 "To cover or not to cover: Why Tajikistan, with over 10 million Muslims, is banning the hijab")
The country of Tajikistan is making headlines. The Muslim-majority country’s parliament has passed a law, banning the hijab, terming it as “alien” to its culture.
The move to prohibit the hijab in the Central-Asian nation is the latest in a series of measures by the government to promote a secular national identity.
Here’s what we know so far.
New law banning hijab
On 8 May, the lower house of the Tajikistan parliament passed a bill, which was later approved by the upper house on 19 June. The law amends the existing legislation ‘On Regulation of Holidays and Ceremonies’ and forbids the “import, sale, promotion and wearing of clothing deemed foreign to the national culture”.
As per the new law, violators will be fined — anywhere from 7,920 somonis ($747) for individual offenders to 39,500 somonis ($3,724) according to Radio Liberty’s Tajik service.
The bill also bans Eidi, the custom of children being gifted money during Eid and Navroz, as well as festivities around Eid-al-Fitr and Eid-al-Adha.
Incidentally, the country, which is home to around 10 million Muslims, has long had an unofficial ban on religious wear in public institutions.
The move has angered many Muslim advocacy groups as well as citizens, who argue that people should be free to choose what clothes they want to wear. “It’s important to have the freedom to choose our own clothes. There shouldn’t be a law ordering us what to wear,” Munira Shahidi, an expert on art and culture, told Radio Liberty’s Tajik service.
The decision has also been slammed by the Union of Islamic Scholars and clerics in Afghanistan, and by the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR). “Banning the hijab is a violation of religious freedom and such bans on religious attire should have no place in any nation that respects the rights of its people,” CAIR director Corey Saylor was quoted as saying.
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More ShortsReason for the ban
But for a country that is predominantly Muslim, why has the government taken this step? A press release by the Tajik president said that it is aimed at “protecting ancestral values and national culture”.
According to President Emomali Rahmon, who heads a secular government, the hijab ban is an attempt to protect what he deems as “Tajiki” culture and minimise the visibility of public religiosity. It is deeply linked to his politics and grip on power.
In fact, according to Voices of Central Asia, Tajiki clothes are colourful and embroidered and adapted from the Persian style of clothing.
Furthermore, Rahmon, who has been serving as the country’s head since 1994, was part of the Soviet sympathisers, who believed in secularism and even waged war against the country’s ethnoreligious clans.
Even before the ban, the government has been working hard to promote Tajiki culture and dressing. In September 2017, the government activated messages to cell phone users, urging them to wear Tajik national clothes. The messages read: “Wearing national dress is a must!”, “Respect national dress,” and “Let us make it a good tradition to wear national clothes.”
Other similar restrictions
While the hijab ban is now official, Tajikistan has seen several restrictions being passed when it comes to dressing and appearance. In 2007, the Tajik education ministry banned both Islamic clothing and Western-style miniskirts for students. The ban was eventually extended to all public institutions.
Interestingly, President Rahmon began his crusade against hijabs in 2015, when he called them a “a sign of poor education.” In 2018, the government also came up with a 376-page manual, titled ‘The Guidebook Of Recommended Outfits In Tajikistan’, which outlined what women in the country should wear for different occasions.
The list outlines acceptable material, lengths and shapes for dressing. It also bans black garments at funerals; instead it recommends a blue outfit with a white headscarf for such occasions.
The country has also unofficially banned bushy beards. According to Radio Liberty, thousands of men in the last 10 years have reportedly been stopped by police and had their beards shaved against their will.
There are also laws in the country to restrict Islamic prayer to specific locations.
Muslim countries that ban hijab
Tajikstan isn’t the only Muslim country to ban the hijab. Last October, Kazakhstan also made news for contemplating a potential ban on the wearing of Islamic headscarves in public spaces.
Kosovo, Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan, have banned the burqa and hijab in public schools and universities or for government officials.
Many of the countries have passed such legislation citing public security. However, such bans outlawing people from wearing hijabs is a contravention of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the European Convention on Human Rights.
In fact, the UN Human Rights Committee has upheld that a blanket ban on face coverings and burqas is not compatible with International law and human rights standards, deeming it discriminatory. It further emphasises that the ban is not proportionate to its stated legitimate aim of promoting public safety.
With inputs from agencies
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