Authorities responded to statements from the Persian press

The Regional Department for Religious Affairs of GBAO and the Committee for Local Development of Tajikistan responded to a statement that referred to Mamadbokir Mamadbokirov as the “leader of the Shiites of Tajikistan.”

Photo: Internet

This morning, on May 26, the local development committee offices in Khorog and Dushanbe, along with the regional department for religious affairs of the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region, issued separate statements denying that Mamadbokir Mamadbokirov is the “leader of the Shiites of Tajikistan.”

The two local development committee offices in Dushanbe and Khorog politely stated that the “late Mamadbokir Mamadbokirov” did not hold any position or authority to lead followers of the Ismaili branch of Shiite Islam from a religious and confessional perspective during his lifetime.

The Committee for Religious Affairs, Traditions, and Rituals under the Government of the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region called the late Mamadbokir Mamadbokirov a “criminal” and “oppressor of the residents,” emphasizing that it is “completely incorrect” to refer to him as the “leader of the Shiite movement in the country.”

In the Tajik-language segment of the internet, many media outlets and social media users referred to Mamadbokir Mamadbokirov as an “informal leader of the Pamiris.” Following his murder, Persian and Arab media frequently referred to him as the “leader of the Shiites of Tajikistan.” It is evident that the authorities of Tajikistan reacted to the statements made by the Persian press.

From a religious standpoint, the only leader of the Ismailis is the 49th hereditary Imam, the spiritual leader of the Ismaili Shiite Muslim community, His Highness Aga Khan. At the regional level, the interests of the Ismailis are represented by the local Committee for Religious Affairs.

The late Mamadbokir Mamadbokirov was killed by law enforcement officers on May 22 in the city of Khorog, the administrative center of the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region. The murder of Mamadbokir Mamadbokirov caused public outcry in the country and the region.