More young Uzbeks becoming members of sects - opposition web

Text of report by banned Uzbek opposition Birlik web site on 29 August

Our correspondent reports that an article entitled: "Belief that was sold off for money" by a journalist, Nargiza Qosimova, has been published in the Jizzakh Ovozi [regional] newspaper.

According to the report, there are 160 mosques and religious sects officially registered by Dzhizak Region's Justice Department. Of these, 154 are mosques and the remaining six are non-Islamic organizations. These include Christian, St Nikolay's Church, Baha'i and Baptist [organizations]. There are over 80 young people registered in the region who have given up the Islamic religion to become members of other sects.

The newspaper quotes the head of the Zarbdor pilla [Advanced cocoon] association, Etibor Tursunova: "All this is happening primarily due to economic difficulties and the indifference of young people."

©Copyright 2002, BBC Monitoring