Hijab ban: Tajikistan parliament approves bill prohibiting ‘alien garments’
- In Reports
- 11:24 AM, Jun 21, 2024
- Myind Staff
The Central Asian nation of Tajikistan, bordering Taliban-ruled Afghanistan, is set to impose a hijab ban after the upper chamber of the country's parliament approved a bill on June 19. The bill was passed during the 18th session of the upper house of Parliament, Majlisi Milli, presided over by its head, Rustam Emomali, as reported by Asia-Plus.
In its bill, the Majlisi Mill banned "alien garments" and children's celebrations for two most important Islamic holidays - Eid al-Fitr and Eid Al-Adha. These Muslim festivals are known as idgardak, during which children visit houses in their streets to greet people.
On May 8, the lower chamber of the country's parliament, Majlisi Namoyandagon, approved the bill. It targets traditional clothing, specifically the ‘hijab,’ an Islamic head scarf.
This development followed the MajlisiNamoyandagon's approval of amendments to the code of administrative violations. Under the new amendments, law violations could incur hefty fines. However, the code of administrative violations previously did not classify hijab or other religious clothing as violations.
Lawmakers have imposed penalties for offenders, ranging from 7,920 somonis for individuals to 39,500 somonis for legal entities, as reported by Radio Liberty's Tajik Service.
Government officials and religious authorities face significantly higher fines upon conviction, ranging from 54,000 somonis to 57,600 somonis.
Tajikistan's official enforcement against hijab follows years of an informal ban. The country has also informally prohibited bushy beards. In 2007, the Education Ministry initially banned Islamic clothing and Western-style miniskirts for students, later extending this ban to all public institutions.
In recent years, the Tajik government has initiated a campaign to promote the wearing of Tajik national dress, as highlighted in "The Guidebook of Recommended Outfits in Tajikistan," published in 2018. In 2017, several mobile phone users received messages from the government encouraging women to adopt Tajik national attire.
Image source: AFP
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