As many countries in Central and Western Asia, such as Iran and Afghanistan, have made it mandatory to wear hijab and other forms of Islamic headscarves, Tajikistan, where 96% of its population identifies as Muslim, took the opposite direction and passed a law banning the use of hijab, calling it an “alien garment” as the ex-Soviet country seeks to build a secular national identity.
BIG NEWS
Tajikistan upper chamber of Parliament approves bill banning Children from celebrating Eid al-Fitr & also Eid Al-Adha
Both chambers of Parliament also ban Hijab in schools, offices & public places. 1/2#Tajikistan pic.twitter.com/nMC6HkXIdh— Roasting Man (@Roasting_man123) June 20, 2024
The Majlisi Milli, or the National Assembly, the upper chamber of the country’s Supreme Assembly, approved a bill on June 19th banning the use of hijab and children’s celebrations for two major Islamic holidays, Eid al-Fitr and Eid Al-Adha.
The bill, previously approved by the Supreme Assembly’s lower house, primarily targets the hijab and other traditional items of Islamic clothing, which has arrived in the Central Asian nation in recent years from the Middle East and has been associated with Islamic extremism by Tajik officials.
Calling it an “alien garment,” Tajikistan’s president Emomali Rahmon consented to the bill that sought to regulate and prohibit the Islamic veil. The new law imposes hefty fines on offenders, ranging from 8,000 to 65,000 Tajikistani somoni (equivalent to 751 to 6102 US dollars).
It makes sense. Empowering 50% of your population can only lead to good things.
— Govindam (@iyyunig) June 21, 2024
Rahmon also signed laws banning the practice of “Idi,” or the custom of children seeking money, often associated with the Islamic holidays of Eid al-Fitr, Eid al-Adha, and Nowruz festivals.
Sulaiman Davlatzoda, the Head of the Religion Committee, said in an interview that the purpose of banning “Idi was to ensure the "proper education and ensuring their safety during Ramadan and Eid al-Adha.” The press release by the office of the country’s president explained that the move aims to “protect ancestral values and national culture.”
The Central Asian nation has had an unofficial ban on hijab and other traditional Islamic clothing for years. The country’s education ministry has banned both Islamic clothing and Western-style miniskirts since 2007. The Tajik government has tried to promote the country’s national dress and has conducted campaigns for this purpose recently.
Tajikistan has reportedly banned the hijab and public Eid celebrations, declaring them foreign culture.
The country also restricts islamic baby names, demands DNA tests to prevent cousin marriages, and closely monitors mosques in case of extremists.
If this is true, well done. pic.twitter.com/ot0eYOoJtO— (@NiohBerg) June 20, 2024
International human rights groups, as well as Muslim advocacy groups such as the Union of Islamic Scholars and the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), have denounced the official ban on hijab and other Islamic garments.
“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,” Corey Saylor, director of CAIR, said regarding Tajikistan’s hijab ban.
Nevertheless, this wouldn’t be the first time a Muslim-majority country has sought to ban the public use of the hijab and burqa despite efforts by other countries such as Iran, Afghanistan, and Gaza in Palestine to make the use of the hijab mandatory. Muslim-majority nations in Central Asia and Eastern Europe, such as Kosovo, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan, have banned the burqa and the hijab in universities and high schools or for government officials.
