Ahlulbayt News Agency: In a strong denouncement of what it perceives as a manifestation of global Islamophobia, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) has voiced its opposition to Tajikistan’s parliamentary initiative to ban what it terms as “clothes alien to Tajik culture,” widely interpreted as targeting Islamic attire such as the hijab (headscarf).
The proposed amendments, which are anticipated to be ratified and enacted into law, have drawn criticism from the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization.
The move by Tajikistan’s parliament highlights a broader pattern of religious repression and intolerance, as highlighted in the 2024 annual report of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF).
The report recommends Tajikistan's designation as one of the Countries of Particular Concern (CPCs), citing ongoing governmental restrictions on religious freedom. The USCIRF report stated that in 2023, Tajikistan continued to curtail and penalize religious activities, imposing stringent regulations under the law on Freedom of Conscience and Religious Associations.
These regulations include prohibitions on unregistered religious practices, constraints on religious education, limitations on the import and dissemination of religious materials, and discriminatory prerequisites for mosque registration and the appointment of Muslim clergy.
Corey Saylor, CAIR's Research & Advocacy Director, emphasized the fundamental principle of religious freedom, asserting that individuals have the right to wear attire reflective of their faith, whether it be the hijab, Sikh turban, Jewish yarmulke, Buddhist robe, or Christian habit. He condemned governmental mandates that impinge upon this liberty, asserting that the choice to wear religious attire should be a matter of personal conscience and belief, rather than subject to discriminatory state decrees.
Saylor further highlighted CAIR’s ongoing commitment to combating Islamophobia on a global scale. He recalled CAIR’s participation in an international coalition of Muslim advocacy organizations in issuing a joint declaration commemorating March 15 as the first UN-recognized International Day to Combat Islamophobia.
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The proposed amendments, which are anticipated to be ratified and enacted into law, have drawn criticism from the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization.
The move by Tajikistan’s parliament highlights a broader pattern of religious repression and intolerance, as highlighted in the 2024 annual report of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF).
The report recommends Tajikistan's designation as one of the Countries of Particular Concern (CPCs), citing ongoing governmental restrictions on religious freedom. The USCIRF report stated that in 2023, Tajikistan continued to curtail and penalize religious activities, imposing stringent regulations under the law on Freedom of Conscience and Religious Associations.
These regulations include prohibitions on unregistered religious practices, constraints on religious education, limitations on the import and dissemination of religious materials, and discriminatory prerequisites for mosque registration and the appointment of Muslim clergy.
Corey Saylor, CAIR's Research & Advocacy Director, emphasized the fundamental principle of religious freedom, asserting that individuals have the right to wear attire reflective of their faith, whether it be the hijab, Sikh turban, Jewish yarmulke, Buddhist robe, or Christian habit. He condemned governmental mandates that impinge upon this liberty, asserting that the choice to wear religious attire should be a matter of personal conscience and belief, rather than subject to discriminatory state decrees.
Saylor further highlighted CAIR’s ongoing commitment to combating Islamophobia on a global scale. He recalled CAIR’s participation in an international coalition of Muslim advocacy organizations in issuing a joint declaration commemorating March 15 as the first UN-recognized International Day to Combat Islamophobia.
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