Muslim-majority Tajikistan bans hijab.
The Tajikistan government has officially banned the wearing of the hijab, formalizing years of unofficial restrictions on religious attire.
This legislative move follows the passage of the bill by the lower house of Parliament, the Majlisi Namoyandagon, on May 8, and its subsequent approval by the upper house, the Majlisi Milli, on June 19, just after the Eid celebrations.
Details of the New Law:
The newly amended law, titled ‘On Regulation of Holidays and Ceremonies,’ prohibits the “import, sale, promotion, and wearing of clothing deemed foreign to the national culture.”
Central to this legislation is the ban on the hijab, the traditional headscarf worn by Muslim women, as well as other Islamic garments.
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Violators of this law face significant fines, ranging from 7,920 somonis ($747) for individual offenders to 39,500 somonis ($3,724) for more severe violations, according to Radio Liberty’s Tajik Service.
Additionally, the bill outlaws the custom of giving money to children during Eid (Eidi) and the celebration of Eid-al-Fitr and Eid-al-Adha.
Tajikistan bans hijab, but why?
President Emomali Rahmon, who has long criticized the hijab as “foreign clothing,” is driving this legislative change.
This initiative is part of a broader effort by Rahmon to promote what he describes as “Tajiki” culture and to minimize the visibility of public religiosity in the predominantly Muslim country, where approximately 90% of the population adheres to Islam.
Rahmon’s political career, which began in the aftermath of the Soviet Union’s collapse, has been marked by a continuous effort to maintain a secular state.
He has been in power since 1994, making his tenure one of the longest in the Central Asian region.
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
— 𝗡𝗶𝗼𝗵 𝗕𝗲𝗿𝗴 ♛ ✡︎ (@NiohBerg) June 20, 2024
Early in his presidency, Rahmon positioned himself against more religious political factions during the civil war that followed Tajikistan’s independence.
His government has since sought to suppress religious expressions that he views as a threat to his secular administration.
Historical Measures and Campaigns:
This latest law is not an isolated measure.
In 2007, a law regulating holidays and ceremonies already placed restrictions on Islamic clothing in educational institutions and public offices.
Rahmon intensified his anti-hijab campaign in 2015, condemning the garment as a “sign of poor education.”
By 2017, the government was urging women via automated phone calls to adopt traditional Tajik dress, and in 2018, it published a 376-page handbook, ‘The Guidebook Of Recommended Outfits In Tajikistan,’ specifying acceptable attire for women, including how headscarves should be worn.
The government has also taken steps to enforce secular dress codes among men, including the forcible shaving of beards deemed too bushy, another symbol associated with Islamic practice.
Broader Implications:
While the Tajik government justifies these restrictions as necessary for maintaining cultural integrity and national security, analysts argue that the perceived threat from radical Islam in Central Asia is often exaggerated.
Islamic practices, deeply embedded in local cultures, persisted even during Soviet rule.
Rahmon’s policies reflect a broader regional trend of using cultural nationalism to strengthen political control and suppress potential religious dissent.
