Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — Authorities in the Namangan region have suppressed cases of illegal religious instruction conducted for monetary gain, the State Security Service (SSS) of Uzbekistan reports.

During joint operations by the regional Office of the State Security Service and the Department of Internal Affairs, individuals who organized secret “khujras” and received illegal income were identified.

For instance, a Namangan resident born in 1995 taught religious disciplines to 15 people in an apartment of a multi-story building. A female resident of the “Ma’rifat” mahalla, born in 1974, organized religious instruction for 14 minors at her home, charging each 1.5 million soums per month.

In the Yangi-Namangan district, a man born in 1983 taught religious knowledge to 10 girls and three adults. In the “Mashad” mahalla of the Uychi district, a 48-year-old resident provided paid religious instruction to a group of children at his home. Similar cases were identified in the Turakurgan and Namangan districts.

Measures have been taken against all exposed false “teachers” as well as parents who failed to fulfill their duties in raising their children, in accordance with the law.

Government authorities remind the public that all necessary conditions for obtaining both secular and religious education legally are in place. Parents are strongly advised not to entrust their children to individuals offering dubious or illegal instruction.