Tajikistan's parliament has approved a bill to outlaw the hijab, describing it as an "alien garment." It has also banned the practice of youngsters going door to door collecting money during Eid, said Free Press Kashmir.Â
The ban on headscarves is seen as a "reflection of the political line" that the government of Emomali Rahmon, Tajikistan's president-for-life, has been "pursuing" since 1997, said Euronews. His administration has had its "sights set on what they describe as extremism for a long time," particularly since he blunted the influence of the Tajikistan Islamic Resurrection Party and then banned it altogether.Â
Rahmon is a polarizing figure who has held on to power in elections that "fall far short of being free or fair," said the BBC. His measures have sparked international attention. In 2023, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom designated Tajikistan a "country of special concern."Â
Experts believe the hijab ban was influenced by a terrorist attack in Moscow in April. Russian authorities said four of the attackers had Tajik passports.Â
There are restrictions on Islamic religious dress in other countries, including Austria and France, the latter of which prohibits wearing "symbols or clothes through which students conspicuously display their religious affiliation." In addition, Belgium, Bulgaria, Germany, Italy and Norway have laws prohibiting Islamic garments. Several Muslim-majority countries have also banned the burqa and hijab in educational establishments and government buildings, including Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan and Tunisia. |