The hijab is a cloth covering the head, worn in public by some Muslim women. The Hijab has always been controversial for some reasons or the other. Tajikistan is set to enforce a ban on the hijab on its citizens. On June 19, the Majlisi Milli, the upper house of the Tajikistan parliament, passed a law that forbade the wearing of “alien garments” and the celebration of Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha by children. Idgardak is the name of these Muslim celebrations when kids go door-to-door in the neighborhood to greet everyone. The Majlisi Milli, under the direction of its chairman Rustam Emomali, convened for its eighteenth session on June 19. The Majlisi Namoyandagon, the lower house, passed the bill on May 8. Its main goal is to outlaw the hijab and other traditional Islamic attire. The bill focused on banning the Hijab.
The Law
According to Radio Liberty’s Tajik Service, Radio Ozodi, Sulaiman Davlatzoda, the head of the Religion Committee, has previously stated that children’s holidays were prohibited to guarantee “proper education and ensuring their safety during Ramadan and Eid al-Adha”.
The Majlisi Milli press center said that during the meeting, they backed amendments to the legislation of Tajikistan about national holidays, customs, the role of educators in the training of children, and parental responsibilities. Regarding women’s clothing, officials believe it is associated with Islamic extremists because these women have been traveling to Tajikistan from the Middle East in recent years. The bill has sparked discussion among the predominantly Muslim citizens of the strictly regulated former Soviet nation of Tajikistan.
Other Details
Legislators also decided to amend the penalties for breaching the law, imposing heavy fines on offenders. Before, wearing a hijab or other religious attire was not prohibited by the regulations. On May 23, Radio Ozodi said that the Tajikistani government had determined that the penalties for violators of these regulations will vary depending on the type of entity. Companies may be punished up to 39,500 somonis, while individuals may be fined as much as 7,920 somonis. If found guilty, government officials and religious leaders may have to pay much more. Fines for officials can reach 54,000 somonis, while those for religious leaders might reach 57,600 somonis.
Hijab Banned
After being unofficially prohibited for years, Tajikistan has legally banned the Islamic hijab. In 2007, the Ministry of Education forbade students from wearing either Islamic clothing or miniskirts in the Western manner. This marked the beginning of the Tajik government’s crackdown on the hijab. Later, this prohibition was extended to all public institutions, and some of them started mandating that visitors and staff take off their hijabs. The Tajik government has launched a drive to popularise traditional Tajik attire in recent years. Millions of individuals got SMS messages in 2017 advising ladies to dress in Tajik traditional attire.
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