New restrictions have been imposed on Muslims in Tajikistan. The National Assembly, the upper house of the parliament in the Muslim-majority country, approved the bill banning the headscarf on June 19. Within the framework of the law, children are also prohibited from celebrating Ramadan and Eid al-Adha.
IT TOOK EFFECT YESTERDAY AFTER IT WAS SIGNED BY THE PRESIDENT OF TAJIKISTAN, IMAMALI RAHMAN.
The draft law, which was accepted by the House of Representatives, the lower house of the parliament, on June 8, came into force yesterday after it was signed by Tajikistan President Emomali Rahman. The law prohibits “wearing, importing, selling and advertising clothes from foreign cultures that are not compatible with Tajik culture, in order to protect national values.”
A FINE IS PRESENTED
In case of non-compliance with the law, individuals will be fined up to $740 and institutions will be fined up to $5,400, while government officials will be fined up to $3,700 and religious authorities will be fined around $5,060.
The crackdown on the headscarf in Tajikistan started in 2007, some clothes were banned in schools, and the rule was later expanded to include all public institutions. Tajikistan authorities called on women to wear Tajik clothes in 2017, and a 376-page guide on the recommended clothes was published in 2018. Tajikistan has also unofficially banned growing beards, and thousands of people were reported to have their beards forcibly shaved by the police. (UAV)
