DUSHANBE, December 12, 2011, Asia-Plus  -- The authorities have suspended the functioning of the Muhammadiya Mosque in the Vahdat district, also known as the mosque of the Turajonzoda family, for three months.

A prominent Tajik religious figure, Hoji Akbar Turajonzoda, told Asia-Plus this Monday afternoon.  According to him, the Committee on Religious Affairs (CRA) under the Government of Tajikistan stated on December 9 that the functioning of the mosque has been suspended for celebration of the Ashura ceremony.

Hoji Akbar Turajonzoda noted that he was not going to dispute the CRA decision “because it is useless.”  Turajonzoda, however, confirmed that he would file a defamation lawsuit against Saidmukarram Abduqodirzoda, the head of the Council of Ulamo (a group f scholars and imams that provides interpretations of religious practice).

We will recall that the Council of Ulamo released a statement on December 6 calling on the Committee on Religious Affairs (CRA) to give a proper legal assessment of the move of the Turajonzoda family that allegedly commemorated the Ashura ceremony, which is marked by Shi’a Muslims.

In the statement released through the national news agency Khovar, the Council of Ulamo, in particular, notes that it is not against the commemoration of the Ashura ceremony by Shi’a Muslims, “because it is the path chosen by them, but we surprised that the Turajonzoda family, which is well-known in religious circles, commemorated this event in the Friday prayer mosque in the Turkobod jamoat of Vahdat district on December 2 that may lead to the split among Muslims, because the Turajonzoda family recon themselves among Sunni Hanafi Muslims.”

“Tajiks who are adherents of the Hanafi school of Islam have never commemorated the Ashura ceremony and in this connection, the commemoration of this ceremony by the Turajonzoda family is an action that fully contradicts the Hanafi School,” the statement stressed.  The Council of Ulamo called on Muslims of the country not to submit to the influence of other schools.

Commenting on this statement, Hoji Akbar Turajonzoda told Asia-Plus on December 7 that neither he nor his brothers have ever commemorated the Ashura ceremony, because this contradicts Sunni Islam.

“On December 2, we just honored Imam Husayn, the grandson of Muhammad (peace be upon him), and his relatives in the Friday prayer mosque in the Turkobod jamoat in connection with the beginning of the month of Muharram, which is the first month of the Islamic calendar.  Imam Husayn was killed on the 10th day of Muharram,” Turajonzoda told Asia-Plus in an interview on December 7.

“Imam Husayn is a historical figure and people in Tajikistan, except followers of the Salafiya movement, respect and honor him, but this does not mean that they are Shi’a Muslims and sow discord among Muslims in Tajikistan,” said Turajonzoda, “According to their logic, all citizens of Tajikistan who have names of Husayn or Hasan are Shi’a Muslims.”  According to him, the statement was initiated by the authorities.

On December 9, the head of the Council of Ulamo Saidmukarram Abduqodirzoda and the CRA chairman Abdurahim Kholiqov came to the Muhammadiya Mosque in the Turkobod jamoat to acquaint parishioners with the Council of Ulamo statement.  But the crowd of many thousands of parishioners did not let Abduqodirzoda finish his speech and he left the mosque.

In his Friday prayer speech, Hoji Akbar Turajonzoda on December 9 accused the head of the Council of Ulamo of inciting dissension between Muslims in the country.  He called his statement a provocation and accused Abduqodirzoda of adherence to the Salafiya movement.

Hoji Akbar Turajonzoda told reporters on Friday that he has received dozens of signals from mosques across the country that imam-khatibs received an order to read out the statement of the Council of Ulamo during the Friday prayer.

The Day of Ashura is on the 10th day of Muharram in the Islamic calendar and marks the climax of the Remembrance of Muharram.

It is commemorated by Shi’a Muslims as a day of mourning for the martyrdom of Husayn ibn Ali, the grandson of Muhammad at the Battle of Karbala on 10 Muharram in the year 61 AH (October 10, 680 AD). According to Sunni Muslim tradition, Muhammad fasted on this day and asked other people to fast.

In some Shi''a regions of Muslim countries such as Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Pakistan, Lebanon, and Bahrain, the Commemoration of Husayn ibn Ali has become a national holiday and most ethnic and religious communities participate in it.  Even in predominantly Hindu country like India, Ashura (10th day in the month of Muharram) is a public holiday.