The Kyrgyz government is now discussing a new draft law on "Freedom of Religious Practices and Religious Organizations." An article by Erica Marat, Religious Authorities in Kyrgyzstan Play Politics, discusses the politics of the new law. She says that the political discourse in Kyrgyzstan is concerned with the spread of "Islamic fundamentalism" and that the "law purports to prevent the emergence of "totalitarian' religious organizations." The main method today of preventing radical sects of Islam or the spread of fringe religious groups is introducing harsher requirements for registration. The governments justify such registration procedures on the basis of national and public security. Major fears center on the ideas that new religious groups will be far more active in proselytizing and that there will be a spread of "potential foreign religious groups." Just as in Tajikistan, there is a growing state-sponsored fear that mosques are exponentially increasing in number and that the younger generation is being attracted to more radical ideas. There are currently 1,668 mosques and religious schools in Kyrgyzstan. In Tajikistan, the government has been closing some mosques and religious schools because registration procedures were improperly followed. There is also a draft law in Tajikistan which provides new restrictions similar to the initiative in Kyrgyzstan , such as increasing the number of petition signatures to officially register a religious organization. Both governments wish to be seen as tolerant, although Ms. Marat says, this is "while building an image of being in control of extremist organizations." Currently, in Tajikistan, the government is particularly worried that the Islamic Salafi school of thought is gaining ground, and, therefore, it tries especially hard to control the religious communities and their activities. There is also a particularly strong fear of the Hizb-ut-Tahrir movement and new Christian groups.
