DUSHANBE, February 6, Asia-Plus  -- A roundtable meeting formally titled “Morality in Literature” was held at the Tajik Writers’ Union in Dushanbe on February 3.

Jonibek Akobirov, editor0in-chief of the “Sadoi Sharq” (Voice of East) magazine that staged the meeting, noted that today writers in Tajikistan did not have firm social position and concerned more about personal interests.  “Our periodicals have become too keen on covering negative examples as if no positive changes had taken place in the country, while 180 members of the Tajik Writers’ Union living in Dushanbe keep silence,” Mr. Akobirov said.   

Tajik known writer Urun Kuhzod seconded him and called on the Tajik men of letters to lay special stress on the ethical education.  “Otherwise, phenomena such as fascism and racism may penetrate into literature,” said Mr. Kuhzod, “Private printers should choose and publish only good works but not publish every authors will give them, just for money.”  According to him, society now needs a certain international organization that would protect moral.  

Professor Asadullo Sadulloyev seconding him expressed concern about people’s low interest in literature today.  “In the meantime, they ready newspapers, which can be used by writers as tribune for propagating morality,” he said.  

Tajik known poet Nazri Yazdon expressed concern about a state of moral among the intelligentsia, adding that today “moral and wealth are opposed to each other.  “But it is to remembered that in “Avesta” (holy book of Zoroastrians), for example, beggar is not considered human,” stressed Mr. Yazdon, “Therefore we should come out for harmoniously developed society and thoroughly rich human being.”