Uznews.net – The authorities in Tashkent are forcing cable television operators to air government-sponsored documentaries denouncing foreign religious denominations, thus, observers think, competing for people’s minds.

Cable television operators in Tashkent have repeatedly shown documentaries on all kinds of religious groups in Uzbekistan. This is hardly operators’ own idea; on the contrary, they are forced to do this by the local authorities.

Moreover, these documentaries are aired on prime-time television, instead of a popular Russian-made programme that attracts huge numbers of viewers.

For example, the Stojari cable studio, which operates in Tashkent’s Yakkasaray and Chilanzar districts, aired a documentary instead of the Russian NTV channel’s “Sincere Confession” weekly show few days ago.

Thousands of this programme’s fans watched this documentary, hoping their programme might come back to the air any moment. This film, however, did generate their interest because it discussed freedom of conscience for residents of Tashkent.

The documentary entitled “Hypocrisy” was made by the Uzbekiston national television and radio company. It attacked several “bad” religious groups which seized the hearts and minds of thousands of Uzbeks, for example, Jehovah’s Witnesses and the Full Gospel Church.

The filmmakers said in the documentary that after obtaining independence Uzbekistan had created all conditions for religious, spiritual and ideological freedom and freedom of religion had been stipulated in the law.

The documentary said that there were 2,222 officially-registered religious organisations in the country, including 2,042 are Muslim organisations (92%). There were also eight Jewish communities, six Baha’i communities, a Krishna community and a Buddhist community.

“This is an ideal example of religious tolerance in our country,” the documentary said. “However, there are still threats to our historical memory and national feelings which aim to turn our nation into zombies to deprive it of its spirituality and national identity.”

In the documentary former members of the Full Gospel Church spoke about ways of bringing new members to this church and how hard it was break off from the church.

The documentary provided the number of a telephone hotline – 2554125 – which turned out to be the number of the Media Business firm and the “independent” Novosti Uzbekistana newspaper. The firm’s Director Bahodir Yuldashev said that the newspaper wanted people to share their views on the programme and religious organisations.

However, he refused to say whose idea showing this documentary was. The cable network also refused to comment on this.

An independent Tashkent-based political analyst Mirhan Nazmutdinov thinks by making and airing such films the authorities want to protect themselves from potential threats by religious groups to their wellbeing and stability.

He suggested that religious missionaries conducted foreign governments’ agenda using guerrilla methods to influence people’s minds, whereas the authorities’ feared the unmanageability of the masses as a danger to themselves.

These religious groups also create a threat to and competition for the so-called traditional religious denominations of the country – Islam, Catholicism and Russian Orthodox Church. This film gave a platform to these churches which condemned the spread of foreign religious groups.

However, Nazmutdinov thinks that official religious organisations are no better than foreign sects because they also represent interests of global powers in the country.

He thinks these two groups of religions could easily swap places in the documentary, and its title – “Hypocrisy” – would not even change a single letter.