">South Ossetia</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Freedom_of_religion_in_Taiwan" title="Freedom of religion in Taiwan">Taiwan</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="/wiki/Dependent_territory" title="Dependent territory">Dependencies</a> and<br />other territories</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Freedom_of_religion_in_the_British_Indian_Ocean_Territory" class="mw-redirect" title="Freedom of religion in the British Indian Ocean Territory">British Indian Ocean Territory</a></li> <li><a href="/w/index.php?title=Freedom_of_religion_in_Christmas_Island&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Freedom of religion in Christmas Island (page does not exist)">Christmas Island</a></li> <li><a href="/w/index.php?title=Freedom_of_religion_in_the_Cocos_(Keeling)_Islands&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Freedom of religion in the Cocos (Keeling) Islands (page does not exist)">Cocos (Keeling) Islands</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Freedom_of_religion_in_Hong_Kong" class="mw-redirect" title="Freedom of religion in Hong Kong">Hong Kong</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Freedom_of_religion_in_Macau" class="mw-redirect" title="Freedom of religion in Macau">Macau</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><td class="navbox-abovebelow hlist" colspan="2"><div> <ul><li><span class="noviewer" typeof="mw:File"><span title="Category"><img alt="" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/9/96/Symbol_category_class.svg/16px-Symbol_category_class.svg.png" decoding="async" width="16" height="16" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/9/96/Symbol_category_class.svg/23px-Symbol_category_class.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/9/96/Symbol_category_class.svg/31px-Symbol_category_class.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="180" data-file-height="185" /></span></span> <a href="/wiki/Category:Asia" title="Category:Asia">Category</a></li> <li><span class="noviewer" typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/File:Symbol_portal_class.svg" class="mw-file-description" title="Portal"><img alt="" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/e/e2/Symbol_portal_class.svg/16px-Symbol_portal_class.svg.png" decoding="async" width="16" height="16" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/e/e2/Symbol_portal_class.svg/23px-Symbol_portal_class.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/e/e2/Symbol_portal_class.svg/31px-Symbol_portal_class.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="180" data-file-height="185" /></a></span> <a href="/wiki/Portal:Asia" title="Portal:Asia">Asia portal</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr></tbody></table></div>    </div><noscript><img src="https://login.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:CentralAutoLogin/start?type=1x1" alt="" width="1" height="1" style="border: none; position: absolute;"></noscript> <div class="printfooter" data-nosnippet="">Retrieved from "<a dir="ltr" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Freedom_of_religion_in_Turkmenistan&oldid=1233296642">https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Freedom_of_religion_in_Turkmenistan&oldid=1233296642</a>"</div></div> <div id="catlinks" class="catlinks" data-mw="interface"><div id="mw-normal-catlinks" class="mw-normal-catlinks"><a href="/wiki/Help:Category" title="Help:Category">Categories</a>: <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Freedom_of_religion_by_country" title="Category:Freedom of religion by country">Freedom of religion by country</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Human_rights_in_Turkmenistan" title="Category:Human rights in Turkmenistan">Human rights in Turkmenistan</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Religion_in_Turkmenistan" title="Category:Religion in Turkmenistan">Religion in Turkmenistan</a></li></ul></div><div id="mw-hidden-catlinks" class="mw-hidden-catlinks mw-hidden-cats-hidden">Hidden categories: <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Articles_with_short_description" title="Category:Articles with short description">Articles with short description</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Short_description_is_different_from_Wikidata" title="Category:Short description is different from Wikidata">Short description is different from Wikidata</a></li></ul></div></div> </div> </main> </div> <div class="mw-footer-container"> <footer id="footer" class="mw-footer" > <ul id="footer-info"> <li id="footer-info-lastmod"> This page was last edited on 8 July 2024, at 10:11<span class="anonymous-show"> (UTC)</span>.