• Why Jihad Watch?
  • About Robert Spencer and Staff Writers
  • FAQ
  • Books
  • Muhammad
  • Islam 101
  • Privacy

Jihad Watch

Exposing the role that Islamic jihad theology and ideology play in the modern global conflicts

Tajikistan: Christian pastor imprisoned for 2.5 years for the crime of “singing extremist songs”

Jan 2, 2020 1:00 pm By Robert Spencer

In the US, we have a free society. The only people labeled as “extremists” are jihad terrorists and those who dare to speak about the motivating ideology behind jihad terrorism.

“Tajik pastor charged with singing ‘extremist songs’ released from prison after 2.5 years,” by Samuel Smith, Christian Post, December 22, 2019 (thanks to The Religion of Peace):

A pastor in Tajikistan has been released from prison over two-and-a-half years after authorities raided his church, according to advocacy organizations.

Tajik Pastor Bakhrom Kholmatov of the Good News of Grace Protestant Church in Khujand was sentenced in July 2017 and accused of “singing extremist songs” in church and “inciting religious hatred.”

Police raided Kholmatov’s church and harassed the congregation in April 2017.

The Ireland-based persecution advocacy group Church in Chains reports that in the wake of the raid, several church members lost their jobs or faced repercussions.

The organization reports that the 43-year-old pastor was arrested and later charged for possessing a book of worship songs and Josh McDowell’s book More Than a Carpenter.

Kholmatov, who has a wife and three children, was released about three months before his sentence was set to expire.

“I’d like to express my huge gratitude to all the people who supported and prayed for me, my family and my church,” Kholmatov said in a statement shared by Church in Chains. “All these three years I felt your prayers, they helped me to stand, they helped my precious wife and children, they helped the members of my church who were left without a pastor, then kicked by the authorities out of our building.”

According to Church in Chains, Kholmatov served most of his sentence in Yavan Prison, over 200 miles away from his home.

Tajikistan has for years been listed by the U.S. State Department as a “country of particular concern” that has engaged in or tolerated “systematic, ongoing and egregious violations of religious freedom.” Tajikistan’s CPC designation was renewed by the State Department on Friday….

Share this:

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)
  • Click to print (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • More
  • Click to share on Skype (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)

Follow me on Facebook

Filed Under: Muslim persecution of Christians, Tajikistan Tagged With: Bakhrom Kholmato, Good News of Grace Protestant Church, Khujand


Learn more about RevenueStripe...

Comments

  1. Lightship Chaplain says

    Jan 2, 2020 at 1:08 pm

    What, did he sing a song saying Jesus is Lord? Extremism is decide by relativism and beleifes nowadays, and is not based in truth any longer!

    • Lightship Chaplain says

      Jan 2, 2020 at 1:10 pm

      “beliefs” – sorry

  2. keith says

    Jan 2, 2020 at 4:38 pm

    This is the sort of incident that you her about and go,,NO WAY!,,this is a beat up.
    Unfortunately, it appears to be true.

  3. gravenimage says

    Jan 2, 2020 at 6:11 pm

    Tajikistan: Christian pastor imprisoned for 2.5 years for the crime of “singing extremist songs”

    The organization reports that the 43-year-old pastor was arrested and later charged for possessing a book of worship songs and Josh McDowell’s book More Than a Carpenter.
    …………………..

    In other words, he was *singing hymns*. The idea that hymns “incite religious hatred” is of course grotesque.

    More proof that just being non-Muslim is a crime in Dar-al-Islam.

    Tajikistan in 98% Muslim.

    • Infidel says

      Jan 2, 2020 at 11:27 pm

      And despite the population being Sunni, rather than Shia, it’s more closely aligned w/ Iran. This country, which is an imaginary country, traces its history to the Samanid rulers of Iran, under whom Iran converted from a Zoroastrian to a Muslim country. Only one thing: the Samanids were Sunni, whereas Iran became Shia later under the Safavids.

      But despite those differences, Tajikistan looks at Iran for inspiration, just like the other stans look to Turkey or Estonia looks to Finland

  4. Lydia Church says

    Jan 2, 2020 at 7:25 pm

    Heaven is filled with angels and Christian saints singing God’s praise, the God of the Bible, so the songs will be filled with Biblical Christian concepts! And while we are still here, I will be among the earthly choir singing those songs! And that regardless of any persecutions they can drum up. And they’d be many, as satan hates it when folks sing God’s praises, which explains yet more about islam…

  5. European pagan says

    Jan 3, 2020 at 11:08 am

    What is ‘extremist song’? There are really beautiful modern Christian songs. They should listen to them sometimes 😉

FacebookYoutubeTwitterLog in

Subscribe to the Jihad Watch Daily Digest

You will receive a daily mailing containing links to the stories posted at Jihad Watch in the last 24 hours.
Enter your email address to subscribe.

Please wait...

Thank you for signing up!
If you are forwarding to a friend, please remove the unsubscribe buttons first, as they my accidentally click it.

Subscribe to all Jihad Watch posts

You will receive immediate notification.
Enter your email address to subscribe.
Note: This may be up to 15 emails a day.

Donate to JihadWatch
FrontPage Mag

Search Site

Translate

The Team

Robert Spencer in FrontPageMag
Robert Spencer in PJ Media

Articles at Jihad Watch by
Robert Spencer
Hugh Fitzgerald
Christine Douglass-Williams
Andrew Harrod
Jamie Glazov
Daniel Greenfield

Contact Us

Terror Attacks Since 9/11

Archives

  • 2020
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2019
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2018
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2017
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2016
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2015
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2014
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2013
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2012
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2011
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2010
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2009
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2008
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2007
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2006
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2005
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2004
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2003
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • March

All Categories

You Might Like

Learn more about RevenueStripe...

Recent Comments

  • gravenimage on Al-Qaeda Calls on Jihadis to Kill Non-Muslims With Poisoned Coronavirus Masks
  • Infidel on Uighur leader: ‘We’re actually quite worried’ about what Biden might let China get away with
  • Infidel on Uighur leader: ‘We’re actually quite worried’ about what Biden might let China get away with
  • gravenimage on Al-Qaeda Calls on Jihadis to Kill Non-Muslims With Poisoned Coronavirus Masks
  • Infidel on Iranian Kurdistan: Muslim brothers behead their sister in honor killing over her romantic relationship

Popular Categories

dhimmitude Sharia Jihad in the U.S ISIS / Islamic State / ISIL Iran Free Speech

Robert Spencer FaceBook Page

Robert Spencer Twitter

Robert Spencer twitter

Robert Spencer YouTube Channel

Books by Robert Spencer

Jihad Watch® is a registered trademark of Robert Spencer in the United States and/or other countries - Site Developed and Managed by Free Speech Defense

Content copyright Jihad Watch, Jihad Watch claims no credit for any images posted on this site unless otherwise noted. Images on this blog are copyright to their respective owners. If there is an image appearing on this blog that belongs to you and you do not wish for it appear on this site, please E-mail with a link to said image and it will be promptly removed.

Our mailing address is: David Horowitz Freedom Center, P.O. Box 55089, Sherman Oaks, CA 91499-1964

loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.