Frontpage Insights: Big decision against radicalism in Islamic country Tajikistan; 1 lakh fine for wearing hijab, big beard can be jailed

The Central Asian country of Tajikistan is bordered by Afghanistan, China, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan. It has been under international surveillance for some time for terrorist incidents. Following the involvement of 4 terrorists of Tajik origin in the March 2024 terror attack in the Russian capital Moscow, the government has started targeting Islamic dress and identity in the country. The government has ordered a ban on hijab and beard growth. Its main purpose is to curb religious fanaticism. It should be noted that Tajikistan is a Muslim majority country. 98% of the population here follow Islam. President Emomali Rahmon, a dictator who has been in power for three decades, believes that reining in the public identity of Islam will help weaken orthodox Islam. It will reduce Islamic extremism. According to the new law, the government has announced an order to cut the beard in public places against growing it. For this, the government has deployed moral police. Also, a fine of more than one lakh rupees and strict punishment has been ordered for those who do not follow the law. Such penalties have drawn widespread criticism in a country where the average monthly salary is around Rs 15,000. Nilofar (27), a teacher from the capital Dushanbe, said the police had recently stopped her three times to remove her hijab. When she refused, she was kept in the police station for the whole night. Her husband also once went to jail for five days for forbidding him to shave his beard. Eventually Nilofar stopped wearing the hijab for her career. New law may cause further provocation: Expert Discontent with new law has grown. Experts believe that this measure could only inflame radicalization rather than deter it. Human rights expert Larisa Alexandrova said the government was taking superficial measures instead of tackling the real problems of poverty, corruption and social inequality. The Imomali government's focus is in the wrong direction.

Image Credit: (Divya-Bhaskar): Images/graphics belong to (Divya-Bhaskar).