</li> <li id="footer-info-copyright">Text is available under the <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Text_of_the_Creative_Commons_Attribution-ShareAlike_4.0_International_License" title="Wikipedia:Text of the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License">Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License</a>; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the <a href="https://foundation.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Policy:Terms_of_Use" class="extiw" title="foundation:Special:MyLanguage/Policy:Terms of Use">Terms of Use</a> and <a href="https://foundation.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Policy:Privacy_policy" class="extiw" title="foundation:Special:MyLanguage/Policy:Privacy policy">Privacy Policy</a>. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://wikimediafoundation.org/">Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.</a>, a non-profit organization.</li> </ul> <ul id="footer-places"> <li id="footer-places-privacy"><a href="https://foundation.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Policy:Privacy_policy">Privacy policy</a></li> <li id="footer-places-about"><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:About">About Wikipedia</a></li> <li id="footer-places-disclaimers"><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:General_disclaimer">Disclaimers</a></li> <li id="footer-places-contact"><a href="//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Contact_us">Contact Wikipedia</a></li> <li id="footer-places-wm-codeofconduct"><a href="https://foundation.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Policy:Universal_Code_of_Conduct">Code of Conduct</a></li> <li id="footer-places-developers"><a href="https://developer.wikimedia.org">Developers</a></li> <li id="footer-places-statslink"><a href="https://stats.wikimedia.org/#/en.wikipedia.org">Statistics</a></li> <li id="footer-places-cookiestatement"><a href="https://foundation.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Policy:Cookie_statement">Cookie statement</a></li> <li id="footer-places-mobileview"><a href="//en.m.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Freedom_of_religion_in_Turkmenistan&mobileaction=toggle_view_mobile" class="noprint stopMobileRedirectToggle">Mobile view</a></li> </ul> <ul id="footer-icons" class="noprint"> <li id="footer-copyrightico"><a href="https://wikimediafoundation.org/" class="cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--size-large cdx-button--fake-button--enabled"><img src="/static/images/footer/wikimedia-button.svg" width="84" height="29" alt="Wikimedia Foundation" loading="lazy"></a></li> <li id="footer-poweredbyico"><a href="https://www.mediawiki.org/" class="cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--size-large cdx-button--fake-button--enabled"><img src="/w/resources/assets/poweredby_mediawiki.svg" alt="Powered by MediaWiki" width="88" height="31" loading="lazy"></a></li> </ul> </footer> </div> </div> </div> <div class="vector-settings" id="p-dock-bottom"> <ul></ul> </div><script>(RLQ=window.RLQ||[]).push(function(){mw.config.set({"wgHostname":"mw-web.codfw.main-5cd4cd96d5-g5wrm","wgBackendResponseTime":206,"wgPageParseReport":{"limitreport":{"cputime":"0.417","walltime":"0.523","ppvisitednodes":{"value":13642,"limit":1000000},"postexpandincludesize":{"value":37965,"limit":2097152},"templateargumentsize":{"value":8042,"limit":2097152},"expansiondepth":{"value":14,"limit":100},"expensivefunctioncount":{"value":3,"limit":500},"unstrip-depth":{"value":1,"limit":20},"unstrip-size":{"value":15507,"limit":5000000},"entityaccesscount":{"value":0,"limit":400},"timingprofile":["100.00% 463.644 1 -total"," 49.99% 231.778 1 Template:Asia_topic"," 49.05% 227.429 1 Template:Navbox"," 27.36% 126.855 56 Template:Iso2country"," 24.62% 114.142 1 Template:Reflist"," 21.07% 97.701 1 Template:Cite_web"," 17.85% 82.748 1 Template:Short_description"," 10.45% 48.452 2 Template:Pagetype"," 10.08% 46.717 56 Template:Iso2country/data"," 6.57% 30.484 59 Template:Main_other"]},"scribunto":{"limitreport-timeusage":{"value":"0.208","limit":"10.000"},"limitreport-memusage":{"value":5487397,"limit":52428800}},"cachereport":{"origin":"mw-web.codfw.main-f69cdc8f6-6fgbm","timestamp":"20241122143347","ttl":2592000,"transientcontent":false}}});});</script> <script type="application/ld+json">{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"Article","name":"Freedom of religion in Turkmenistan","url":"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Freedom_of_religion_in_Turkmenistan","sameAs":"http:\/\/www.wikidata.org\/entity\/Q5500809","mainEntity":"http:\/\/www.wikidata.org\/entity\/Q5500809","author":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Contributors to Wikimedia projects"},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/www.wikimedia.org\/static\/images\/wmf-hor-googpub.png"}},"datePublished":"2008-03-06T22:27:21Z","dateModified":"2024-07-08T10:11:26Z","headline":"overview of freedom of religion in Turkmenistan"}</script> </body> </html>