Tajikistan puts a ban on women's veils

Tajik legislators have approved a bill that requires women to "stick to traditional national clothes and culture." According to a report by The Times of India (TOI), the bill has primarily been directed against the use of veils by women in Tajikistan. The legislation is an amendment to an existing law on "streamlining of traditions, celebrations and ceremonies" in the country. While the bill does not specifically ban the hijab, Tajik authorities often publicly speak about the dangers of wearing Islamic clothing. In a recent interview given to Radio Free Europe, Tajikistan's Minister of Culture, Shamsiddin Orumbekzoda said: “Muslim attire is really dangerous, because people looked at women wearing it with concern, fearing that they could be hiding something under their hijab.” Women wearing hijabs are already banned from entering the country's government offices, under existing Tajik laws. Security officials approached more than 8,000 women wearing hijabs in the capital of Dushanbe and ordered them to wear their scarves in the Tajik style, during the month of August this year. The new bill does not introduce a penalty for violating the rule, but many believe that fines could be introduced at a later date.