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In 2008 an Uzbek state-run television station twice broadcast a programme about religious minorities, particularly Protestant Christians. The programme was entitled “In the Clutches of Ignorance” and attacked Christians and spread false allegations about them, using police films taken during raids on Sunday worship. The programme described Christian outreach activities as a “global problem along with religious dogmatisms, fundamentalism, terrorism and drug addiction”. Evangelical Christians were compared to Satanists. In the wake of the broadcasts several Uzbek Christians were arrested, and congregations were harassed by government authorities.
Uzbekistan is one of the worst of the Central Asian countries in terms of religious freedom, even though it is officially a secular state. Its government places severe restrictions on all religious activities. Registration is required for churches, but is difficult to obtain. A minimum membership of 100 is needed, and members’ details have to be passed on to the relevant authorities. Often registration is denied. Christians are not allowed to share their faith, and church leaders have been arrested on false charges.
The country has a strong Islamic heritage, as 80% of its population are Uzbek, a traditionally Sunni Muslim Turkic tribe. Christianity in the area was almost entirely eradicated in 1300 AD under the Turkic military leader Tamerlane, who was renowned for his hatred of Christians and who is still celebrated as a hero in Uzbekistan. This legacy is very noticeable in the way Christian converts from Islam are often ostracised from their communities or threatened and beaten to force them to return to Islam. Churches with many Muslim-background believers frequently face harassment from the authorities as well as from local communities.
