59tices at funerals. Following a campaign against people who have an “Islamic ap-
pearance”, such as men wearing long beards, the government banned the hijab in
schools, universities and public administration buildings. Occasionally, women are
stopped on the streets by law enforcement officers and asked to remove their hi-
jab, and men are sometimes ordered to shave their beards. Nevertheless, in spite
of the ban, some women continue wearing the hijab, especially those from more
religious families.
To justify the ban, the government claims that the hijab is not a “traditional
Tajik dress” and is a sign of the “Islamisation” of the society. While the traditional
Tajik kurta (long dress), trousers and scarf tied to the back of the head can hardly
be called secular, such attire is promoted as “national” or “traditional”. This fusion
of “tradition” and “Islam” in female fashion became a brand of Rahmon’s state,
while the “de-hijabisation” campaign has been supported by some representatives
of the local educated intelligentsia, who are fighting back against the increasing
religiosity in the country. In fact, Tajikistan is probably the only Muslim-majority
country in the world with such a negative attitude towards Islamic symbols. The
government even imposes the “traditional Tajik costume” on female religious lead-
ers (bibi otun, bibi khalifa) who have always acted informally and are traditionally
responsible for teaching Islam and performing rituals. They are expected to wear
In search of the enemies of the state, Anna Cieślewska Opinion & Analysis
A fusion of “tradition” and “Islam” in female fashion has become a brand of
Emomali Rahmon’s Tajikistan, while the “de-hijabisation” campaign has been
supported by some representatives of the local educated intelligentsia.Photo: Agnieszka Pikulicka-Wilczewska