Five Central Asian nations —Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan— restrict what people can teach children. 
Uzbekistan
Population: 37 million, 2% Christian
Kazakhstan
Population: 20.7 million, 15% Christian
Tajikistan
Population: 10.7 million, ˂1% Christian
Turkmenistan
Population: 7.5 million, 4% Christian
Kyrgyzstan
Population: 7.2 million, 4% Christian
Towering mountain ranges such as the Pamir, Hindu Kush and Tian Shan declare God’s glory across Central Asia. But today, governments throughout the region use restrictive religion laws in an attempt to prevent pastors, teachers and even Christian parents from teaching children about Christ.
Pastor Parviz knew the risk he was taking as he packed the Christian children’s books into his suitcase and prepared to return home to Tajikistan. But as a pastor and a parent, he also knew that no investment or sacrifice was too great to provide discipleship materials for the children in his small fellowship.
The laws of Tajikistan and other nations in the region restrict and even forbid teaching religious beliefs and practices to children. If the Christian children’s books buried in Parviz’s suitcase were discovered, he could be fined, arrested or even imprisoned. Still, he believed the risk was well worth the gain of discipling children in the Lord.
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Defending Rights & Dissent joined representatives of civil society organizations from 21 North, South, and Central American countries in Bogota, Colombia, in November at the Intercontinental Summit on the Closing of Civic Space in the Americas, sponsored by Amnesty International. Defending Rights & Dissent Executive Director Sue Udry was one of three U.S. delegates invited to attend.
