Tajikistan’s Ban on Hijab and Extremism Laws

Tajikistan’s Ban on Hijab

Tajikistan’s government passed a law banning the hijab, the latest in a string of 35 wide-ranging religion-related acts, in a move described by the government as “protecting national cultural values” and “preventing superstition and extremism”. The law, approved by parliament’s upper house Majlisi Milli last Thursday, bans the use of “foreign clothing” — including the hijab, or head covering worn by Muslim women. Instead, Tajikistan citizens are encouraged to wear Tajik national dress.

Penalties and Enforcement

Those violating the law are set to be fined on a scale ranging from 7,920 Tajikistani somoni (almost €700) for ordinary citizens, 54,000 somoni (€4,694) for government officials and 57,600 somoni (about €5,000) if they are a religious figure. Similar laws passed earlier this month affect a number of religious practices, such as the centuries-old tradition known in Tajikistan as “iydgardak,” in which children go door-to-door to collect pocket money on Eid holidays.

Government’s Approach to Extremism

In Tajikistan, the government of president-for-life Emomali Rahmon has had its sights set on what they describe as extremism for a long time. After a peace deal to end a five-year civil war in 1997, Rahmon — who has been in power since 1994 — first found a way to coexist with the opposition Tajikistan Islamic Resurrection Party (TIDP), which was granted a series of concessions. According to the UN-brokered agreement, representatives of the pro-Sharia TIDP would share 30% of the government, and TIDP was recognised as the first post-Soviet political party in Central Asia founded on Islamic values, and it would represent the Muslim majority in parliament.

• After first banning the hijab in public institutions, including universities and government buildings, in 2009, the regime in Dushanbe pushed for a number of formal and informal rules meant to prevent neighbouring countries from exerting influence but also strengthen its control over the country.
• While there are no legal restrictions on beards in Tajikistan, multiple reports state that law enforcement has forcibly shaved men sporting bushy beards, seen as a potential sign of someone’s extremist religious views.
• The Law on Parental Responsibility, which entered into force in 2011, penalises parents who send their children to religious education abroad will be penalized, while according to the same law, those under 18 years of age are banned from entering places of worship without permission.