The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today condemned attempts by Tajikistan’s parliament to ban “clothes alien to Tajik culture,” a phrase widely viewed as describing Islamic attire, including the hijab (head scarf). The draft amendments are expected to be approved and signed into law.
In its 2024 annual report, the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) recommended Tajikistan be designated as one of the Countries of Particular Concern (CPCs), stating:
“In 2023, religious freedom conditions in Tajikistan remained dire as the government continued to restrict and penalize the religious activity of its citizens, including those living abroad. Under the law on Freedom of Conscience and Religious Associations (religion law), the government prohibits unregistered religious activity, limits religious education, restricts the import and distribution of religious materials, and maintains discriminatory requirements for registering mosques and appointing Muslim clergy, among other actions.”
In a statement, CAIR Research & Advocacy Director Corey Saylor said:
“Religious freedom includes the right to wear what one chooses, including the hijab, Sikh turban, Jewish yarmulke, Buddhist robe, or Christian habit. The wearing of religious attire should be up to the individual’s conscience and beliefs, not to a discriminatory governmental order.”
He noted that last year, CAIR joined an international coalition of Muslim advocacy organizations to issue a joint declaration commemorating March 15th, the first UN-recognized International Day to Combat Islamophobia, and announcing their intent to cooperate in the global struggle against anti-Muslim bigotry.
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CONTACT: CAIR National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell, 404-285-9530, e-Mitchell@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, ihooper@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Manager Ismail Allison, 202-770-6280, iallison@cair.com