News Right Now: Violating the Veiled

The Hijab, which is “clothing that is contrary to national culture”, has officially been banned in Tajikistan. A law the Tajik Government has been trying to push for years. Then, it was approved on June 21st and made official. People who do not comply and wear it otherwise will pay a fine of $733 to $3668.

As it was stated by the chairman of the Ulema Council, "The Tajik people have their own special clothes. The Arab people also have their own special clothes. Each nation has its own special clothes, and at the same time, Sharia norms are observed. This is important, the rest is not important. It is not necessary to follow and blindly imitate someone else's clothes"

Tajikistan, with a 95% Muslim population, is like those of other countries in Asia. Pushing secularism as other counties do. This animosity is one our ancestors are all too familiar with. Something they faced 100 years ago under the "Khuchum" campaign which was pushed by the Soviet Union, where they began to forcibly undress the women. They had placed it under the pretext of not complying with “culture” and “tradition”. As soon as they implemented the law of “regulation of traditions and rituals”, the first step they took was towards our sisters in the Hijab. They made it a goal to get the Hijabs off their heads, in an effort to remove the Islamic Identity. To separate the Muslim women from her Islam and her implementation of it. Strip her of her identity. Creating mass raids to find those women who wore the Hijab.

This is all tied to the idea that central Asia carries: anything related to Islam, looks Islamic, or has any indication of faith in Allah (swt) is a form of extremism. President Rahmon Emomali hostility towards Islam is not only evident in this ban. While he bans the Hijab and stating it was for “protecting ancestral values and culture” and calling it “foreign clothing”, he also banned the beard prior. The Tajik police had allegedly cut the beards of 13,000 men while closing 160 stores that sold headscarves. Saying that they are “clothes alien to national culture”. It was also reported that thousands of men were imprisoned for “adopting mannerisms alien and inconsistent with Tajik culture.” (Referring to not shaving their beards)

The children have also been affected. The celebrations for Eid ul Adha and Eid ul-Fitir have also been banned- to the extent that children can’t receive “Eid Money'', a gift given to children for the occasion of Eid. All this falls under “anti-radicalization campaign”, which is just a cover up to fight Islam. Saidmukarram Abdukodirzoda, the mufti of Tajikistan has previously justified the ban on the Hajj for those who are under the age of 40 along with the rest of the restrictions which have been placed on our brothers and sisters in Tajikistan.

O Muslims! Secularism and those who implement it grow more devious and evil. The thirst for ripping one's Emaan away, is a thirst that will never be quenched. They will keep going down this dark path of fitnah (corruption) and making sure our sisters are the first step towards that. To remove the Hijab, something that Allah (swt) has made an obligation upon the women to wear. They start from the woman, who raises the next generation, knowing that if she gets torn away from her Aqeedah, she would influence the next generation. We must work and strive to bring back the protector of the woman’s honor. It’s time to remove these tyrannical regimes and bring an end to their devious plans. It’s time to work to restore the Khilafah al Rashida, rightly guided Caliphate, upon the method for the prophet hood.

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