The law "On the Regulation of Rituals and Traditions" initiated by Emomali Rahmon was approved by the upper and lower houses of the republic's parliament in June. The President of Tajikistan first expressed his desire to "regulate rituals and traditions" at the end of May. According to Rahmon, some holidays negatively affect the budget of Tajik families, which cannot but affect the overall level of well-being of citizens. To support his words, he cited the following statistics: only on ritual events, Tajiks annually spend about $2 billion, which exceeds the expenditure side of the country's budget.
Perhaps one can find logic in the words of the Tajik leader. According to ancient Islamic traditions, all relatives are invited to celebrations, and due to the "clannishness" of society, there are very many of them. Therefore, in the law proposed by Emomali Rahmon, the concept of family is "narrowed": birthday celebrations should be held only within the family circle, the number of guests at weddings should not exceed 150 people. Even at the fortieth-day commemorations, not everyone who wishes will be able to attend: according to the new law, there should be no more than 80 people.
Recently, three guests who traditionally scattered money at a wedding were fined for the first time in the republic. So now they will have to rewrite wedding scenarios for toastmasters and reduce the number of guests at celebrations.
The innovation also affected schoolchildren. Apparently fighting class inequality, the president banned children from using mobile phones at school and coming to classes in personal cars.
Specifically to monitor the presidential law, a department for the regulation of traditions, celebrations and rituals was even created within the structure of the executive apparatus of the president. It was the district body of this department that identified the first violators. As it became known, in the Danghara district of the Khatlon region, during a wedding celebration at the local restaurant "Shabboda", citizens Murodov, Sufiev, and Makhmadaliev scattered money, which contradicts the law. As a result, the court sentenced the violators to a fine of 2,000 somoni (about $580).
According to Vremya Novostey, this is not the first time the law has been violated, but in another case the matter did not go to court. As the chairman of the Kulyab zonal court, Saidov, told journalists, the first case of violation of the law was recorded in the Muminabad district. "But it was not considered by the court because it was drawn up by the head of the internal affairs department of the Muminabad district, and not by the permanent commission, as required by law," a source in the administration told IA Fergana.Ru.