Page "Political religion" Paragraph 31

During the long rule of president Saparmurat Niyazov large pictures and statues of him could be seen in public places in Turkmenistan.

In an interview with the television news program " 60 Minutes ", Niyazov said the people of Turkmenistan placed them there voluntarily because they love him so much, and that he did not originally want them there.

In addition, he granted himself the title " Türkmenbaşy ", meaning " Leader of all Ethnic Turkmens " in the Turkmen language.

A book purportedly authored by Niyazov, Ruhnama (" Book of the Soul ") was required reading in educational institutions and was often displayed and treated with the same respect as the Qur ' an.

The study of Ruhnama in the academic system was scaled down but to some extent continued after Niyazov's death ( in 2006 ), as of 2008.