Shabdolov: The law on parental responsibility for upbringing of children to be modified

DUSHANBE, August 8, 2011, Asia-Plus -- Shodi Shabdolov, leader of the Communist party of Tajikistan and deputy of the Lower Chamber of Tajikistan’s Parliament, is confident that the Law “On parental responsibility for education and upbringing of children” will be modified within the nearest time.

“Not a single law is a dogma and should be examined by the real life,” the leader of Tajik communists said in his interview to AP.

He noted that there should be two types of responsibility – moral and administrative and criminal.

“I don’t think parents should be brought to administrative and criminal responsibility for a single non-attendance of their children or for their children’s walks at nighttime. This is more likely refers to criteria of moral responsibility such as public censure,” Shabdolov has said.

He believes that nowadays teenagers do such anti-public things for which their parents should be brought to administrative and criminal responsibility.

“This includes damage to public property. I’m talking about public transport, urban infrastructure, vandalism. I think, at least administrative punishment for such things is normal. Thus, I think the adoption of this law will cause further introduction of changes into another legislative acts, including the Criminal Code, Family Code and Code of Administrative Violations,” the deputy stressed.

As for specific section of the law that forbids children under 18 years of age to attend mosques or become members of religious organizations and associations, Shabdolov said that those students or pupils who wish to become mullahs don’t need to study at secular education institutions and should go to special religious schools or Islamic institute instead.

“I have never seen students who attend secular education institutions to attend mosques, even in Islamic countries. But in Tajikistan it has become a mass phenomenon. Therefore, the state as well as society should somehow respond to it,” he added.