Tajikistan, a nation where over 90% or 10 million of the population identifies as Muslim, has officially banned the wearing of hijabs. This move, recently passed by the parliament, has stirred significant controversy both within the country and internationally. The new legislation not only prohibits the hijab but also imposes heavy fines on violators, ranging from $747 to $3,724.
The Central Asian country's decision to outlaw the hijab is part of a broader governmental strategy aimed at reinforcing a secular national identity. On May 8, 2024, the lower house of Tajikistan’s parliament passed a bill which the upper house approved on June 19, 2024. This legislation amends the law 'On Regulation of Holidays and Ceremonies', explicitly forbidding the "import, sale, promotion, and wearing of clothing deemed foreign to the national culture."
This law, however, extends beyond just the hijab. It also prohibits the custom of giving money to children during Eid and Navroz, as well as certain festivities related to Eid-al-Fitr and Eid-al-Adha. Although Tajikistan has long had an unofficial ban on religious wear in public institutions, this new law marks a significant escalation in government policy.
The move has sparked anger among many Muslim advocacy groups and citizens. Critics argue that the ban infringes on individual freedoms and the right to choose one’s clothing. Munira Shahidi, an expert on art and culture, expressed this sentiment to Radio Liberty’s Tajik service, emphasizing the importance of personal choice in attire.
The ban has also drawn condemnation from international organizations. The Union of Islamic Scholars and clerics in Afghanistan, along with the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), have decried the legislation as a violation of religious freedom. CAIR director Corey Saylor stated that banning the hijab infringes on religious freedom and such restrictions on religious attire have no place in any nation that upholds the rights of its citizens.
So, why has Tajikistan, a predominantly Muslim country, enacted this ban? President Emomali Rahmon, who has govern the country since 1994, asserts that the ban is an effort to protect “ancestral values and national culture.” Rahmon’s secular government aims to minimize the visibility of public religiosity and promote a distinct Tajiki cultural identity. This approach is deeply rooted in Rahmon’s political strategy and his history as a former Soviet sympathizer who fought against the country’s ethnoreligious clans.
Promoting Tajiki culture and traditional dress is not a recent endeavor. In September 2017, the government started sending text messages to citizens, encouraging them to wear traditional national clothing. These messages contained phrases to emphasize the wearing of national dress so as to make it a patriotic tradition to wear national clothes.
The hijab ban is part of a broader trend of restrictions in Tajikistan concerning dress and appearance. Since 2007, Islamic clothing and Western-style miniskirts have been banned in schools and public institutions. President Rahmon’s crusade against the hijab started in earnest in 2015 when he described the hijab as a “sign of poor education.” In 2018, the government published a 376-page manual titled 'The Guidebook Of Recommended Outfits In Tajikistan', dictating acceptable clothing for various occasions and banning black garments at funerals.
Tajikistan is not the only country that ban the hijab among Muslim-majority countries. Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Azerbaijan, and Kyrgyzstan have imposed similar restrictions, often citing public security concerns. However, such bans are seen as violations of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the European Convention on Human Rights. The UN Human Rights Committee has deemed blanket bans on face coverings as discriminatory and incompatible with international law, emphasizing that they are not proportionate to the stated aim of promoting public safety.
The hijab ban in Tajikistan underscores the tension between secular governance and religious freedom, highlighting a complex interplay of cultural, political, and social factors in a country striving to define its national identity.
By: Kpost
Information Source:
Kpost is a content creator under the Newswav Creator programme, where you get to express yourself, be a citizen journalist, and at the same time monetize your content & reach millions of users on Newswav. Log in to creator.newswav.com and become a Newswav Creator now!
The User Content (as defined on Newswav Terms of Use) above including the views expressed and media (pictures, videos, citations etc) were submitted & posted by the author. Newswav is solely an aggregation platform that hosts the User Content. If you have any questions about the content, copyright or other issues of the work, please contact Newswav.